Emergency Response Teaching: A New Normal, Shift from the Norm
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many disruptions. For the education sector, it has challenged our mindsets – of how we will deliver learning and teaching in future. It has manifested a new way of working and the necessity to evolve rapidly.
Many institutions globally have quickly shifted their face-to-face teaching to a mix of modalities, what we call the Emergency Response Teaching (ERT).
Unlike learning interactions that are planned and designed to be online, ERT is a temporary change from instructional delivery to alternative delivery in times of crisis.
It requires the use of different approaches and tools that would be effective to reach learners in different geographic settings, keeping in mind that such delivery modality will return to normal once the emergency is over.
The intention of any ERT is to provide materials and learning support to ensure continuity of education and student engagement.
Radio and TV lessons
The Ministry of Education (MOE) mooted radio and TV lessons for school students. Supplementary materials were populated on the MOE website. Teachers were required to prepare activity worksheets and email to parents. Printed materials were also provided for pickup from schools.
The ERT took many different forms which included printed materials, emails, radio and TV programmes, online videos, live online lectures and tutorials, telephone support, and alternative assessments.
A concern that has emerged amid this crisis is the quality of learning and teaching and the impact on student-learning outcomes. Education commentators are debating whether ERT will compromise education quality.
It should be noted that ERT is a crisis response strategy – a shortterm measure that will end when we get back to normal. One must also note the enormous efforts by education systems around the world trying to provide quality education during such difficult times.
Important factor
It is important to remember that courses developed during a crisis should not be mistaken with professionally designed eLearning courses or as permanent solutions to replace face-to-face teaching. While online and digital learning is central to the ERT strategy, the quality of pedagogy and delivery depends on the capacity of the institution.
It depends on the institution’s online learning infrastructure, its capability in designing quality eLearning, and the ability of its personnel to create, manage delivery.
Simply having a Learning Management System (LMS) and dumping resources on it is not enough. Online courses require tactful design where learner experience takes the centre stage. facilitate, and
The process involves subject matter experts, educational technologists, instructional designers, web programmers, and video creators. The development of an online course requires careful course design, engages the best possible tools to obtain the best learning; depending on the subject matter.
There has been extensive research carried out and published globally on the use of online courses, effectiveness of online tools and extensive learning analytics.
In addition, online courses can engage self-paced, synchronous and asynchronous learning that also includes active online student engagement.
Academics (subject matter specialists) work closely with Education Technologist to convert contents into effective learning and assessment options for students. It is commonly known that the development of an online course could take between six to nine months.
That being said, the teaching profession was put under a lot of pressure to upend their way of working - school teachers, tutors, lecturers, and professors alike.
Teachers were required to use various forms on non-traditional instruction, many for the first time. Such change requires major adjustments.
Research
A recent survey of 600 Higher Education Institution (HEI) system in the US shows that 97 per cent of the institutions did not have staff with adequate online teaching experience. This would be the case in many HEIs, and more so in our schools.
Neither our HEIs nor our schools have the resources or manpower to teach academics and teachers how to create well-designed, pedagogically sound learning activities, assessments or online engagement tools in this emergency situation. This pandemic reminds us that continuous professional development in this area has become a necessity. It reminds us that our teaching profession requires skills and competencies beyond the classroom.
It is heartening to see that many academics and teachers are working hard to rapidly convert normal face-to-face teaching into remote forms to the best of their ability in a very short time frame.
These experiences will become valuable knowledge in our quest to create better student experiences. The success of ERT also depends on students’ access to the internet. This is a challenge in many Pacific Island Countries (PICs), where we face issues of internet access and speed.
Fiji in better position
Fiji is in a better position with much higher internet penetration than other PICs.
Fijian telecommunication companies have been generous in providing free domain access and other packages for students to access learning resources.
For other PICs, which have dispersed geography and limited telecommunications infrastructure, reaching students is difficult. Student experience with ERT will certainly vary depending on the country and their location within a country, their socioeconomic status, ICT provisions within the country and their ability to engage fully in their studies.
It is critical that students get the support and assurance from their families, friends and institutions to ensure that they remain engaged in their studies throughout the duration of this ERT for successful completion of studies.
This is certainly an experience in all our lives that we will never forget and in some way, we hope an experience that will have taught us some valuable lessons – lessons that will make us better educators.
It is important to remember that courses developed during a crisis should not be mistaken with professionally designed eLearning courses or as permanent solutions to replace face-to-face teaching. While online and digital learning is central to the ERT strategy, the quality of pedagogy and delivery depends on the capacity of the institution. It depends on the institution’s online learning infrastructure, its capability in designing quality eLearning, and the ability of its personnel to create, facilitate, and manage delivery.