This article was first published in the New Vision on January 13, 2021
By Dr Lawrence Muganga
Before I address students around this country, allow me to invite teachers or even parents reading this piece to feel free and use it as a template.
You can delete or revise what does not fit, add more sections or examples. If you wish, change the voice so that it sounds like you and aligns with what you would like to see from your students or children currently studying during this stressful pandemic period. Having said that, I will now embark on talking to the most precious promising human capital this country has – the students.
Unprecedented Times
Dear students, are you confused by remote learning? Uncertain of the future? Very Anxious? Worried? Stressed? Depressed? Unclear what next week will bring? For many of us the educators, the answer to all these is yes. I am guessing that many of you are experiencing this as well. We are all in this together, dear students. Your teachers and schools have your back – we win or sink together, but thriving should be our ultimate goal.
Here are some ways to better navigate the weeks ahead as schools continue to teach online.
What Does It Mean For You?
Learning online can be challenging in general and, especially if it is new to you. However, there are positives and many strategies and resources to help you learn well online. Teachers will vary in how they approach “remote teaching”, our term for delivering classes over the web. For some of you, classes will not be limited to set times of the day or week. Many classes will or have changed format so that you can access the lectures of materials more on your schedule. You may be stressed because not all your remote classes will be the same and you will have to navigate the differences.
Classes may also change so that the format of coursework, tests and assignments varies. If your class would have had a lot of multiple-choice exams, it may have more discussion boards, short essay assignments and open book tests or exams that give you better (and less stressful) ways to interact with the material and show what you know. Going remote may also allow you even more interaction with your classmates. That is because a course on a learning management system (LMS), such as Moodle, edX, Canvas or Blackboard, has many technological bells and whistles to give you more ways to learn that an in-person lecture does.
There May Be Delays
While many of you have not taken online classes, many teachers or instructors have not taught online either. This makes remote learning even tougher. Our commitment to your education is motivating us to hustle and get our courses online, even if we have never taught online before. Even with hard work, going online still takes time. What teachers are being asked to do on short notice is unique. Teaching remotely is a safety feature to reduce exposure; it is the easiest way to continue to educate without shutting down and delaying your graduation.
Teaching remotely is not the same as teaching an online class. Remote teaching is an instant response to an emergent health crisis and is being set up quickly. In contrast, online teaching involves the same planning, energy and investment that goes into teaching in person, and both use evidence-based teaching. While we are using the many best practices for online teaching to guide your remote learning, be prepared for a lot of trial and error.
If you do not hear from your instructor about an upcoming class or they have not responded to your email(s), be patient. Give your teachers some leeway. They are trying hard to get up to speed and just need some time. They want to do the best job for you that they can and this is not easy right now. They will be cutting you some slack in adjusting to this situation as well.
Plan Well
Create a schedule for the next few weeks, blocking out when you will work on which class. Yes, this is a good thing to do in general, but now it becomes a critical need to stay sane and on top of it all.
Reminder: Take Notes
While 98% of students take notes while in face-to-face classes, few take notes in online classes. If all your classes are online, you may think you have a lot of extra time or that you can take a break from note-taking. Bad idea.
Even if your remote teaching instructor does not do synchronous lectures, take notes on the recorded lectures and your reading assignments. Notes keep you focused and help you learn.
Mental, Physical Health
Attend to your mental and physical health. By now you know to keep your distance, wash your hands often and not touch your face, but social distancing is a poor choice of term. Keep physical distance, but play UP your social ties. Talk to, text and message your friends and family. Keep in touch. Reconnect. Social support is one of the biggest psychological predictors of health. If you need information or emotional support, prioritise getting it. Make special time for friends and ensure you get physical activity.
This is also the time to sleep more. Eating well, sleeping more and talking to friends are all factors that will make your body stronger at fending off infection and speed up your recovery if you do get sick.
Get Help
Reach out if you need help. Key services such as student success, advising, and counselling (or the equivalent on your campus) are working to make sure they can deliver their services remotely as well. They can be your first stop for support as you navigate this new experience. These offices will have many things available, just in different formats.
I absolutely like teaching in person and I know many of you love going to a physical class and interacting with your classmates in real life. The energy that arises from the learning process is palpable. Teaching online can have a lot of that too. Many students do as well in well-designed online classes as they do in person — sometimes better. That is good to know. I have taught online and loved it. Students learned. The first time was a hard transition. And I had a lot of time to make it. Regular online teaching is not the same as remote teaching, but we both should be open to doing things in new ways. You can still learn well, but you will have to change your expectations.
The teachers or educators and staff at your schools or universities know how stressful this can be for you. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. Together we will go through this pandemic. Just remember that to dare is to do and we shall all thrive.
How Can You Best Prepare
Get techy. If you have not taken a class online before, take the time to get familiar with how it works. All schools are creating resources for you — just ask your teachers to point out some of the best resources out there. These will give you basic technology savviness — and some great tips for learning online as well. Tech-savvy, after all, isn’t everything.
When courses are all online, a lot more of the responsibility is in your hands. You have to make sure you find the time to log in for each of your courses. You now have readings, assignments, and discussions for multiple courses with no in-person time when the instructor will remind you of what is due when.
The writer is the acting vice-chancellor of Victoria University
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