The Covid-19 pandemic has not only severely disrupted education but has also created some interesting opportunities for parents and learners to explore a far wider variety of teaching methodologies and technologies. But it is not as simple as shifting education from the classroom to online platforms. There has been a proliferation of pop-up online learning institutions, making it all the more difficult for parents to make the right decisions for their children, says Lauren Jacquin, business head at the Swales Online Academy.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown students that they can enjoy the freedom of learning online from home. This is a game changer. Online learning has opened new doors for students who now have many more options for their education. While it is obvious that online schooling is particularly suitable for children with physical disabilities, injuries that will keep them home for months, rising sports stars who travel frequently or who have parents whose jobs require them to move around, it is now becoming evident that a far wider variety of youngsters can benefit from a completely different approach to education,” she says.
Online schooling
The argument for online schooling over the more conventional system is clear. Mainstream schools are often too big to allow for individual attention, many have tight budgets and limited access to technology.
Typical textbook/whiteboard teaching has resulted in learners becoming passive absorbers of the curriculum. The government has created more administration for teachers which is time consuming and, as a result, teachers don’t have the time to create fresh teaching content that encourages engagement and exploration.
Learners are exposed to technology
“These days, learners are also exposed to technology from a very young age and they are comfortable with it as part of almost every aspect of their lives. With the resources available to us, we can teach and show them things we would not be able to do in a conventional school,” she says.
The only problem is that not all online schools are equal.
Jacquin advises parents to prioritise quality and to research and read both parent and student reviews before committing to a particular online institution. She also suggests that parents look into whether or not teachers have been specifically trained to teach effectively online.
The digital landscape changes rapidly
“The digital landscape and the technological era in which we find ourselves is changing so fast that it is difficult to keep up. Being a specialised online educator takes daily learning, criticism and constant evaluation and expansion. Swales Online Academy certainly has a grasp of what this entails,” she says.
All Swales educators have not only completed their degrees but also undergone training on how to be effective online educators. They also have considerable experience as both mainstream and online teachers.
The Swales online teachers are trained using the ACT approach. This is a framework of digital-age pedagogies designed to encourage high levels of activity, plus increased engagement, recall and fun whilst learning.
The ACT pedagogies are Curation, Conversation, Correction, Creation, and Chaos.
We find new ways of learning
“Curation is about encouraging learning by finding, selecting, and arranging content. Conversation is about activating engagement through discussion, debate, and critique. Correction is about positively embracing mistakes and encouraging learning through failing forward. Creation is all about shifting from just consuming content to learning by creating content and learning artefacts. Chaos is about disrupting the boring by using pressure and perception to create higher levels of focus and understanding,” Jacquin explains.
“Introducing children to these different pedagogies is important. We are not just talking at our students, we involving them and making learning interesting. In some online schools, it may be about getting through the content as quickly as possible. What we are focused on is quality. Three words – explore, think and engage – are exactly what sets us apart. We encourage our learners to research and think further, to curate their own knowledge in addition to what they have gathered from us. They have the freedom to ask questions and give their own ideas and to engage and discuss with each other and the teacher both orally and in writing,” she adds.
Caption: Lauren Jacquin business head at Swales Online Academy.
