A-Z inventions of Covid-19: Online learning
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ms Yvonne Kong-Ho did her work while keeping an eye on her children Gabriel and Natalie, who are in Primary 5 and 3 respectively, on their first day of home-based learning on April 8. Schools shifted online in Singapore earlier this year during the pandemic.
PHOTO: ST FILE
As Singapore and other countries shifted schooling online, one thing was evident: Teachers rock.
Without fanfare, educators adapted their classroom lessons for home-based learning (HBL) for a nation of kids and youth.
While HBL typically comprises a mix of online and offline learning, parents and their children had to learn how to toggle between virtual platforms such as Student Learning Space and Padlet walls. It became normal to take photos of your child's schoolwork and post it online.
"At school, you walk around so much meh?" was a sentiment muttered by many a parent working from home, who marvelled at teachers' crowd control skills.
Parents discovered that remote learning for kids involves taking frequent breaks to go to the toilet, look for lost pencils, get a glass of water or travel aimlessly from one room to another.
Tuition and enrichment classes also migrated online. Youngsters did HBL with after-school options such as virtual yoga or karate on Zoom.
This brave new world came with challenges as well as opportunities. Edutech is now a white-hot industry with implications for future jobs.
At the same time, screen use has rocketed, even among the pre-school crowd. After years of experts urging restraint when it comes to children's screen time, some parents are wondering what the new parameters are.
Sociologists have pointed out that inequalities are seen more clearly under Covid-19. Some children in low-income families found HBL difficult, even when laptops were provided by schools, the Government and charitable groups.
Doing schoolwork on a smartphone is not easy. Neither is focusing on a thorny mathematics problem when sharing a small space with younger siblings who want to play.
Before the pandemic, HBL was occasional. After going full time during part of the circuit breaker, the Government announced in June that HBL will be a regular feature, possibly held once a fortnight.
While it is not a substitute for school, online learning is here to stay.