“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Benjamin Franklin
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the entire world to a standstill. It resulted in the largest disruption of education system in history . As online/ distance learning replaced classroom education throughout the world , it revealed various obstacles in this type of pedagogy. Hence, it becomes pertinent to evaluate distance learning and juxtapose it with conventional, classroom learning. This essay aims to detail the aspects of both types of learning- classroom and distance .
Separate classification of different learnings
In essence, the learning type theory goes back to Frederic Vester. A German Biochemist Vester wrote in his book “Denken, Lernen, Vergessen“, any material “independent of its degree of difficulty” – can be learned in different ways suitable for the different learning types of learners. Vester differentiates between 4 types:
- Auditory learning (“by listening and speaking“)
- Visual learning (“through the eyes, by watching”)
- Haptic learning (“by touching and feeling”)
- Learning through the intellect.
Distance learning has paralysed some and eradicated other ways of the above mentioned classification of the proper classroom learning. Only the auditory learning and visual learning remain an option and many don’t like them due to their knowledge on how productive just these two are alone without the main haptic learning which is the practical knowledge that we gain during usual classroom sessions
Evolution of learning through time in India
It is widely acknowledged that education entails 4 E’s – Expansion, Equity , Excellence and Employability . There would be a brief discussion about these 4 parameters of education with a special focus on our country .
Education before the advent of British focused on integral intelligence . Our Vedas reinforced holistic development with focus on moral, physical, spiritual and intellectual aspects of life. Teaching was largely oral and a way of life. With the coming of the British, our education system underwent a major overhaul. The main aim of the British was to create a class “Indian in blood and colour but English in taste” who would act as interpreters between the government and the masses. This was popularly known as the downward filtration theory. Hence, modern education was introduced in India, which accentuated more on cognitive retraining and less on emotional intelligence. English education replaced oriental learning under Lord Macaulay’s education policy,1835. At the time of independence, the state of India’s education was desperate with only 16 percent literacy rate and 7 percent female literacy rate . To ameliorate the situation and streamline education , The Government implemented the recommendations of the Kothari Commission which included the three language formula, development of agriculture and adult education. Universalisation of primary education was provided a further impetus with the enactment of the 86th amendment,2002 which inserted Article 21A as a fundamental right for children between 6-14 years. As a result, India attained a literacy rate of 74.37 percent in 2021. It is hoped that with the implementation of the National Education Policy,2020, Excellence and employability as a parameter for Higher education would get due attention and India would be a global knowledge power in the years to come.
Differences between the two modes of learning
Key differences between these two standards of learning standout in the open and the experiential process of learning stands out to be better in comparison with that of distance learning. Live learning increases engagement by adding a human element. It is especially beneficial for learners who are not so self-sufficient or who are used to the traditional ‘teacher and class’ model of education. Live offline lessons are particularly important in any course as it gives the learners the chance to receive feedback on elements of their learning which are impossible to measure in a self-marking online quiz. The essential difference is in classroom management. In a physical classroom, the teacher is free to move the learners around, grouping them in different ways and laying out the class in a way that will make the activities run smoothly. With little more than no control over their students in online classrooms most of the teachers’ techniques become thus of no use.
In online classes, lack of visual feedback is a common challenge for teachers. When presenting directly to an audience in the same room, we are able to adapt our delivery depending on visual feedback from the audience. A room full of bored faces is a sure sign to a presenter or teacher that they need to introduce a more interesting activity or adapt their delivery to engage the audience more, diverging their attention more towards making the lecture interesting than it being knowledgeable.
Learning during the Covid-19 pandemic
Sitting in front of the screens all day made the teachers and students realise about the monotonous nature of the lectures through online delivery. Remote learning has reminded us that powerful learning can only happen when we are engaged, energetic and focussed. If it becomes a question of filling in hours then we are missing the point. Many students have been left behind because of lack of access to appropriate bandwidth or devices and lack of school readiness while others have been able to accelerate their digital learning through sophisticated software, access to high performing devices and highly trained teachers. This digital divide has been exacerbated by the present Covid -19 crisis and will leave gaps in many children’s education.
Impact of online learning on the disabled
The pandemic and the sudden shift to online learning has exposed the sharp lack of academic infrastructure for students with disabilities. Not that the situation was equitable earlier but e-learning has further compounded the problem. In India, an estimated 70 million people are identified as persons with disabilities, only 2 percent of them see through school and only 1 percent gainfully employed. These stark figures make it a strenuous task to fulfill SDG 4 which reiterates the need to have inclusive education.
Online platforms are not accessible and do not cater to the special needs of the disabled students. Sign language interpreters , screen readers and the availability of scribes helped people with disabilities earlier but with online classes, this support system is not available to them. In addition, students with mental disabilities like autism , specific learning disorder, ADHD , dyslexia are facing immense difficulties as these children require additional support from their teachers. With the online system , even the teachers are not equipped well to aid the disabled people. The social distancing norms have become a stumbling block for them because as far as the visually impaired students are concerned, teachers need to hold their hand and guide them, which is not possible in the present circumstances. Long term sustainable solutions should be pursued by all the stakeholders so that this problem is addressed at the grass root levels. Educational institutions must be sensitised about the needs of students with disabilities so that they could become a part of the mainstream society . Each disability has specific prerequisites and it is imperative to address them separately.
Virtual learning fatigue
As social distancing protocols have kept people apart physically, Virtual meetings have skyrocketed. This has resulted in Virtual learning fatigue or “zoom fatigue”. The following are the reasons for the same :-
- Gaze effect – Both the amount of eye contact we engage in on video chats, as well as the size of faces on screens is unnatural. In a normal meeting , people do not constantly look at the speaker but in video calls, everyone is looking at everyone all the time. The amount of eye contact is dramatically increased. This results in hyperactivity and has caused generalised anxiety disorder among students .
- Mirror effect is fatiguing – Most video platforms show a square of oneself on camera during a chat. This is unnatural and one becomes more critical of oneself. This mirror effect results in fatigue.
- Video chats restrict movement- In person conversations allow humans to walk around and move. But video calls restrain movement and people perform better cognitively when they are moving.
SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES OF CLASSROOM LEARNING
- Collaborative learning through classroom learning
Classroom learning involves face to face interaction among students , promotes collaboration and fosters friendship. Vygotsky, a Russian Psychologist emphasised upon the Social learning theory which explains how people can learn in different social contexts and how creating a more active learning community can positively impact a student’s cognitive ability. This kind of collaboration is not possible in distance learning .In a classroom environment, discussions , deliberations and debates among peers increases critical thinking , analytical skills and conceptual clarity which is not feasible in distance learning.
- Psychological benefits of classroom learning over distance learning
While school is fundamentally a place of education, it is also the center of student’s social lives. It’s an opportunity for them to socialize, share problems, discuss solutions and express themselves freely . However, with schools and colleges moving to virtual formats, students experience social isolation and may feel lonely, unmotivated, or discouraged without regular social interaction.
Numerous studies have shown social isolation can cause higher rates of negative outcomes for the mental and physical health of individuals. Other studies have found that face-to-face interactions can help reduce depression and anxiety. Less social interaction may increase feelings of social anxiety and pressures. Thus, classroom learning has multiple psychological benefits over virtual learning.
- Accentuates the importance of social skills and live interaction
It is generally considered that students who have better social skills have a successful career as well as personal life. Good social skills ensure better peer relationships when children grow older. As students develop social skills in school, hence it becomes a part of their behaviour, which helps them in interaction with people with different sectors. Distance learning hampers the opportunity of children to socially develop by meeting people face to face.
- Maintains regularity and continuity
Regularity has been a major concern of the teachers regarding their students. Techniques like giving regular assignments and tests can be opted to ensure that the regularity be maintained when in classrooms but this can’t be replicated as it is in the online mode of learning because of the absence of physical presence which is essential for the teachers to imply their techniques over the students. The result remains highly dicey if the same methods are opted for the distance learning.
- Is less distressing for the students and teachers
Distress and learning are arch rivals. Mental health is of paramount importance and students should not criticise themselves for experiencing a dip in productivity or motivation. These are testing times and learning should not be perceived as a chore or obligation. Schools offer a structured learning environment, which cannot be achieved when students are confined to their homes. This disrupts their usual leaning patterns, often leaving them weary and confused. Research has also shown that students do not feel motivated to complete their tasks when not surrounded by their peers. This is especially true for those below the age of 10, as keeping them engaged often requires one-on-one contact
Statstics related to the digital divide
Latest available data from the National Sample Survey (NSS) conducted in 2017-18, on ‘Household Social Consumption on Education in India’ reveal the hollowness of such a virtual learning policy approach. The Survey collected information regarding the availability of computing devices and the internet in households. It also tried to find out how many individuals could use computers (smartphones included) and the internet. A person is considered as having computing ability if he is capable of using both of these computing devices as well as the internet.
The Survey finds that the ownership of computing devices is abysmally low in India. Only one out of over 10 (10.7) households possess a computing device, which includes devices such as desktop, laptop, notebook, palmtop, and tablet. The rural-urban disparity in computing-device ownership is quite stark. In rural areas, Schedule Tribes (STs) are at the bottom of 2.47% of households who owned any computing device, followed by Scheduled Castes (SCs) (3.27%), and Muslims (3.58%). In urban areas, Muslims and SCs are the worst-off groups when it comes to access of these devices .
According to the analysis, the disparity in access to education is at the root of the digital divide. The social group or economic status-based gaps that we see are mainly because educational attainment itself is graded on the basis of socioeconomic status.
Solutions
We should seek to use a conflation of both online and offline learning in the present scenario. It is paramount to extract benefits from both forms of pedagogy. These are some ways of bringing these two terms closer:-
- Blended learning-Blended learning, also known as b-Learning, is a combination of offline and online instruction where students interact with their mentor and other students through both a physical classroom and an online platform. While online platforms can be used for interaction among people living in different cities or countries in order to gain a broader perspective about a specific topic, offline classroom classes can be facilitated for better clarity of the topic and to accentuate collaborative learning.
- Flipped learning – Flipped learning is a teaching methodology that makes the student protagonist in his own learning, promoting an active, investigative and collaborative learning. In this model, the student studies a certain topic at home, with the help of technology, and goes to the classroom prepared to debate, discuss his doubts, contribute with ideas and thus exercise an active role in the classroom, being a transmitter of knowledge, not just a receiver of knowledge. This also inculcates the good habit of thorough independent research among students which is highly beneficial for employability.
Conclusion
The main objective of any type of learning still remains being as productive as one could be and produce results that have the potential of changing a lot. Distance learning is the only viable option in these testing times causing an impact on the education of a whole generation. Using the above mentioned solutions as soon as possible will narrow down the differences between these two poles of learning and causing a lesser impact on the education system than it would make if we don’t. In the present world of changing dynamics, “status quo” is a thing of the past. “change is the only constant.” In order to stay relevant, one needs to able to adapt to the situation and transform oneself accordingly.