Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 33

Sharing Good Practice
IS YOUR SCHOOL GRAPPLING WITH ELEARNING?
would best deliver them online. What
features would you like to have on
your eLearning platform(s), to help you
effectively deliver lessons online?
Key questions to ask when choosing
an eLearning solution.
5 5 Scalable - Can the number of
users increase significantly without
affecting its effectiveness?
5 5 Adaptable - Can you modify
the eLearning platform to meet
your school’s teaching/ learning
requirements?
5 5 User Friendly - Is it easy to
understand, navigate and enjoyable
to use, while still offering a quality
service?
e
Learning is nothing new to
the educational ecosystem.
However, at this time, when
the whole world is on high
alert over the COVID-19 pandemic,
eLearning has suddenly taken centre
stage, it has gone from being an option
or a form of supplementary education
to being the main and only way for
schools to continue with the business
of teaching and learning at this time.
Having eLearning as a viable option
to the brick and mortar educational
learning set up, during disruptive
times, should be welcomed, the
question however is, are we there yet?
Is eLearning really working for us all?
Are we getting the best out of it or
is it merely a momentary buzz that
will fade away with the eradication of
COVID-19? Are we just tolerating it, for
now?
In the last few weeks, I have had the
privilege of viewing some eLearning
sessions presented by educators from
some schools. I have noted a few
pointers from my findings which I
hope will help enhance the eLearning
experience
for
some
learning
institutions and educators, who are
finding it challenging to effectively
implement eLearning.
Choosing an eLearning platform can
be quite a challenging task. The onset
of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has
triggered school closures due to health
concerns has made it even more
challenging due to the influx of free
and discounted e-learning platforms
on the market, from vendors looking
to cash in on the massive surge in
demand for eLearning services by
schools. In spite of all of this, with
proper planning and implementation,
in place, the process can be relatively
easy and straight forward.
In a school where eLearning is
almost non-existent, it is essential to
first, establish an eLearning team/
committee, to spearhead the rollout
and oversight of the eLearning
project in the school. This committee
should be championed by a member
of the senior management team.
Other stakeholders should include
ICT personnel, teachers and a
representative from the student body.
Allow teachers to volunteer for this
role over simply choosing them. It’s
also best to have people on the team
who either have the knowledge or
desire to acquire the knowledge.
Knowing what features to look
for when shopping for eLearning
platforms as well as how much your
budget can allow, is very important.
Review your curriculum/ subject/
syllabuses/lessons and try to get a
better understanding of how you
Class Time
5 5 Feature Rich – Does it have
the features you are looking to
incorporate, such as; integration,
tracking & reports, automated
evaluation,
gamification,
cloud
content and virtual classroom
Teachers need to have proper training
in the use of the eLearning platform,
as their competence in its use, will
have a direct impact on the students
that they will be teaching. However, it’s
worth noting that experience in the
use of an eLearning platform is also
hugely influenced by how much time
and dedication a teacher commits to
learning it.
Ensure that there is an effective peer
review structure in place. This is to
ensure that the work that is being
prepared has been quality checked.
Make sure to check whether the
content is well structured, and the
available online teaching aids are
being appropriately used to effectively
support the lesson. For example, are
links to video clips and chats correct
and working, is the work clear on the
screen, is there something else that
could be added to make the lesson
more effective? Remember, there will
be more eyes on the work being sent
out.
Ensure there is a good mix of delivery
methods being used. Wherever
possible, try to include live sessions, as
students still need to interact with the
teachers and their peers.
Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020
33