Achievements or Values
We have the ability to adopt ourselves to any crisis – In the beginning we were shocked to know of Corona pandemic; then we got reconciled to the reality of pandemic; and later we realized that we need to live with the pandemic impact and effects. Now we need to think how we could get back to normalcy and how we could override the crisis and begin to surf on the waves of creativity.
After nearly two years of lockdown, when we returned to in-person sessions, we realized that both the teachers and students had difficulty – difficulty to concentrate in the class and to write full-length exam, impatience and irritability on the increase, substance abuse creeping in, verbal or even physical violence showing up etc. All the same we are trying to cope with difficulties and challenges and we are now finding our way to new normalcy in academics.
Covid-19 lockdown forced us to online teaching and learning – Our pedagogical practices and learning performances got new parameters. The outcome of online teaching was technology taking the front stage: In-person lectures were replaced with zoom or online lectures; writing an essay by hand was replaced by typing an assignment; writing on the board was replaced by power point presentation or digital whiteboard etc. We need to check, among other things, three factors:
- Whether technology has effectively replaced the current practice without making meaningful or drastic changes for the better to the learning activity;
- Whether technology has effectively improved the learning activity that would guarantee appreciable improvement in learning outcomes; and
- Whether technology has transformed the outcome of learning activity significantly.
If the output is engaging students in meaningful interactions with others and with course contents enhancing the behavioural, emotional, and cognitive levels of students, then we have done well.[1] If not, we need to think out of box – We need to creatively reflect for the better.
Some educational system has adopted a five-phase approach, namely, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate: We need to engage the students, making use of the real-world and real-time scenario, in critical thinking and helping them find connectivity with their past experiences as the prolonged lockdown has made them forget their study habits. The teacher on his/her part works as a facilitator or mentor helping the students to explore new possibilities or opportunities and to experience the possible outcome. When students get confused or feel overwhelmed, the teacher comes to his/her rescue by explaining and engaging the students in explaining things in a direct and explicit manner, thereby facilitating concept building to build up learning process. When the students are not able to follow explanation, then the teacher has to go one step further, that is, making information or content of teaching very elaborate with examples and understandable statistics or case studies. And to follow whether the teaching-learning process is effective, evaluation process needs to be adopted – When long hours of exams are difficult, exams with short duration, open-book exams, quizzes, assignments etc could be contemplated which would take care of the present mindset of the students.[2] This formula has helped the educators with ample opportunities to bring in blended learning and identify the practices and pedagogy that provide with real and lasting impact on the students.
Now, the teachers need to navigate the students in learning process – They are invited to look for opportunities amidst the challenges and difficulties created by the lockdown. An important element is to create support groups among the students as well as with the parents where a smooth transition from pandemic to new normal situation leading to learning with full interest and focus could be possible.
One possibility could be to retain the beneficial outcome from online learning. Henceforth, the pedagogy could be on a blended mode, namely a combination of in-person as well as online teaching and learning. In an age of big data the students could be trained to make use of data-mining, data-analysis, coding etc for effective learning. At present, we face one issue in particular – It is a dilemma of achievement or values. Many consider education as a passport to good jobs in order to earn more but in Jesuit educational institutions, like Loyola College Education, socially relevant and meaningful values are more important than imparting information. Students, in this context, should have social outlook as well as exposure as this is the time of solidarity with one’s fellow human beings.[3]
In this context, with insight and far sight, Loyola College of Education has organized a seminar on: ‘Enhancing Creativity in the New Normal Classroom Environment’ with the focus on Challenges and Prospects. I appreciate the organizers and the institution for this timely efforts and I wish all the participants the very best.
Francis P Xavier SJ
13May2022
[1] https://er.educause.edu/articles/2022/1/designing-the-new-normal-enable-engage-elevate-and-extend-student-learning
[2] https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-020-00234-x
[3] https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/learning-strategies/learning-strategies-for-the-new-normal/