Why a teacher-first approach is the way to go for the future
Maninder Singh Bajwa
Education is an integral part of society that helps nourish young minds into responsible citizens. Supporting that, teachers leverage this process by passing on their gained knowledge and experience in a dignified manner. Recently, educational experiences have been changing and evolving and every member of the educational ecosystem has been facing disruptions. With new trends emerging in the market, being tech-savvy is considered a necessity. However, not everyone in the system is able to cope with such changes.
In an ideal case scenario, education is considered to be a student-focused domain. Any change or innovation that happens is induced from the student’s point of view. However, we need to keep into consideration the teachers’ perspectives as well because they are facilitators of knowledge sharing. They, being the educators, occupy a prominent position in the overall educational landscape. Hence, to devise appropriate solutions, an approach to include teachers-first in the initial processes must be followed. But before discussing that, the challenges faced by tutors are to be considered.
Considering the challenges faced by teachers
Before considering the brighter side of the teaching, first, there is a need to discuss the obstacles faced by the teachers. These challenges can be related to the students they are catering to, the structure of the education system, recent technological changes, and other related issues.
Due to the pandemic crisis, remote learning emerged at the forefront, and institutions received a lot of feedback from teachers and students regarding the problems they faced. One major problem was that teachers were behind in the race of digital literacy. Many older faculties were not able to operate smartphones and computers, therefore the students faced interruptions while taking online classes. Conducting lectures in virtual classrooms was meant to increase flexibility, reduce cost, and improve consistency.
However, the absence of network infrastructure and a learning system increased the teaching time and reduced the frequency of proper communication. Even though the educational institutions provided tech devices, the teachers struggled to handle and correctly use them.
Another factor for resisting digitization is the feeling of embarrassment of not being perfect in this field. However, to improve this situation, teachers will have to come forward and honestly share their experiences. They would have to voice their opinions so that educational institutes can understand and consider their perspectives as well.
Understanding the teacher’s perspective
Through the effective efforts of teachers, learners engage in understanding the core concepts with physical applications through practical learning and get ready for their future endeavors. To facilitate this, knowledge delivered must be meaningful while following an instructional manner. To teach better, teachers must understand the perspective of the students and then cater to their needs. However, students can also contribute their bit by making an effort to keep in mind the teachers’ viewpoint and stance.
Many teachers can handle a class of fifty students in physical classrooms. However, managing a large number of students in a remote learning environment can be a challenge due to the physical barriers and screens. According to a recent report by Statista, 75% of the time teachers were unable to gain online access to the students. Also, they experienced that students tend to ask fewer doubts, lack discipline in online sessions, and are prone to use unethical methods in the class tests.
The fact of the matter is teachers do not have the time or the opportunities to relearn and upskill. The standard norms that have been passed on for generations also restrict them from being flexible towards changes.
They prefer traditional teaching methods due to their comfort and expertise. Many of them were unable to create study materials for the students to refer to due to a lack of presentation skills. On the other hand, the younger generation of educators adapted to the technology readily and also accepted the changes abruptly. The next-generation teachers can come forward and support their seniors in the phase of technological advancement.
The role of educational platforms
Being online is a necessity for institutions in today’s era. Most institutions are built foreseeing the perspective of students. However, it is necessary to build platforms that could solve the problems of the teachers as well so that they could provide quality education. Instead of introducing a myriad of changes in the current system, platforms could derive a fresh idea to collaborate with the faculties. Although the cost of building a new system can be high; however, we can also look at innovating the present system to devise a long-term solution and facilitate the needs of teachers.
To achieve this goal, the first solution is to design and develop an ecosystem where tutors, institutional platforms, and students collaborate to function together successfully. In addition, appropriate training for the teachers is necessary, so that they are technically ready to use ICT effectively. Lastly, the curriculum must be updated gradually and not too frequently so that teachers have the required time to adapt to the changes. Another step institutions can take is to implement a Learning Management System (LMS), which can be accessed by both teachers and pupils. Furthermore, attention should be paid while coaching the interface, and support should be provided in case of any technical difficulties.
Digitization with edtech platforms and a teacher-first approach
Digitization of technology is at its prime since it is necessary for the education system. However, it is important that teachers should be a part of the development and design process. Their needs should be understood and the devised solution must provide a high-fidelity experience. The moodle must be A/B tested and feedback must be taken regularly to implement the changes. Also, the technology must be designed for a scalable level so that it can be used flexibly by end-users.
Creating a successful solution can be possible by collaborating with educators before, between, and at the end of the process while following a teacher-first approach. Furthermore, the institutions can partner up with other Edtech platforms in devising curriculums, implementing content systems, and utilizing technology to bring about changes that would be equally beneficial for the teachers.
The author is CEO and Founder, iscuela
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IN ONLINE CLASSES, TEACHERS EXPERIENCED THAT STUDENTS TENDED TO ASK FEWER DOUBTS, LACKED DISCIPLINE AND WERE PRONE TO USE UNETHICAL METHODS IN CLASS TESTS
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