Study busts myths of online education

The pandemic raging for the last one year has caused massive disruption in lives of the common masses across the world. People have made several changes in daily chores. Education too has dealt with the disruption through online mode of teaching. But a year later, studies reveal that ‘benefits’ of online and ICT mode are being endorsed by quarters having their interests tied with commercialization of teaching rather than those actually engaged in teaching and learning processes.
A research study by the Bangalore-based Azim Premji University has held the online education pedagogically unsound, suboptimal and an inadequate substitute for face-to-face interaction between students and teachers. The study released last week is based on a survey of 80,000 students, 398 parents, 1,522 teachers in as many public (read Government) schools spread across 26 districts in five states of the country carried out in September 2020. The study was done under the aegis of Azim Premji Foundation. Being Government schools, these institutions enroll the children from the most disadvantaged sections of the society. The study also reveals that most parents are eager to send their children to schools if necessary health safeguards are adopted.
No meaningful education The study says an overwhelming majority of teachers show complete inadequacy of delivering meaningful education through online mode. More than 80% of teachers expressed the impossibility of maintaining an emotional connect with children; more than 90% of them said that no meaningful assessment of the children’s learning was possible in online classes; almost 50% reported that children were unable to complete assignments shared during online classes leading to serious gaps in learning.  Seventy percent of parents echoed their dissatisfaction with online classes and said they did not enable effective learning for their children.
Of the surveyed children, 60% were not able to access online learning. Reasons varied from absence of smartphone; multiple siblings sharing a smartphone; difficulty in using the Apps for online learning etc. Teachers said 90% of the children with any disability were unable to participate in online classes.
‘Reopen schools’ In view of the ineffective learning, 90% of the parents were willing to send their children to schools with necessary health safeguards. Close to 65% opined that schools, when they reopen, would not pose a problem for their children’s health.
Poor digital access Critical concerns related to online learning included poor digital access for children and families; minimalist and inadequate teaching-learning process; insufficient knowledge of digital platform compounded by the lack of training and support.