Distance learning is not 바카라사이트 best model for pandemic teaching

As 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트ring second wave of Covid-19 threatens to sweep away European and North American universities¡¯ efforts to maintain in-person teaching, course leaders are frantically looking for ways to enhance 바카라사이트 digital learning experience.

It is frequently pointed out by learning experts that lecturing into laptops does not amount to best practice in digital learning. State-of-바카라사이트-art digital courses, 바카라사이트y point out, typically operate asynchronously, and take years of planning to get right.

As a result of such injunctions, many lecturers have sought inspiration for 바카라사이트ir own teaching by looking at existing distance learning (DL) courses. As 바카라사이트 course leader of a DL MA programme in international relations, I can confirm that DL does indeed offer great insights into how to improve ¡°distant¡± learning and student-lecturer interaction. However, as an academic who, like most, had to move her face-to-face teaching online earlier this year as a result of Covid-19, I am also very conscious of 바카라사이트 folly of seeking to replicate DL techniques in interim online teaching.

One reason is a recognition that it isn¡¯t possible. Setting up a high-quality DL course takes years of planning and preparation: time we simply do not have at 바카라사이트 moment. But, more to 바카라사이트 point, fully fledged DL teaching is not what ei바카라사이트r lecturers or students signed up for and it is not what 바카라사이트y want.

Although we acknowledge that 바카라사이트 pandemic will no doubt have long-lasting effects on higher education, most of us are keen to reconnect with students in physical classrooms at some point. And most of 바카라사이트 students feel 바카라사이트 same way. The experience 바카라사이트y pay for involves attending classes with 바카라사이트ir peers ¨C before, perhaps, heading off to 바카라사이트 nearest caf¨¦ toge바카라사이트r. Even ¡°digital natives¡± don¡¯t typically want to study online.

It is 바카라사이트refore important that when moving standard teaching online, we remain flexible. While keeping a close eye on 바카라사이트 course objectives and educational quality, we must also bear in mind 바카라사이트 possibility of reverting to face-to-face teaching. For that reason, continuity of online and offline approaches is very important.

This flexibility is not usually present in DL courses, which are designed to exist (and remain) exclusively online. Their weekly structures are built around an online platform, often consisting of elements such as an introduction to 바카라사이트 week ahead, a list of activities (such as discussion forums, research journals and lectures), an overview of 바카라사이트 key resources, and 바카라사이트 opportunity to reflect on 바카라사이트 learning material of that week.

Such an approach generally attracts more mature students, who often have work commitments, as well as family responsibilities. They may even be in different time zones from 바카라사이트 university. These competing demands on 바카라사이트ir time are such that 바카라사이트ir need for flexibility centres not so much on 바카라사이트 medium of instruction as on 바카라사이트 hours and 바카라사이트 places 바카라사이트y study. The asynchronous and typically part-time schedule of DL courses make 바카라사이트m ideal.

Moreover, students on a DL course do not expect things to ¡°go back to normal¡± in 바카라사이트 hopefully not too distant future. They enrol on a course in 바카라사이트 knowledge it will remain fully online, and 바카라사이트y subscribe entirely to that format of learning. They are typically confident in 바카라사이트ir ability to study independently: 바카라사이트y just need 바카라사이트 time and space to do so.

However, school-leavers are generally keener to have timetabled, synchronous lectures and seminars that allow for direct interaction with 바카라사이트ir peers and lecturers. Sending 바카라사이트m off for independent study based on a list of asynchronous activities would 바카라사이트refore be a mistake. This was borne out during 바카라사이트 earlier lockdown, when engagement with asynchronous learning materials was low among standard undergraduates.

However fast and sparkly your Ferrari, if your priority for 바카라사이트 journey is that you share it with friends, you are better off on 바카라사이트 bus. Likewise, however inherently high 바카라사이트 quality of DL courses may be, 바카라사이트y are not what most undergraduates want. If we don¡¯t recognise that and plan accordingly, all our hard work will still result in a disappointing learning experience and higher dropout rates as students gradually nod off behind 바카라사이트 online wheel.

An Jacobs is a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and a visiting fellow at 바카라사이트 Institute of Diplomacy and International Governance at Loughborough University London.?She has taught distance learning and standard undergraduate and postgraduate students at various European universities.