- Has online education been education’s saviour?
- Can innovation benefit some, while disadvantaging others?
I will answer this primarily based on my experience as an educator in the developing Pacific; ours is a third world region which is still recovering from the economic and social disruptions caused by the pandemic lockdown(s).
When Samoa's entire education system went completely virtual, almost (literally) overnight, I was course coordinator for the National University of Samoa's biggest English Language course offering. We had an enrollment of nearly one thousand students, ninety-six to ninety-seven percent of whom had never experienced online learning before, and who also had educational resource accessibility barriers of various kinds. Online learning meant that we were able to complete the course, have end-of-semester results ready for scholarship donors and other stakeholders, and award transcripts to students as usual. It was, in that respect, a 'preserver' of teaching and learning. The question of whether it was a 'savior' is something I don't think I'll ever be able to confidently answer.
The forced advent of widespread online teaching and learning in my country created barriers which had not previously existed. It also highlighted economic, geographical and social inequities which had not previously been recognized as overly 'problematic'. Online education exposed the fact that some students were living in homes where one cellphone was shared among ten or twelve people, at regulated intervals throughout the week. It brought into uncomfortable focus the cultural pressures some students lived under: increased technological connection meant that I and several colleagues of mine received messages from students at odd hours seeking support as they were unable to submit assignments or attend online tutorials due to everything from family violence to emotional stress caused by the seemingly unending and 'ominous' feeling of being on lockdown. The word saviour is curious in this context. Being constantly in virtual contact with my students during the pandemic made me realize just how little I could do to 'save' (or at least help) most of them.
- Does it offer more desirable choices?
- Which innovations really disrupt education in a lasting and positive way?
For my region, I'd argue, from experience, that in many cases, it doesn't offer a completely new set of much better options for learners, but rather an alternative list of choices which have their own pros and cons, but which learners may weigh out against their current learning environments.
Students who live in rural areas in my country, particularly the outer islands and coastal villages which are furthest from our capital city (Apia), often report that internet connectivity where they live is not conducive for study. In this light, the question of 'more desirable choices' does not apply at all. No access means no choice(s).
Learning online gave many of my students optimal time and space to have their assignments edited or reviewed by both human and AI third parties. This was both a positive and negative effect of the lockdown's online learning era in my region. Some students copied answers straight from Google during tests, had their assignments written by older siblings or parents, or took screenshots of their tutorial activities to send to their friends. These are all desirable 'choices' (I.e. 'abilities') from a learner's perspective. Not so much if you were an educator struggling to measure your students' actual level(s) of competency or understanding for key learning outcomes.
For a very tiny percentile of our population, myself included, however, online learning has been most helpful. I was able to complete my mandatory government-issued teaching certificate during the lockdown. The free time, flexible deadlines and access to a greater resource pool were a great help as I juggled work, family responsibilities and studies. I acknowledge, however, that my ability to even access these resource on a regular basis (I.e. I had internet access and a working laptop and smartphone) definitely gave me an advantage that many people in my region still don't have.
MOODLE usage 'invaded' Samoa's very traditional post-colonial chalk-and-board education system in 2020. Social media, particularly Facebook and Facebook Messenger, also came into focus as avenues for tutorial group 'meetings' and 'announcements'. To this day, the Vocational Faculty where I lecture has 'Messenger' as an approved and encouraged mode of communication among tutorial groups (including their tutors). This 'disruption' has upended the 'rule' of formal email platforms such as GMail and Yahoo as the primary and socially-approved means of learner/teacher communication. It has resulted in faster, more efficient, more comfortable transmission of important logistical and content-related information. It has also caused some issues with staff reporting 'harassment' from students who are now able to contact them 24/7 and ask for information such as assessment results or request special favors such as resitting assessments. The informal nature of social media produces this type of 'confidence'.
