Showdown at the Not So OK (Education) Corral
A segment of our society that builds for the future is the institution of education. With the pandemic comes an abrupt end to school years and casts a shadow of uncertainty in the noon day sun of tomorrow. For some institutions that already had distant learning as a part of their academic repertoire it would appear that some form of normality in knowledge development can continue.
Unspoken in the halls of educational institutions is the debt burden that is carried as the result of vesting in the traditional form involving bricks-and-mortar. Additionally supplemental elements of teaching have relied heavily on supplemental labs, junkets, internships and other miscellaneous related fees to support the knowledge transfer endeavor. All of these things place at risk even distant learning endeavors that exist. One cannot continue to charge for elements that you no longer engage or paradigms that are no longer utilized. It raises concern that the cost of distant learning may not be entitled to be charged as though a traditional classroom delivery is taking place. I’m sure that some would argue that instruction costs, technological resources and the shift in delivery all represent a shift in equal cost burdens. At the same time the unknown is whether the opportunity to educate a larger audience (multitude transfer vs. a ratio of teacher/student classroom constraints) remains an opportunity for further consideration. While it permit recovery of stale investments in infrastructure yet permit tuition stability for distant learners?
Developing nations struggle with the deployment and delivery of internet services. As observed during the quarantine period was an uptick in utilization which created capacity and performance issues. Looking forward are we about to see the technology backbone collapse under the weight of online instructional demand? With our headlong rush to implement distant learning programs choices have been made. Some from educational institutions that have barely a webpage prior to the pandemic and now are thrust into adapting to a distant learning model. Probably the largest mistake is expecting that the student/parent populations are ready to comply with all of the technological requirements. Secondly, the model of choice gravitated to options involving the presently common online meeting format. Those who have participated in or used these available services formats have experienced instabilities. Latency, clarity (voice and visual) and continuity are common. Given that class sessions may be 20-40 minutes in length, a disruption of 5-10 minutes can make the difference in comprehension and continuity of concepts. An alternative, taken from the early years of independent online instruction was to pre-record the session (so that it can be played when appropriate) thus eliminating some of the bandwidth burden that occurs with singular online delivery meetings. Secondly, it allows for repeat refreshers for students that may need to refer for a second dosage.
Education delivery has relies on testing as a means of measuring knowledge transfer. In the distance learning/online world testing takes on small transfer confirmations to insure communication delivery. This permits knowledge to be ascertained, adaptions made and reaffirmation to be provided.
Opportunities
The forced disruption presents opportunities for change. One element is knowledge delivery quality. Prior to the pandemic instruction was evaluated within the context of the educational institutional and by independent examining bodies. But for parents there was always a bit of concern that how and what was being taught wasn’t working to achieve the appropriate knowledge transfer into the students. The earlier suggestion of micro testing would give rise to analytic awareness of instructional quality. If 18 out of 20 students showed marginal knowledge transfer then it reflects on the quality of knowledge transfer. Possibly this may be the result of approach, form or contextual conditions but it can also reflect on the challenges in the remote medium in the transfer process. This then leads to the question of whether the instruction should facilitate independent exploration or some other form of affirmation building. In short the elevated transparency is an opportunity for quality advancement and not necessarily as to take punitive actions.
Stated previously, distance learning allows for expansion of student enrollment. It’s the simple notion of do once, serve many (vs. the traditional 1:x relationship of teachers to students). With this institutions achieve enrollment volume that helps in the shift from bricks-and-mortar institutions to ones vested in a distant learning format. Added consideration can then be given to a shift from a tuition basis to one based upon a cost per course subscription. Conceptually this then opens the door to a segment of population that would not be able to attend school because of inability to pay lump sum tuitions (along with face-to-face fees, uniforms and other attendance based fees). The ability scale up, reduce or supplement creates substantial flexibility that is so sorely needed in todays rapidly and pervasive disruptive setting.
Parents
Change from tradition is unsettling. For some you accept change even when uncertainty and concern exists. Others may be more skeptical and ask lots of questions that have varying levels of confused importance. Then we have those who create the path, these are often folks that contemplated or have acted on home schooling. What can be learned from this latter group is that the quality of delivery is based on a factor of motivation. Someone must be driven, whether it is the parent/teacher or the child/student to produce interest that compels learning. Without exception factors of atmosphere, resources, abilities and vision beyond the framework normalities play a significant role in the level of success. It doesn’t always take place, and like the question of instructional quality, it can likewise be hidden behind couched conclusions involving advancement.
In the ‘new normal’, not to be too cliché, we must ask, contemplate and comprehend what is about to happen. Challenges and issues are seldom buried in depths of complexity but lay exposed in the surface realities of current life conditions. Whether it be in the status of technologies, the availability of pivotal enabling assets or the setting under which remote knowledge transfer will take place.
Students
A blessing is the enabled ability of many students to adapt and utilize technology. This elevated present day aptitude challenges the quality of remote learning delivery. What would once be tolerating as class normality’s is quickly dispatched when interacting in a remote lecture. ‘Tuned out’ isn’t simply a matter of offline but can be an abject disconnection in interest.
Some traditional classroom format students may face losing all toghether. Not for the sake of interest or desire or for that matter that the lack of personal technologies but simply because their educational institutions are unable to operate in the ‘new normality’ of remote learning. What can be done, a pivot losing past vested time and uncertain synchronization with a new institution? Or is it simply the unfortunate result of conditions and this then becomes a question of adaption to overcome? The magnitude of these decisions require the involvement of parents AND the educational establishment. It is not a subject that simply be considered as a reality of disruptive mortality.
Conclusion
The importance of educational as a knowledge transfer agent cannot be understated. Because of the disruption severity the need for a complete reshaping of educational institutions must be undertaken. We cannot expended valuable time on patching a worn thin but time honored format that worked somewhat but now lies in disarray. Wasted effort leading to substandard conditions serves no one. This will necessitate the leading as a community involving schools, stakeholders (parents and students) and national/administrative rule makers. Collectively challenges can be avoided, opportunities can be exploited, possibilities can be examined and knowledge can be shared. Anything short of this will simple be a superficial act with the loss of knowledge.
Clarity Group Global is an intellectual decision validation institution dedicated to the support of leaders, companies and organizations that face challenging choices. Making right decisions that produce significant value equates to less disruption and chaos, "non-tradition made exceptional".