Reaching the Unreachable: Remote Learning for the Remote Learners?
“If it matters to you, you’ll always find a way”
The reason why I begin my post with a photo of my ex-student Chirapond Eyan is because she is a perfect example of the quote above. The photo was a screenshot of her video sent to me via WhatsApp as part of the 1-minute speaking activities that I told my students to do during the mid-semester break. It was just to help them improve their confidence in using the English language on a daily basis. As you can see, she recorded the video at her kampung, surrounded by trees with a very limited network coverage. Took her a while to upload any submission to me but she completed the tasks without fail every single time.
That was 5 years ago and she was not the only one in my class who were staying in rural and remote areas where “remote learning” was indeed a great challenge. Many actually surprised me in their willingness to complete online tasks (asynchronous) so much so that they made me realise “the will to learn is indeed more important that the medium itself”.
But what can we do to help those affected ones?
The Irony of Remote Learning
As we relentlessly try to encourage the use of remote learning as a temporary measure during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is often those in the “remote areas” that are affected the most. Remote learning in its truest sense occurs when learners and instructor are separated by time and distance and therefore cannot meet in a classroom. It can take many forms but the popular one is of course online learning (be it synchronous or asynchronous), as technological boom has allowed more areas to be covered with Internet access.
With more and more learning content available online, ironically many educators still confined themselves to the age-old norm of “lecture-style” or “chalk-and-talk” approach. On one hand, some request students to join hours of “live class” despite knowing some students do not have access to stable Internet connection or their attention span is low. On the other hand, some decide to take the easy way out of merely uploading materials without explanation or guidance.
It’s ironic because those are the same “attitudes” educators complained about their students — not putting efforts or merely waiting to be spoon-fed.
Reaching the Unreachable
While I am also learning in this journey as an educator, here are some points from what I observed over the years and what are the things that we could do to reach out to the “unreachable”. Mind you the “unreachable” ones may not only be those in remote areas, it also covers those who are well-connected but couldn’t fully reap the benefits of online learning.
1. Make Learning Worthwhile
I’ve seen countless examples of how some lecturers go online to conduct live class and read from the slides for 1 to 2 hours with minimal interactions with the students. Or some who went online for only 15 minutes expecting students to master a whole unit with no proper guidance. The point is when learners are told to get connected (some would take greater effort to do so), make the time spent worthwhile. It’s not the quantity that matters, it’s the quality.
A clear mapping between intended learning outcomes and suitable chunking of online tasks and interaction is crucial. Focus on key activities that enhance their understanding or enrich the learning experience. So even if the students need to walk the “extra mile” (literally) to get connected, they will find it meaningful and worth the efforts.
2. Be More Flexible and Provide Alternatives
If educators can accept that remote learning is a temporary measure during a crisis then they should be more flexible as it is not like face-to-face teaching will be replaced forever. They should not be harsh on themselves as well as their students. I know some educators are “unhappy” and “angry” because they cannot “function at their best”.
Relook at what should be covered and provide alternatives especially in terms of assessments. Those without Internet access can perhaps be given a chance to submit their work through a different medium (like submitting their hand-written task by snail mail) or educators can find ways to reach out to them. As many educators chant the mantra of “no-one-size-fits-all” in education, this is the best time to find ways to prove it. Seek help and guidance with an open mind rather than being offensive that all these are giving educators more problems. If online learning is not possible, then find alternative ways (as shown by the ever dedicated Cikgu Nazmi).
3. Let’s All Work Together
This is a sincere call to all educators. Don’t feel like this is a lone battle. You can re-group as a team within your circle of colleagues and discuss ways to help the affected students. The same way we all work together to help the frontliners in producing PPE, educators should also work together to help the learners. Because when we are in a constant negative state of mind alone, we will surely feel the burden and refuse to find solutions. It’s time to work it out together (#KitaSupportKita).
While remote learning or online learning is no longer an option in the 21st-century, we should also accept the fact that there are still learners who do not have the opportunities to be part of it (hopefully not for long).
But let’s not “slaughter” remote learning as if face-to-face learning is flawless. Just like how one of my colleagues said “I taught a class of 90 students face-to-face, I think only half are paying attention, now that I need to teach online, at least I get to examine my teaching and make it more meaningful for them”.
Thus, to reach the unreachable, we should first reach deep into our heart, soul and mind of being an educator. Hopefully, that is not unreachable.
