tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/hybrid-learning-92839/articlesHybrid learning – The Conversation2022-10-27T19:05:32Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1930242022-10-27T19:05:32Z2022-10-27T19:05:32ZWe took away due dates for university assignments. Here’s what we found<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491284/original/file-20221024-25-7hzfup.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C25%2C5746%2C3816&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Eliott Reyna/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As university students around the country finish their final exams and assessments for the year, the idea of removing due dates might seem incredibly appealing. </p>
<p>Being more open-ended about when assignments are submitted may also seem like the logical next step for universities. Even before COVID-19, they have been looking for ways to make learning more flexible. This is generally done by offering units online or in a <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1264410.pdf">hybrid model</a>, where some units are in person and some are online. But <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2022.2106125?journalCode=cjfh20">is it truly flexible</a> if just the place has changed? </p>
<p>An emerging trend in the sector is “<a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/irrodl/2018-v19-n1-irrodl03927/1050875ar.pdf">self-paced learning</a>,” where students do not have to fit their learning into a university semester and there might be flexible due dates for assessments.</p>
<p>In other words, students with internet access and a laptop can study at a time and place that suits them.</p>
<p>At CQUniversity this is called “hyperflexible learning”. Our university already offers <a href="https://www.cqu.edu.au/courses/study-modes/online/be-different-online">hyperflexible postgraduate units</a>. </p>
<p>We wanted to know what the experience would be like for students and staff if hyperflexible units were offered at undergraduate level. </p>
<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>In a 2021 pilot study, we looked at four undergraduate history and communication units. The humanities was a good fit for the pilot because they attract a wide range of students, did not have tests or exams and had fewer restrictions like external accreditation. </p>
<p>We offered the units in the traditional mode and a hyperflexible mode. In the hyperflexible mode, students had access to all the unit content, could self-pace and did not have due dates for their written and oral assessments. </p>
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<img alt="Students reading at a bench." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491847/original/file-20221026-4274-lt2ynt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">University is becoming more and more flexible, in a bid to fit around students’ lives.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alexis Brown/Unsplash</span></span>
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<p>The unit’s content was self-paced, via short recorded videos and <a href="https://h5p.org/">interactive learning modules</a>, rather than traditional lectures. There were opportunities for learning with other students (like live Zoom tutorials), but these were not compulsory. </p>
<p>Of the group, 27 students chose to take the hyperflexible option. We interviewed them and three unit coordinators before and after the term about their experiences. We also surveyed all 12 humanities staff about their perceptions of hyperflexible learning. </p>
<p>While the sample size was small, students and staff suggested there are both risks and benefits to this type of study. </p>
<h2>‘I wouldn’t have passed’: what did students say?</h2>
<p>On balance, the students who took part had a positive experience. One even said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If it wasn’t hyperflexible I wouldn’t have passed.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Several noted how assessment deadlines were a significant source of stress and relished the freedom to fit study around their life, rather than the other way around. Several said it made it easier to accommodate their work and family commitments.</p>
<p>One student said they were thrilled when they heard about the hyperflexible option because:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am a very anxious student, and deadlines really, really stressed me out.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other students suggested the quality of their learning was better in a hyperflexible model as they were able to “go deeper” on a topic that interested them and not have it reserved for one particular week. It was suggested that the hyperflexible unit allowed “study in a more intensive way”.</p>
<p>But students also raised concerns. Several noted it “feels a bit isolating”, “disconnected”, like they are “the only student doing it” and they are not “participating in the university experience”. </p>
<p>Others were worried they might not receive the same level of feedback from staff and there might be a temptation to “leave everything to the last minute”. </p>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/university-fees-are-poised-to-change-a-new-system-needs-to-consider-how-much-courses-cost-and-what-graduates-can-earn-192023">University fees are poised to change – a new system needs to consider how much courses cost and what graduates can earn</a>
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<h2>Doing two jobs: what did staff say?</h2>
<p>University staff were generally more cautious about the benefits of hyperflexible learning. Common concerns were students would lose their sense of being part of a group, feel lost or overwhelmed, allow assignments to pile up, and it could ultimately see more students dropping out. </p>
<p>Staff were also concerned no due dates could increase their workload. They noted they would be less free to take leave or attend conferences if they did not have a reasonable expectation when their marking would be due. Even when students were being taught the same content, there were new challenges and as one staff member said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I feel as though I am managing two cohorts.</p>
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<p>Staff members did see benefits in hyperflexible learning also and most said they were willing to experiment with it. Several commented on the potential for motivated students to finish their degrees faster. One staff member noted that having now taught a hyperflexible unit:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have confidence that most students get there in the end.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-australian-students-who-need-more-food-university-staff-are-also-going-hungry-192928">It's not just Australian students who need more food, university staff are also going hungry</a>
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<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>Our study suggests removing due dates from undergraduate units has potential to make university study more accessible and less rigid, while reducing student stress.</p>
<p>One key issue is how students can maintain a sense of being together in a group, receive support, and feel a connection to their university.</p>
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<img alt="Young man, studying on his own at night." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491848/original/file-20221026-21-3r2eme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Some students reported feeling isolated when studying without due dates.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Max Shilov/Unsplash</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>For educators, hyperflexible learning is a distinct form of teaching and staff members would need to be adequately trained and supported. This way of teaching is individualistic and seeks to fit study around the needs of each student. To some extent, this is in conflict with the ideal of university as a learning community. </p>
<p>Although the responses to the pilot program were largely positive, there is still a lot more we need to know about the impact of removing due dates and time pressures. For example, although due dates were removed, students still had to complete their assessments within the semester – due to university and government policies. </p>
<p>Also, while this approach might fit the assessment-focused humanities, we don’t know how this works in disciplines that are more heavily exam-driven (like health and IT). </p>
<p>Ultimately, risks associated with hyperflexible learning and the impact on both staff and students need to be considered carefully before adopting these approaches for undergrads. </p>
<p>So, sorry students – seems like you’ll have to finish that essay this week after all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193024/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This research was funded by a CQUniversity Learning and Teaching Research Development Grant. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin T. Jones does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Students reported being less stressed about deadlines, but some staff worry no due dates will increase their workloads.Benjamin T. Jones, Senior Lecturer in History, CQUniversity AustraliaAmy Johnson, Lecturer, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1876522022-08-22T16:05:06Z2022-08-22T16:05:06ZProfessor flexibility, recorded lectures: Some positive university legacies of the pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477685/original/file-20220804-16-zvuolw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C5022%2C3443&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A professor’s understanding of how important an accommodation is for one or two students may produce a benefit for all.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/professor-flexibility--recorded-lectures--some-positive-university-legacies-of-the-pandemic" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The COVID-19 closure of university and college campuses and move to online learning in March 2020 was a massive global educational experiment. Many students were severely <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pandemic-exposed-the-vulnerability-of-international-students-in-canada-174105">disadvantaged</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247999">and strained during</a> the experiment, others coped and some thrived. Educators are divided on its impacts. </p>
<p>With international colleagues who are geography experts, I studied <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2022.2081225">lessons learned during the pandemic</a>. Taken together, the lessons may form the foundation for what post-pandemic post-secondary education could look like in coming decades. Improved educational practices could be one of the few positive outcomes from the pandemic. </p>
<p>The large-scale result is more choice for students in how they are taught with better access for more students. But realistically, the lessons will be applied in different ways by professors, academic departments and institutions to create a patchwork of unique approaches. </p>
<h2>New forms of online learning</h2>
<p>Specialists in online <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning">education distanced themselves from emergency online teaching at the start of the pandemic</a>. </p>
<p>However, improvisation by untrained online educators produced a surprise. Our research documented how some students who had previously taken and hated online courses with slick presentations and high production values found they enjoyed a course with professors who could relate well to students online. </p>
<p>In these cases, topical bad jokes and a peek at the professor’s home office more than compensated for grainy video and poor sound. Some online courses that proved successful continue to be offered by some faculty, even though colleges and universities are now fully open. Students can enjoy the convenience of an online course, and connect with their professor. </p>
<p>Students also quickly learned that online courses don’t need to be taken from home. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A student's hand seen at a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477690/original/file-20220804-26-ob8b2x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Students have realized they can attend online classes in their university library or cafeteria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Kampus Production)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>My anecdotal impression from colleagues in the United States and Canada, including some B.C. colleagues at <a href="https://www.bccat.ca/articulation/committees">meetings hosted by the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer</a> — a body that oversees credit transfers between post-secondary institutions — is that online sections are filling up faster than face-to-face sections of the same course in some universities and colleges.</p>
<h2>More online components</h2>
<p>The online experience also informed face-to-face courses with more thought by faculty on how to engage students during a lecture. </p>
<p>During online learning, course leaders achieved this engagement through online discussion boards and other collaborative tools. That experience carried over for some faculty, and online learning management systems like Moodle and Canvas are now widely used in some face-to-face courses. </p>
<h2>Teaching and learning accommodations</h2>
<p>Prior to the pandemic, students with <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/students/accessible-learning/establishing-accommodations/prospectivedas.html">learning, mental or physical disabilities</a> had access to “accessibility services” or a similar office in universities and colleges.</p>
<p>The process involved the professional assessment of accommodations necessary for students to succeed in a course, such as extended time for tests, or permission to record lectures. Offices communicated these accommodations to faculty who were then required to implement the accommodation. </p>
<p>Campus closures meant that on-campus support services were less readily available. As a result, some students talked directly to their professors about the challenges they faced. </p>
<p>These challenges were well-known by specialist counsellors and advisors within universities, but confidentiality kept an understanding of student challenges away from faculty. </p>
<p>Learning the specifics about the complex nature of hurdles to learning for some students made some faculty think more about courses and course delivery for all students. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-a-safe-return-to-university-campuses-listen-to-students-most-affected-by-the-pandemic-178236">For a 'safe return' to university campuses, listen to students most affected by the pandemic</a>
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<p>For example, prior to the pandemic, recorded live lectures were available to selected students as an accommodation. </p>
<p>During the online pivot, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-020-00563-8">lecture recordings were popular</a>, and it turned out they were helpful for many students. A professor’s understanding of how important an accommodation is for one or two students may produce a benefit for all. </p>
<p>Some professors continue to record lectures now, even while offering an in-person class.</p>
<h2>Reducing student stress</h2>
<p>Student mental health became <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247999">an issue during the pandemic, but there were also rising numbers of students with mental health issues prior to the pandemic.</a> Conversations in the media also made it easier for students to talk about their challenges. </p>
<p>The causes of mental health issues are diverse, but student workload has been increasing in recent years and increased during the pandemic. </p>
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<img alt="Two people seen talking in a library." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477687/original/file-20220804-5517-ekvjvs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Some professors’ greater awareness of the barriers, mental health challenges or personal situations students face is leading to rethinking how they teach.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Antoni Shkraba)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The transition from face-to-face classes to an online environment encouraged the addition of new assignments to courses, often in addition to the old ones. Some faculty are beginning to rethink not just how they teach, but also their curriculum.</p>
<h2>Patchwork of responses</h2>
<p>While administrators at universities and colleges are still struggling with post-pandemic responses, many decisions have already been made by individual professors. </p>
<p>Some take attendance at lectures, require assignments to be submitted on paper and refuse to record their lectures or provide copies of their slides. Others are more accommodating. There has never been a more flexible time to be a student.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187652/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Terence Day does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research by geographers in Canada, the United States and Hong Kong identifies lessons for universities and colleges from the 2020 move to online learning.Terence Day, Adjunct Professor of Geography, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1858772022-06-30T19:50:17Z2022-06-30T19:50:17ZCould more online learning help fix Australia’s teacher shortage?<p>On Thursday, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-30/catholic-and-public-school-teachers-strike-in-nsw/101195698">thousands of teachers</a> went on strike in New South Wales, over pay and “<a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-life/im-a-teacher-of-20-years-heres-what-i-need-you-to-know-about-the-strike/news-story/acfb95378ed5229b9763c789d0899aa0">unsustainable</a>” workloads. </p>
<p>This comes amid increasing concerns about <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-and-schools-australia-is-about-to-feel-the-full-brunt-of-its-teacher-shortage-174885">teacher shortages</a> around Australia. </p>
<p>The federal government has suggested enticing high-performing students into teaching degrees with <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-education-minister-jason-clare-can-fix-the-teacher-shortage-crisis-but-not-with-labors-election-plan-184321">extra payments</a>, while education experts say teachers need more time, more pay and more support to do their jobs. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/read-the-room-premier-performance-pay-for-teachers-will-make-the-crisis-worse-185406">Read the room, Premier. Performance pay for teachers will make the crisis worse</a>
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<p>One option that could free up teacher time, and ensure students are getting the education they need, is “blended” learning, in which some learning is done online and some face-to-face. We know this can work in other settings – at the university level, I have three decades of expertise in remote and blended learning, with many thousands of students across several subjects at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.</p>
<h2>The crisis</h2>
<p>The established norm in Australian schools is one teacher for every 25 students, with learning done face-to-face in a classroom, five days a week. </p>
<p>But a growing shortage in teacher numbers means we may no longer be able to accept this as the norm. According to a recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/read-the-room-premier-performance-pay-for-teachers-will-make-the-crisis-worse-185406">Monash University study</a>, 59% of surveyed primary and secondary teachers said they intended to leave the profession. Heavy workloads, and health and well-being issues, were among the key reasons given for their responses. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Teachers protest in the Sydney CBD." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471774/original/file-20220630-22-b1ze2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers from public and Catholic schools took to the streets on Thursday.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nikki Short/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Blended learning involves a mix of traditional face-to-face learning with remote learning. That online element may be done anywhere, such as at school, at home, or in small groups.</p>
<p>COVID meant remote learning hit the headlines worldwide, but it has already been happening behind the scenes for some time, particularly in remote areas in Australia through distance schools. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/return-to-school-plans-overlook-chronic-teacher-shortages-outside-the-big-cities-176250">Return-to-school plans overlook chronic teacher shortages outside the big cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When learning is done remotely it still needs quality teachers. Unlike university students, school students need significant support to help them learn. Teachers need to know their students and design lessons specific to their context, whether it be in inner-city Sydney or remote Arnhem Land.</p>
<h2>The COVID silver lining</h2>
<p>Any teacher or parent will tell you COVID rapidly changed the way school was structured and learning was delivered. </p>
<p>Despite the stress of this time, the pandemic showed us it was possible to teach students online, and that despite the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1329878X20956409">well-publicised challenges</a> of home learning, there were some advantages. This was the case when when remote learning is planned and delivered to a high standard, enabling students to use technologies they like. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/remote-learning-was-even-tougher-for-migrant-parents-heres-what-they-want-schools-to-know-in-case-lockdowns-return-183039">Remote learning was even tougher for migrant parents. Here’s what they want schools to know in case lockdowns return</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As the World Bank <a href="https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/160271637074230077/pdf/Remote-Learning-During-COVID-19-Lessons-from-Today-Principles-for-Tomorrow.pdf">recently found</a>, COVID created many opportunities for “reimagining how education can be offered and enriched”. </p>
<p>One of my education colleagues likes to cite the example of a Rockhampton 12-year-old, who had four people who helped her learn in March 2020 when the pandemic began in Australia. This included teachers and friends. </p>
<p>That group became 35 during the next year, with other classmates, parents, grandparents, and other similar-aged students in her school. Her literacy, numeracy, technology and social skills skyrocketed, along with her well-being. This was a direct result of the required remote learning, as the student sought assistance from others and it soon became a snowballing effect.</p>
<h2>This can work for all year levels</h2>
<p>Senior educators in Queensland have told me up to a quarter of the curriculum content may be best taught online. That is for all year levels and especially from year 4 onwards, and includes basic knowledge and skills in most subject areas. </p>
<p>Teachers reported that students’ learning could be more personalised online. Students who have the capability to go quickly can do so – and not be bored. Students who need more time can take it. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mother helps her young children learn at home." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471775/original/file-20220630-21-i1m6jc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">COVID forced schools around Australia to move to online learning, without any warning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It can also be used to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and group-based activities in ways not easily done in traditional classroom settings. This includes collaborative projects using things such as shared Google docs and educational video games.</p>
<p>Achievements in that learning can be assessed in the online environment using high-quality techniques that involve automated marking as well as some teacher judgements. </p>
<p>That has the added benefit of freeing up some teacher time with fewer face-to-face contact hours but not adding to the work of parents. </p>
<p>However, it does mean all students doing part of their school work by remote learning will have to have good access to a computer or tablet with good internet connection. And while that is generally the case already, some students did not have that during lockdowns and some schools need to ensure such access as they did in the <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/as-naplan-begins-experts-voice-concerns/280160">online NAPLAN tests in May</a>.</p>
<h2>Lets re-imagine schools</h2>
<p>A hybrid model will only benefit students and teachers if it set up properly. </p>
<p>In its <a href="https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/160271637074230077/pdf/Remote-Learning-During-COVID-19-Lessons-from-Today-Principles-for-Tomorrow.pdf">assessment</a> of COVID learning at home, the World Bank found remote learning needed to have suitable technology, targeted professional development for teachers and make sure students are engaged. </p>
<p>Under a new, hybrid model, Australian schools would still use face-to-face when most appropriate and remote networked learning when that is most appropriate. That can free up teaching and physical resources (such as classroom space) and potentially improve student learning and teacher well-being.</p>
<p>As the teacher shortage continues, we need to think creatively and use existing models we have already seen work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185877/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ken Purnell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One teacher together with 25 kids in a classroom may no longer work as the norm for Australian schools.Ken Purnell, Professor of Education, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1750092022-03-13T12:28:29Z2022-03-13T12:28:29ZHow an ER simulation helps medical and engineering students see new points of view<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449587/original/file-20220302-17-k8ww5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C231%2C7360%2C4043&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The future of virtual learning? In Canada, doctors and nurses are engaged in professional development studies alongside design engineer students in Italy. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some medical students in Canada are collaborating in a virtual class with design engineering students in Italy. Their mutual goals are to enhance their preparedness and insights regarding their respective real-world professional challenges by working together online in a scenario.</p>
<p>The students log in to an online simulation of a virtual emergency room. The medical students are assigned doctor and nurse avatars, and the engineering students have IT specialist or designer avatars. The scene plays out in response to the collaborative actions the students take. </p>
<p>This is a real learning experience supported by educators at McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences. Doctors and nurses are engaged in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-020-00604-1">continuing professional development course</a> with professor of medicine <a href="https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/chant38">Teresa Chan</a>, who is also associate dean of continuing professional development.</p>
<p>Learning <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-017-0055-0">through scenarios</a> and simulations in <a href="https://simulation.mcmaster.ca/high_fidelity_simulation.html">fields from health care</a> <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1146153">to education</a> isn’t new. But this example provides a <a href="https://books.macpfd.ca/HPER-Primer/chapter/design-fiction-scenarios-for-health-care-education">glimpse into an expanded future of teaching and learning in post-secondary education in virtual environments</a>.</p>
<h2>The ‘co-learning’ open classroom</h2>
<p>I am a design researcher, learning <a href="https://twitter.com/michielviersel/status/1115242004257153026?cxt=HHwWhIC95bWskfoeAAAA">innovator and artist</a> whose research focuses on education technology to look for new ways of learning and teaching. </p>
<p>I see students learning together through scenario-based learning, bolstered by artificial intelligence, as a growing trend, and I am interested in how universities can integrate insights from <a href="https://www.damnmagazine.net/2017/08/22/design-democracy/">designers committed to enhancing stronger and more participatory civic engagement</a>. Whether collaborative learning <a href="https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-learning">is peer-to-peer or in larger groups</a>, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.12.091">benefits</a> for participants include <a href="http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html">enhanced critical thinking</a>. </p>
<p>In order for our society to see innovation in virtual learning, we need good design principles and tools for knowledge, sharing and growing. My <a href="https://act.mit.edu/about/people/2522">research, applied practice</a> and teaching at <a href="https://issuu.com/designengineeringharvard/docs/s20_mde_idep_booklet">Harvard University’s master’s program in design engineering</a>
has been about developing collaborative learning or “co-learning” as a methodology and learning style. This learning is based on design principles such as equality, accessibility, diversity, inclusion and collaboration to solve real problems.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hu55A63phFs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video about how design can sustainably serve the needs of cities from the Open Design School.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Co-learning can unfold in positive when people collaborate either fully online or in hybrid situations (online and in-person).</p>
<p>Co-learning is about setting up ideal conditions for learning in a peer-to-peer context, whether in <a href="https://act.mit.edu/event/arianna-mazzeo-choreographing-the-city-morning-conversations/">community or civic settings focused on civic change or innovation</a> in groups or in formal education. </p>
<p><a href="https://lguariento.github.io/Engineering-the-Future/50.html">In an online classroom, co-learning involves</a> interactive course content as a way to create scenarios where students can act and perform, improvise and talk about topics of relevance as a group. </p>
<p>The co-learning open classroom provides students with opportunities to observe and for faculty to listen and co-learn at their own pace. Video-based learning activities and interactive virtual spaces foster students’ work as a team. Virtual learning affords opportunities for such teams to collaborate across geographies. Collaboration is a mindset and a method. </p>
<h2>Virtual teaching assistants</h2>
<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) also has a role in future co-learning.
For example, a course instructor or facilitator video records a lecture on a subject area they want to share. This allows the same video to be viewed by one student or thousands of students. </p>
<p>Through a common platform, students from different parts of the world could ask for help <a href="https://www.openpraxis.org/articles/10.5944/openpraxis.12.1.1063/">from a virtual teaching assistant</a>: a chatbot. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-powered-chatbots-designed-ethically-can-support-high-quality-university-teaching-172719">AI-powered chatbots, designed ethically, can support high-quality university teaching</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The facilitator of the in-person classes could also use the virtual teaching assistant to help students learn from each other: students could use an app on their mobile devices, while the facilitator can guide, mentor and interact with the groups.</p>
<p>No additional facilitators are needed to teach multiple sections of the same course. The facilitator is both a guide and a mediator. </p>
<h2>New levels of collaboration and ways of learning</h2>
<p>Using such hybrid methods, people globally could share facts, dialogues, materials and projects on the base of common interest to learn by doing. Stories and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/actmit/choreographing-the-city-ep-4-courage-and-the-unknown">insights from science and art could be shared</a> and new insights co-created. </p>
<p>Virtual collaboration could also help break academic silos by bringing together people in different fields to realize applied interdisciplinary approaches.</p>
<p>These design-based research scenarios may redefine the way we can make learning more collaborative, and also increase students’ access to talented educators around the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175009/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ari Mazzeo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Courses designed to foster peer-to-peer learning in virtual spaces can yield research insights across disciplines.Ari Mazzeo, McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1775452022-03-03T19:09:42Z2022-03-03T19:09:42ZInternational students are back on campus, but does that spell the end of digital learning? Here’s why it shouldn’t<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449663/original/file-20220302-19-18gs4b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Universities are <a href="https://theconversation.com/international-students-are-coming-back-and-its-not-just-universities-sighing-with-relief-176530">welcoming international students back to campuses</a> now Australia’s borders are open. So, with these students back in person, is this the end of digital learning at universities? It shouldn’t be.</p>
<p>Continuing multimodal study will be critical for our universities to attract and retain international students whose numbers in Australia <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-international-education-crisis-will-linger-long-after-students-return-to-australia-170360">halved during the pandemic</a>. </p>
<p>Quality of education is now tied to quality of hybrid in-person and online learning. And <a href="https://www.idp-connect.com/articles/search/all/international-market-trends/research-reports">quality of learning is one of the three top factors</a> international students consider when choosing a study destination.</p>
<h2>Rolling back changes isn’t an option</h2>
<p>What was normal practice in pre-COVID education might no longer adequately prepare students for the future. </p>
<p>Our lives and the world of work continue to digitalise. Education must develop the digital literacy and human-centred skills <a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-learning-is-real-world-learning-thats-why-blended-on-campus-and-online-study-is-best-163002">our graduates will need</a> in this world. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two young people sitting on steps with an open laptop in front of them" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449664/original/file-20220302-15-1xazljp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Digital communication is now inherently part of the worlds of education and work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-learning-is-real-world-learning-thats-why-blended-on-campus-and-online-study-is-best-163002">Digital learning is real-world learning. That's why blended on-campus and online study is best</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The pivot to online learning exposed international students to many new study options. These include: </p>
<ul>
<li>flexible online access to classes and learning materials from anywhere</li>
<li>multi-modality in creating diverse content and in student assignments</li>
<li>multiple platforms and communication channels for diversified feedback and dialogue</li>
<li>captions for recorded videos through tech platforms such as Zoom.</li>
</ul>
<p>However, international students have faced many challenges in their online learning. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v6i3.356">disconnectedness and anxiety</a></li>
<li>cross-cultural issues leading to misunderstandings or even conflicts</li>
<li>time-zone differences</li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i4.227">lack of body language and other cues</a> that aid understanding </li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_321_18">varying levels of digital literacy</a></li>
<li>varying access to internet and online platforms due to different circumstances, locations and national policies.</li>
</ul>
<h2>4 ways to keep improving digital education</h2>
<p>Continuing to enhance digital education could help Australian universities to secure their future. Looking at the emerging trends and issues for digital education globally, four areas require action to better meet international students’ needs.</p>
<p><strong>1. Offer flexibility and hybrid learning</strong></p>
<p>International students will benefit from further flexibility enabled by hybrid learning. In particular, they will welcome the choice of attending online or campus-based classes. This will help them juggle their studies with jobs and other competing priorities. </p>
<p>Hybrid learning, done well, also offers better access to learning materials and more opportunities for interaction. These interactions might be teacher to student, peer to peer, or peer to community. They can happen in person on campus, or online across time and space. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/international-students-are-coming-back-and-its-not-just-universities-sighing-with-relief-176530">International students are coming back and it’s not just universities sighing with relief</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The demands on universities to design flexible, authentic, active and meaningful learning, both on campus and online, are more pressing than ever. International students won’t travel overseas simply to attend didactic lectures anymore. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young Chinese women looks out of airport window" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C43%2C5743%2C3780&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371231/original/file-20201125-16-dfurgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">International students won’t travel to another country just to attend one didactic lecture after another – they expect more of their education.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Promote belonging and online communities</strong></p>
<p>International students always <a href="https://ojed.org/index.php/jis/article/view/2005">long for human connections and social relationships</a> in their learning away from home. Connections built through informal and formal learning in culturally immersive environments have been vital to their academic experiences and achievements. </p>
<p>The emergency remote learning over the past two years limited this opportunity. Digital learning environments usually consist of <a href="https://www.teqsa.gov.au/latest-news/publications/foundations-good-practice-student-experience-online-learning-australian">learning management systems with multiple communication technologies</a>. What they lack is the informal “in-between” interactions that students value on campus. </p>
<p>Cultivating a sense of belonging and community online needs to be an indispensable aspect of educational design. Universities have to invest in this process. Students’ own independently created and temporarily used Facebook and WhatsApp chat groups are no substitute for university experiences. </p>
<p>However, universities must ensure digital safety and data privacy for their online communities. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-halved-international-student-numbers-in-australia-the-risk-now-is-we-lose-future-skilled-workers-and-citizens-175510">COVID halved international student numbers in Australia. The risk now is we lose future skilled workers and citizens</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>3. Look after student well-being</strong> </p>
<p>Virtual experiences are often framed as transcending various physical and material obstacles. These experiences build on the narrative of being able to “study anytime and anywhere”. </p>
<p>However, the pandemic has made us pay closer attention to our digital well-being, the <a href="https://naerjournal.ua.es/article/view/649">physicality of human bodies and embodied practices in learning and teaching</a>. With online learning, despite the comfort of students sitting at their desk in their own home, it is taxing to sit in front of a computer all day every day. </p>
<p>In the pivot to online learning, some teachers simply moved their classes online. As those class hours and interactions with computer screens and devices accumulated across days and weeks, many students struggled to focus on their studies online. </p>
<p>Universities need to design more carefully for the receiving end of human bodies interacting with online programs. Online course design needs to allow for students’ practical and holistic human needs, beyond academic needs. A focus on digital health and student well-being is essential for them to learn productively and healthily. </p>
<p>For example, back-to-back online classes should not be timetabled for students. They will struggle to focus if required to be online for hours on end. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="University student struggling to concentrate as he looks at laptop screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449665/original/file-20220302-13-1jlcio2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Well-designed digital education does not require students to spend hour after hour looking at their screen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-can-rebound-to-be-international-students-destination-of-choice-when-borders-reopen-167347">Australia can rebound to be international students' destination of choice when borders reopen</a>
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</em>
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<p><strong>4. Internationalise learning for all students</strong></p>
<p>It is crucial for curriculum content and online teaching and learning experiences to be internationalised. </p>
<p>The future world of work is ever more global and digital. To prepare graduates for this highly connected world, universities must develop hybrid curriculum and learning experiences that include international and intercultural dimensions.</p>
<p>By internationalising the hybrid curriculum and digital education, we engage students with both local and global issues. This will enrich learning for all while developing empathy and graduate employability.</p>
<h2>The investment will be worth it</h2>
<p>International students bring <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200820103708349#:%7E:text=International%20students%20make%20a%20vital,%2C%20transport%2C%20entertainment%20and%20retail.">rich educational, social and economic capital</a> to Australia. The revenue they provide also heavily <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-6-billion-and-11-of-researchers-our-estimate-of-how-much-australian-university-research-stands-to-lose-by-2024-146672">subsidises other university activities</a> such as research. </p>
<p>Even though international students are returning physically, we should not downplay the role of digital education. Instead, we need to pay more attention to their needs for digital learning.</p>
<p>We have the opportunity to work with these students to improve digital education practices holistically and to internationalise hybrid learning for all students. We need to create learning spaces that seamlessly dissolve the boundaries of informal and formal, digital and physical.</p>
<p>Quality digital education will enhance Australia’s reputation for international education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177545/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ly Tran receives funding from the Australian Research Council and DFAT for her research on international students, geopolitics and student mobilities, the New Colombo Plan, staff professional development in international education and graduate employability in Vietnam.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chie Adachi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While COVID forced a shift online, that doesn’t mean universities should roll back all the changes. A hybrid model of teaching and learning is now the best way to prepare students for a digital world.Chie Adachi, Associate Professor and Director, Digital Learning, Deakin UniversityLy Tran, Professor and ARC Future Fellow, School of Education, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1747142022-01-13T15:07:46Z2022-01-13T15:07:46ZLockdown schooling: research from around the world shows reasons to be hopeful<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440692/original/file-20220113-19-1tat36d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For some children, learning online, at their own pace, has been beneficial.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/homeschool-asian-little-young-girl-student-1739402348">Hananeko_Studio | Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-support-online-homeschooling-through-the-coronavirus-pandemic-144147">COVID shuttered schools</a> around the world in 2020, the way teachers delivered their lessons and students did their classwork changed over night. As one Boston-based secondary school student wrote in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hbe2.236">a recent case study</a>, “bedrooms turned into school classrooms, living rooms turned into science laboratories and backyards turned into workout gyms.” </p>
<p>Two years on, this shift to <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning">remote</a> and, subsequently, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-58805054">hybrid</a> learning has presented <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-58805054">many challenges</a>. It has caused <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3878572">stress and confusion</a> for teaching staff and pupils alike. But it has brought surprising benefits too. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3847">report</a> drawing together the results of 81 studies of secondary schools from 38 countries has highlighted how <a href="https://covidandsociety.com/future-of-school-learning-in-wake-covid-19-ask-biology-teacher-paul-downie/">complementary</a> these digital learning methods can be to traditional methods of schooling. Pupils have found working at their own pace, and without the social pressures of the classroom, beneficial. Even as we face the prospect of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-59945062">continued disruption</a> in 2022, these are reasons to be hopeful.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A classroom of pupils at their desks, seen from above." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440703/original/file-20220113-23-jt244y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lockdown has shown how complementary digital learning can be to in-person schooling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/elementary-school-classroom-children-sitting-their-1769669408">Gorodenkoff | Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Digital skills</h2>
<p>During the pandemic, many schools had to make greater use of learning management systems and apps, in order to improve communication between school and home.
It might seem obvious, but having to work remotely has encouraged <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11040177">teachers</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/20.19.1043">students</a> to revisit and enhance their digital skills. This has stimulated <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-creative-use-of-technology-may-have-helped-save-schooling-during-the-pandemic-146488">innovation and creative thinking</a>, and prompted students to develop skills in using multiple digital tools and resources effectively for learning, such as those reported in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.236">US study</a>.</p>
<p>Many students have showed an increased ability to study and to problem-solve independently. Teachers in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1926289">Hong Kong</a> reported that students had developed problem-solving methods that their teachers hadn’t taught them. </p>
<p>Of the 2,824 secondary school pupils who responded to a survey in <a href="https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM94-40">Slovakia</a>, meanwhile, most said they’d found learning at their own pace to be invaluable. Having the ability to re-watch instructional videos helped them gain deeper understanding of their subjects and maintain a connection to their teachers. </p>
<p>In England, Sweden and the US, several students who, pre-pandemic, were <a href="https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10110311">reluctant</a> to take part in lessons or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633120988530">go to class at all</a>, reported becoming more involved and engaged with their schoolwork during lockdown, because they felt less <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10060165">social pressure</a>. Instrumental music students in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.624717/full">Australia</a> also showed improvement in their social skills, including communication, negotiation and active listening.</p>
<p>Students in Austria, the US and Portugal also benefited from interacting with their peers - remote learning gave them new methods of collaboration, including developing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2021.1912423">interactive ePortfolios</a>, using <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.583963">discussion boards</a> to share ideas and conduct school work with peers, as well as collaborating on authentic tasks such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/20.19.1043">co-creating</a> digital posters and videos, and distributing them via social media. One <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hbe2.236">US study</a> reported that using the chat function in Google Meet during live lessons, combined with editing work and writing comments in Google Docs, was particularly helpful for students to collaborate and stay in touch with their peers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two teenage girls study at home with laptops and headphones." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440696/original/file-20220113-1697-7ij5j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The sudden shift to digital learning saw students coming up with creative solutions to problems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/having-online-lesson-children-self-study-1810292407">PK Studio | Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Communication and assessment</h2>
<p>For some countries, shifting to online assessment, when they had formerly adopted a heavily standardised test-based culture, was <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-level-debacle-has-shattered-trust-in-educational-assessment-144640">quite difficult</a>, as this now demanded alternative assessment methods that could also secure trustworthy results. While some countries forbade assessment during lockdown, our <a href="https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3847">review</a> uncovered the opposite too: no fewer than 21 online assessment strategies were identified. Thus, having to rely heavily on technology during lockdown did open new and creative modes of assessment design and delivery. </p>
<p>The two most common strategies used were formative assessment and online quizzes – identified in 16% of the studies we looked at. While formative assessment has previously been found to <a href="https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/embedding-formative-assessment">boost student learning</a>, the two strategies were employed for different reasons. </p>
<p>Formative assessment, often conducted in real time, was supported by video-conferencing tools. It enabled teachers to see and hear their students, which supported the assessment of literature talk and language assessment, including role plays, online debates and drama performances. Teachers also reported that this real-time interaction supported a sense of social presence, which is important for student wellbeing. </p>
<p>Online quizzes, meanwhile, allowed students to check their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220981784">understanding</a> at their own pace, which helped, as reported in an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1747/1/012018">Indonesian study</a> of Year 10 students, to stave off bordeom. Being auto-corrected, quizzes also helped to decrease teachers’ work load. Lastly, this kind of digital assessment was also easily shared between teachers, which supported equality and re-usability.</p>
<h2>Parent engagement</h2>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.evaluate.co.nz/key-readings/school-led-learning-voices-of-parents-of-maori-and-pasifika-students">parents</a> reported enhanced digital skills as a result of the pandemic. But the main takeaway has been parents’ increased impetus to engage more in their children’s learning. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A father helps his son with his homework." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440705/original/file-20220113-19-9qpzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many parents became more involved in their children’s learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-american-father-helping-son-studying-1789292339">Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research in <a href="https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v29.2544">Nigeria</a> found that giving parents greater access to what their children were learning helped to improve the students’ commitment to learning online. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093819">Vietnam</a>, having parents on board in this way was found to make the whole process more effective. </p>
<p>Being able to access meetings with teachers virtually has also reduced social barriers for some families. A <a href="https://parentping.co.uk/the-future-of-parents-evening/">survey conducted by ParentPing</a> in December 2020, found that both parents and teachers wanted to keep parent evenings virtual, or at least be given the option to do so.</p>
<p>School, more broadly, can and should become more flexible. Ensuring that it does will encourage <a href="https://theconversation.com/mandatory-remote-teaching-could-reduce-inequality-during-the-pandemic-but-delivering-it-will-be-difficult-152651">inclusion</a> and accessibility. It will support lifelong learning.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174714/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Despite the major challenges lockdown-induced remote learning has presented, teachers, pupils and parents alike have reaped certain benefits. Can school learn from these changes?Nina Bergdahl, Research associate, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm UniversityMelissa Bond, Lecturer (Digital Technology Education), Education Futures, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1651352021-08-16T17:48:19Z2021-08-16T17:48:19Z‘Hybrid learning’ in Ontario schools will rob children of quality education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415741/original/file-20210811-13-8ociau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=183%2C423%2C5914%2C3669&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In a time of COVID-19 uncertainty, adopting hybrid learning for children will only stress students and teachers further.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Flickr/Phil Roeder)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With an eye on back-to-school during the COVID-19 pandemic, some education advocates in the <a href="https://twitter.com/pauldaniel28/status/1418954902794129410">Greater Toronto Area’s York</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryFramilton/status/1405667059816673283">Peel regions</a> have been <a href="https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/york-region-advocacy-group-chalking-up-a-no-to-hybrid-learning-at-newmarket-event-3970573">calling for school boards to say no to hybrid learning</a>. The hybrid model forces educators to teach online and in-person at the same time. </p>
<p>In May, the York Region District School Board <a href="https://www.thestar.com/local-newmarket/news/2021/05/05/york-region-district-school-board-will-implement-hybrid-teaching-model-for-2021-22.html">announced it would be adopting</a> a hybrid model where by “<a href="https://www2.yrdsb.ca/york-region-district-school-board-shares-information-about-school-models-2021-2022-school-year">students attending face-to-face and students attending remotely will be taught simultaneously by the same educators</a>.” The Peel District School Board plans to follow the same model <a href="https://www.thestar.com/local-mississauga/news/2021/06/18/peel-district-school-board-implements-hybrid-learning-for-secondary-students-this-september.html">in secondary schools</a>. Other boards across the province are <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/september-school-students-opt-out-1.6136656">weighing options now that families have opted for in-person or virtual schooling</a>.</p>
<p>What these decisions don’t show is that the hybrid learning plan for schooling in the COVID-19 pandemic is more about politics than what’s best for kids.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1418039603580256256"}"></div></p>
<h2>Nickel-and-diming education</h2>
<p>At the very time that researchers and child advocates have sounded the alarm about <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/longforms/covid-19-pandemic-disrupted-schooling-impact/">kids disengaging from school during the pandemic</a>, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office recently announced the Ministry of Education’s spending plans for the next eight years <a href="https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ontario-education-ministry-faces-multi-billion-shortfall-in-funding-report-says">fall $12.3 billion short of expected expenses.</a></p>
<p>The early pandemic created an <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning">emergency remote teaching</a> crisis: teachers and students were forced online, unprepared. For fall 2020, Ontario’s Ford government mandated separate online “<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-school-reopening-online-remote-home-1.5675026">virtual schools</a>,” while also re-opening classrooms. </p>
<p>But when the province announced in spring 2021 that school boards would have to <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/ontario-boards-must-offer-virtual-learning-as-option-for-entire-2021-22-school-year-ford-gov-t-says-1.5413676">offer virtual learning for the entire 2021-22 school year</a>, amid announcements about funding allocated to “<a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000064/ontario-unveils-2-billion-plan-to-keep-schools-safe-and-support-learning-recovery-and-renewal">keep schools safe and support learning renewal and recovery</a>,” <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000064/ontario-unveils-2-billion-plan-to-keep-schools-safe-and-support-learning-recovery-and-renewal">there was no mention of funding earmarked for additional teachers</a>. It was up to boards to structure and fund their own virtual plans. </p>
<p>Some boards latched onto hybrid, which offers a solution for financial savings. Hybrid learning collapses virtual and face-to-face classroom options under a single teacher’s salary, instead of having to hire additional teachers for virtual learning.</p>
<h2>Refusal to reduce class size</h2>
<p>For boards mandated to provide virtual schooling by a province unwilling to fund separate virtual schools, hybrid education may seem like the only choice.</p>
<p>But the province’s Ministry of Education has also likely created demand for a choice to keep students out of school when schools are officially open by repeatedly ignoring <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/08/07/class-sizes-vital-to-curbing-spread-of-covid-19-in-schools-sick-kids-experts-say.html">health experts’ calls for small class sizes</a> as a COVID-19 safety measure. In the lead-up to September 2020, the Ministry of Education refused to assure families <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-lecce-school-plan-distancing-covid-19-ontario-update-1.5677727">of smaller class sizes</a> to support physical distancing and COVID safety. The <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-back-to-school-covid-19-cases-outbreaks-1.6127752">same is true this year</a>.</p>
<p>Hybrid learning, then, isn’t a choice so much as an abdication of responsibility by the province. And it doubles demand on teachers, in the process.</p>
<h2>Teaching kids isn’t about ‘delivering content’</h2>
<p>The face-to-face strategies effective teachers use to encourage participation and engagement are not the same things that work for online teaching and learning. Hybrid learning models expect teachers to teach in two ways at the same time, splitting their attention and capacity to be present to students. </p>
<p>Hybrid learning plans that have been announced in Ontario also operate on a flawed assumption: they presume kindergarten to Grade 12 teaching is fundamentally about delivery of content. It isn’t. It emphasizes <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/golden-rules-for-engaging-students-nicolas-pino-james">active engagement</a>, whether <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten/parents-guide-play-based-learn-en.pdf">through play-based learning in kindergarten</a> or engagement with ideas, one’s peers or hands-on projects in later grades.</p>
<p>The relationships teachers build and support in their classrooms — and what they can <a href="https://theconversation.com/strong-relationships-help-kids-catch-up-after-6-months-of-covid-19-school-closures-145085">address as a result of observing and knowing their students</a> — are integral to children’s engagement, learning and wellness. </p>
<p>A hybrid model disrupts those practices, and encourages a default to simple, slowed-down, teacher-led approaches. A parent of a kindergartener relayed to <em>Mississauga News</em> that her child was having <a href="https://www.mississauga.com/news-story/10393898-hybrid-learning-faces-strong-opposition-from-peel-unions-and-educators/">fewer hands-on experiences</a> and was spending more time sitting at a desk while the child’s teacher was focussed on the computer.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/writing-and-reading-starts-with-childrens-hands-on-play-125182">Writing and reading starts with children's hands-on play</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>And as some teachers in the United States reported last year, hybrid teaching is often “<a href="https://vtdigger.org/2020/10/15/hybrid-learning-is-less-effective-and-twice-the-work-teachers-say/">less effective and twice the work</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Teachers in face masks greet students in a schoolyard." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415743/original/file-20210811-15-ie0bjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The relationships teachers build and support in their classrooms is integral to children’s engagement, learning and wellness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Approach suited to adult learners</h2>
<p>What Ontario boards call hybrid learning is a repackaging of what higher education calls a <a href="https://www.thetambellinigroup.com/hyflex-byeflex-rethinking-the-way-forward/">“hyflex” model</a>. The “flex” part, however, was designed to allow mature learners to choose when they tune in online and when they show up. That flexibility isn’t part of the kindergarten to Grade 12 model.</p>
<p>For all the talk of “choice” in the <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-will-continue-to-offer-option-for-virtual-learning-next-year-1.5413126">government’s framing of virtual learning mandates</a>, there is minimal choice at the core of the hybrid model. Families who’ve chosen to have their kids in school, after a year and a half of frustration with limited online engagement, will still find that their children’s classrooms are focused on online delivery. </p>
<p>And for teachers, there appears to be neither choice nor the kind of support that such a drastic pivot in professional practice would usually call for. Building equitable classrooms across two learning modes <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/08/26/strategies-teaching-online-and-person-simultaneously-opinion">demands that educators have online skills</a>. Instead, teachers will broadcast their regular classroom activities to children at home. </p>
<h2>Defunding public education</h2>
<p>At best, the hybrid mandate demonstrates a failure to value the high-quality legacy of Ontario education.</p>
<p>At worst, it suggests ways that the province is looking at the pandemic as an opportunity to defund public education. <em>Press Progress</em> reports that the Ontario government has invested millions of dollars in private contracts with McKinsey, <a href="https://pressprogress.ca/company-hired-to-manage-ontarios-covid-19-school-reopening-highlighted-business-opportunities-for-private-education-providers">a management consultancy with expertise that has been “linked to wage and job cutting policies</a>” and that the company was awarded a contract to manage the province’s 2020 school reopening for $3.2 million. </p>
<p>Such funds could have been directed to smaller class sizes, virtual schools or a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-rules-cases-contacts-outbreaks-1.6137527">school COVID-19 safety plan communicated prior to August 11</a>. </p>
<h2>Disrespect for public education</h2>
<p>In a time of COVID-19 uncertainty, adopting a hybrid learning plan for children will only stress students and teachers further.</p>
<p>Virtual education piggybacked onto classroom learning and relationships demonstrates disrespect for teachers, for <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/7-ways-to-make-distance-learning-more-equitable">equity in Ontario schools</a> and for public education generally.</p>
<p>It’s not a choice that any board of education should have to make.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165135/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bonnie Stewart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Virtual education piggybacked onto classroom learning demonstrates a lack of respect for teachers, student equity and public education.Bonnie Stewart, Assistant Professor, Online Pedagogy & Workplace Learning, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1644922021-07-27T19:54:05Z2021-07-27T19:54:05ZWe can put city and country people on more equal footing at uni — the pandemic has shown us how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412838/original/file-20210723-15-1wdxuhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C4007&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-working-on-laptop-lies-next-1694985559">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>University study is out of reach for many people in regional Australia. Most of our universities are based in a handful of capital cities. The result is <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/ncsehe-focus-successful-outcomes-for-regional-and-remote-students-in-australian-higher-education/">persistent educational inequity</a> between our capital cities and regions. </p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities to move their activities online. This shift has created <a href="https://theconversation.com/stressed-out-dropping-out-covid-has-taken-its-toll-on-uni-students-152004">challenges for students</a>, but has also temporarily erased the longstanding disparity in university access between cities and regions. <a href="https://theconversation.com/regional-australia-is-crying-out-for-equitable-access-to-broadband-69711">Internet connections permitting</a>, regional students have been able to participate on equal footing with their city colleagues.</p>
<p>As universities look to return to campus, the temptation is for city campuses to abandon the video link and rush back to business as usual. Yet this misses a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tackle longstanding inequities for regional students. The innovations in online delivery forced on universities by the pandemic now point to ways to permanently improve regional students’ access and experience of tertiary education. </p>
<p>Regional people – the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release">32% of Australians living outside a capital city</a> – are a recognised <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/practice/regional-and-remote-students">equity group</a> in higher education. They are <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/ncsehe-briefing-note-equity-student-participation-australian-higher-education-2014-2019">less likely to attend university</a> than their metropolitan counterparts – only one in five Australian university students is from a regional area. And if born in a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/remoteness+structure">remote area</a>, they are only <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/NCSEHE-Briefing-Note_2019-20_Final.pdf">one-third as likely</a> to go to university as those born in a major city.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-shows-there-is-still-a-long-way-to-go-in-providing-equality-in-education-80136">New research shows there is still a long way to go in providing equality in education</a>
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<h2>What obstacles do regional students face?</h2>
<p>The educational divide is the result of the multiple <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/ncsehe-focus-successful-outcomes-for-regional-and-remote-students-in-australian-higher-education/">barriers to university access</a> that regional students face. Many of their <a href="https://www.gie.unsw.edu.au/research/rural-remote-and-regional-students">disadvantages</a> relate to the economic, social and cultural costs of <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/regional-student-participation-and-migration-analysis-of-factors-influencing-regional-student-participation-and-internal-migration-in-australian-higher-education/">moving away from home to study</a>, particularly to a large and distant city. </p>
<p>Students face a raft of changes at once: they must leave family and community behind and fend for themselves in unfamiliar environments. Families must find money for housing and other costs. For “mature age” students who already have families and local commitments, moving away to study is often simply impossible.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-barriers-to-higher-education-regional-students-face-and-how-to-overcome-them-49138">Four barriers to higher education regional students face – and how to overcome them</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00343404.2021.1899156?journalCode=cres20">Regional university campuses</a> play an important role supporting equitable access to education. These campuses can offer great face-to-face study experiences, but many are small and have limited course options. </p>
<p>And across the width and breadth of Australia, we have few regional campuses. Most regional Australians do not live near a campus. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="map of Australia showing locations of university main campuses and other campuses" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=679&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=679&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412784/original/file-20210723-27-1osnpmy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=679&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/policy-submissions/teaching-learning-funding/university-campus-map/">Universities Australia</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-regional-universities-and-communities-need-targeted-help-to-ride-out-the-coronavirus-storm-143355">Why regional universities and communities need targeted help to ride out the coronavirus storm</a>
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<p>Online study is often mooted as an alternative, but it often has <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/online-learning-australian-higher-education">poorer outcomes than on-campus study</a>. Internet connectivity in regional areas can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-australias-digital-divide-fast-for-the-city-slow-in-the-country-ever-be-bridged-60635">a problem</a>, too. And online study can be isolating; new students in particular often need interaction and support to succeed.</p>
<p>To reduce these systemic inequities, we need to do regional education differently. </p>
<h2>We’ve had a glimpse of the solutions</h2>
<p>In response to the pandemic, many universities have moved coursework and community engagement activities fully online. Lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and even graduations have gone on-screen. While not the same as face-to-face interaction, these online engagements have had the unexpected benefit of opening access for those who previously couldn’t participate at all. </p>
<p>Universities have learned to use video conferencing and online platforms in new ways to maximise interactivity for students at a distance. In some cases “hybrid” activities mix face-to-face and digital participation all at once: some participants gather in the room and others join from the screen. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-learning-is-real-world-learning-thats-why-blended-on-campus-and-online-study-is-best-163002">Digital learning is real-world learning. That's why blended on-campus and online study is best</a>
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<p>When done well, with good technology and good manners, hybrid interactions are fluid and the hierarchy between “here” and “there” disappears. These hybrid activities suggest a new way to approach the challenge of providing university education across distance.</p>
<p>For the first time, regional students and communities have had access to activities and resources previously available only on capital city campuses. So long as internet connections are reliable, it no longer matters if the student is five kilometres from the city centre or 500. </p>
<p>Now, with universities planning to move back to campuses, we find ourselves at a vital crossroad. To bring campuses back to life, students are being urged back into classrooms. Video links disappear. Expectations of a physical presence on city campuses return. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1394207197995884546"}"></div></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/where-are-the-most-disadvantaged-parts-of-australia-new-research-shows-its-not-just-income-that-matters-132428">Where are the most disadvantaged parts of Australia? New research shows it's not just income that matters</a>
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<h2>A once-in-a-lifetime shot at equitable education</h2>
<p>For regional students, this “return to campus” means we risk reverting to inequity as usual. Policymakers and universities must not miss this window of opportunity to reduce longstanding inequities for regional students. We have a chance to retool our approach to make the <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/student-equity-2030">future of higher education an equitable one</a>.</p>
<p>On a vast lightly populated continent like Australia, there will never be a university campus near every town. Yet university education can be hybrid, multi-sited and inclusive. There can be local places for students to gather and interact, and hybrid classrooms where students can join their preferred course without moving house. </p>
<p>A few towns already host spaces where regional students can enjoy in-person interactions with other students and academics. These also provide free work spaces and fast internet speeds – which students might not have at home. Regional university campuses, <a href="https://www.cuc.edu.au/">country university centres</a>, <a href="https://www.guc.edu.au/study-hubs-network-unites-to-deliver-university-to-regional-australia">regional study hubs</a> and even online centres and libraries can provide the infrastructure for a hybrid and multi-sited university presence that includes regional students on equal footing. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Frustrated looking man sits at laptop next to window" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412839/original/file-20210723-15-1wrovtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Low-speed and unreliable internet connections frustrate many people trying to study online in regional Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-hoodie-sitting-behind-laptop-next-1713414793">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/will-australias-digital-divide-fast-for-the-city-slow-in-the-country-ever-be-bridged-60635">Will Australia's digital divide – fast for the city, slow in the country – ever be bridged?</a>
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<p>However, effective hybrid classrooms require buy-in and participation from all sites – including city campuses. There has to be a commitment to investing resources in <a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-learning-is-real-world-learning-thats-why-blended-on-campus-and-online-study-is-best-163002">excellent, interactive digital learning</a>. Local infrastructure and in-person academic support in regional towns need to be strengthened too.</p>
<p>As universities navigate the current <a href="https://theconversation.com/big-spending-recovery-budget-leaves-universities-out-in-the-cold-160439">landscape of scarcity and uncertainty</a>, there is a real risk regional students will drop off the radar. Before rushing back to business as usual, let’s consider the alternative: equitable access to education, no matter where you live.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164492/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robyn Eversole does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>People living outside our big cities face many obstacles to going to university, but the innovations during lockdowns have opened a door to permanently improving their access and experience of study.Robyn Eversole, Professor and Director, RegionxLink, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1441472020-09-14T19:53:37Z2020-09-14T19:53:37Z5 ways to support online homeschooling through the coronavirus pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357542/original/file-20200910-19-6zgh93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C272%2C2883%2C1651&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Six-year-old Peyton Denette works remotely from her home in Mississauga, Ont., on March 30, 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This fall, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-school-reopening-online-remote-home-1.5675026">some elementary and high school students</a> <a href="https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-parents-want-more-online-learning-options-for-students-without-fear-of-losing-their-spots-1.5099195">will continue with online learning</a> due to COVID-19.</p>
<p>When classrooms <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/03/20/ontario-launches-learn-at-home-online-program-for-students-during-school-shutdown.html">went online due to COVID-19</a>, this marked not only a major transformation in kindergarten to Grade 12 education, but a shift in parents’ involvement in their children’s education. Schools communicated primarily online via email and social media (or sometimes the phone) to keep in touch with parents, and every family had to determine to what extent supporting remote learning was possible. </p>
<p>This shift built upon changing patterns which emerged years ago, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22040552.2016.1227255">as parental “e-nvolvement” is now in many schools today</a>. Now, there is greater reliance on technology not only for teacher-parent communication, but technology has also become embedded within projects and homework.</p>
<p>Students are increasingly likely to become engaged in online or hybrid (both in class and online) learning, and this is not only due to the pandemic — there has been a <a href="https://theconversation.com/ontarios-high-school-e-learning-still-hasnt-addressed-students-with-special-needs-121612">rise of online learning in school systems</a>. Researchers’ understanding of how parent involvement supports students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-368720150000027005">when students are engaged in hybrid and in fully online educational environments is developing</a>. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-how-race-income-and-opportunity-hoarding-will-shape-canadas-back">parents who chose remote learning for their children</a> this fall could also be facing work schedules or family circumstances that make supporting remote learning difficult. Fortunately, small acts of parental support and encouragement can have big impacts on student success. Amid <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-school-closures-could-widen-inequities-for-our-youngest-students-136669">the varied constraints and barriers families face</a>, there are myriad ways parents can and do support their children’s education. </p>
<h2>1. Motivate by taking an interest</h2>
<p>Parents can be an important source of motivation for their children, but not only in terms of reprimands and rewards. Parent involvement, which gently motivates students through encouragement and support <a href="https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/StrageA-BrandtT_1999_Authoritative_parenting_and_college_students_academic_adjustment_and_success..pdf">has been shown to be effective in promoting student success.</a></p>
<p>Research suggests motivation to persist is particularly important for online education. Studies of university learners find that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2013.847363">virtual learners can experience higher drop-out rates than those in traditional face-to-face environments.</a> </p>
<p>Some students may require a parent to physically sit with them when engaged in online learning, while others benefit more from periodic parental check-ins. Casual opportunities to verbally share learning outcomes and activities with their family members can also benefit students. </p>
<p>Even nuanced parent involvement, such as conveying a belief that students will succeed, or spending quality time expressing interest and care, can help motivate learners to persevere through challenges. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A child wearing headphones at a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357547/original/file-20200910-14-q1esx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Planning household spaces for learning, technology resources and routines can go a long way towards reducing household stress.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>2. Help students organize the home learning environment</h2>
<p>Some students may struggle when tasked to complete their schoolwork online, because home environments are typically less structured than school. A little planning in the management of household spaces for learning, technology resources and routines can go a long way in terms of proactively reducing household stress and supporting students when learning from home.</p>
<p>Creating space for remote learning within the home may involve establishing new family routines. Both students and parents might reflect on previous remote learning experiences to understand what kind of environment and routines allow everyone to be productive while at home. </p>
<p>The whole family can strive to organize the home environment to be as supportive as possible to the needs of online learners. Through <a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000125451">fostering family routines</a> that are complimentary to students’ online learning responsibilities, preferences, needs for recreation, physical activity and non-screen time, parents can promote student success. </p>
<h2>3. Encourage children and youth’s self-regulation</h2>
<p>When engaged in online learning, <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1095976">students’ self-regulation can be a challenge</a>.</p>
<p>Online learners who are still building their self-regulation skills may need additional parental support. For example, some students may benefit from having their learning device set up in a communal area of the home. By being accessible to students — for example, working at the same table or nearby — parents can provide online learners with another level of accountability and support. </p>
<p>For other students, their self-regulation may thrive with just an occasional physical or virtual parental check-in from time to time. Check-ins can also benefit parents too, by providing a glimpse of their online learner’s engagement levels and learning patterns.</p>
<h2>4. Maintain home-school communication</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Hands on a smartphone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=736&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=736&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357900/original/file-20200914-16-1xi89cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=736&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keeping up with two-way communication between home and school is one way to support online learners.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>With information about school operations and policies changing rapidly, communication between home and school is essential this fall. Thus, engaging in regular and ongoing two-way communication between home and school is another way parents can support online learners.</p>
<p>Parents who stay abreast of happenings in the school community can be an additional source of information for students and can help online learners to understand, prepare and adjust to the expectations of their evolving learning environment. Establishing specific times to read school emails, check social media feeds, review classroom communications or news may help. </p>
<p>Two-way communication is important in supporting hybrid and online education, because teachers may rely on parents when seeking to understand student learning outside of class time and beyond the viewpoint of the screen. </p>
<p>Home and school communications shouldn’t be reserved for only when there is a problem. Establishing regular communication and two-way feedback between students, families and teachers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4405(00)00048-0">can go a long way to establish the trust and rapport needed to create a learning community, online or otherwise, in which all members feel supported and included</a>.</p>
<h2>5. Offer instructional support</h2>
<p>Although parents or primary caregivers are not always subject matter experts, they’re likely to be called upon for help with homework or for academic assistance.</p>
<p>Parental instructional support in the form of reviewing assignment instructions with students or encouraging children to review their school materials when stuck can be much appreciated by both struggling learners and their teachers. There is also helping students navigate online applications or troubleshooting technical issues. </p>
<p>Through informal learning opportunities, parents can help students to develop skills and deepen their understandings of concepts explored in class. For example, family conversations and teachable moments <a href="https://www.eduhk.hk/apfslt/v13_issue2/anlee/index.htm">between parents and children can help students to make connections between their class work and real world experiences.</a> </p>
<p>By motivating students, encouraging their self-regulation, helping them to organize the home learning environment, maintaining home-school communication and offering instructional support, parent involvement has the potential to positively influence the learning outcomes and success of students both in-class and online this fall.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144147/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Sparks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Motivating students, encouraging their self-regulation and maintaining home-school communication are ways parents have the potential to positively influence learning outcomes.Jennifer Sparks, PhD Candidate, Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.