Implementing Remote learning during COVID-19 Lock-Down Period

Remote Learning or e-Learning mode of teaching has become the only way for teachers and students for the progress of teaching-learning process amid the lockdown period due to Global Health Emergency in the form of COVID-19. In fact, Remote Learning is also the path for professional development for the Educators around the World. But there are many implications involved while implementation of this mode. Following points are to be given due importance before initiating Online education, so as to encourage educators and learners to work together as an active learning community, for productive outcome.

1.    Ensure active engagement of learners Online: As an Online Educator, One need to be engaging and supporting students right from the start and for the entire duration of the e-transactions, to maintain an effective learning.

2.   Creation of a Supportive Learning Environment: To ensure creation of  a supportive online learning environment, both teacher to student as well as student to student interactions must be encouraged.

3. Creation of Interactive Groups: Subject wise/ Class wise, small groups be created to ensure supportive mentoring & Monitoring of learners. Personal introduction should be posted by the teacher along with the purpose and aim of creating the group. Students should also be given chance to introduce themselves along with their expectations from the course, for a two way interaction.

4.   Attendance System: To ensure response of the learners, a system must be devised in which students can enter into participation with an unique ID. e.g. students be given assignments/quizzes for which he has to enter his email ID or name before responding to it and thereby teacher can come to know that the student has participated and responded in the class.

5.   Open forum for Discussion: Students must be encouraged to post their queries, if any, on the topic covered and the same may be attended in due time. A real time query response mechanism may also be devised by educators.

6.   To provide Feedback: A provision for feedback at regular interval must be made to ensure motivation among students.

Algorithm for implementing Remote learning:

1.  Educator may form an online Group of students of his class/subject on Social Media or any other easy to access platform.

2. Educator may inform to the students about the layout/split-up of syllabus to be covered. In fact the learning outcomes must be clear beforehand.

3.  Educator may select the topic to be taught keeping in view the simplicity of the topic so that the students do not need any extra gadgets like Computers/Laptops to access the resource material rather they may be able to access the same on through smart phone available in their homes.

4. Educator may create easy to understand e-Content/Presentation referring Syllabus, Text Book or relevant study material, instead of supplying ready made material available on Internet. So, as to create a Learner centered environment, the following vital parameters may be kept mind while developing the e-Content: 

a.   Usage of Limited no of words per slide

b.   Usage of relevant Diagrams/Images

c.   Highlight the important keywords

d.   Recapitulation of the topic

5. Educator may record his/her Video Tutorial by Screen Casting Presentation or record his own video lecture explaining each and every term in the topic comprehensively, using video recording tools like Screen Cast-O-matic, Screencastify, Loom etc. (The Video should not be more than 10-12 Mins duration to ensure active engagement of students). The same may be uploaded on any Online Platform like Youtube, FlipGrid, Google Drive, One Drive.

6.  For practicing critical thinking, problem solving & writing skills, Educator may prepare Assignment for students pertaining to the topic which they may solve and pen down on notebooks and share the snapshots with teacher on the Online Platform (Like Wakelet, Whatsapp). 

7. To confirm assimilation of the topic the Educator may create a QUIZ preferably MCQ type on the topic being taught using online tool like Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, Proprofs, Hot Potatoes or Kahoot etc. and it should be active only on submission of email ID/Name of the students, so that the teacher can confirm regular attendance and regular response of the students. 

8.   A weekly meeting on a video conferencing platform like MS Teams, Skype or Zoom, should be scheduled to organize Query session.

Amit Kumar

Educator | Researcher | Trainer | Environmentalist

National ICT Awardee 2015 (India)

MIE Expert, MIE Trainer 

Apple Teacher

Certified Wakelet Trainer