Online learning
It is hard to believe. But Online learning is a challenge in this day and age.
How can you learn online?
The modern online learning variant
There are various providers of online courses on the internet. Google them and you will find what you are looking for. Many of them provide online courses with a learning management system. In our opinion, this is the most modern variant. The prerequisite is that courses, lessons, etc. with interactivity are available. Otherwise, none of this makes sense. These systems are usually very sophisticated and there is also the possibility of almost real-time chats. Other providers combine LMS with 1:1 teaching via video conferencing. This is also very interesting. Nice learning platforms for pupils are, for example, Lernattack and Schülerhilfe.
The "semi-analogue / digital" online learning variant
Then there is the online learning variant, where a lecturer meets with the learners via video conferencing system. In this variant, the lecturer or teacher can use PowerPoint as a "slide", for example. In our experience, this works very well. But there is one condition: this does not work if the video conferencing system is not powerful. Or it only works to a limited extent. As a rule, you fail with online live teaching at the latest when exchanging files.
Schools like to use Jitsi
From what we have heard from reliable sources, schools like to use Jitsi. This video conferencing system is free of charge. One can imagine that there are accordingly many users. With Jitsi it is not possible to exchange files. And in times of high user numbers you can stop teaching - at some point the bandwidth is simply not enough. No more communication is possible. Unless, as a lecturer, you like to talk to a wall. You then no longer receive feedback from the participants / learners / students. We ask ourselves: Why do state schools like to use this system so much? Pedagogically oriented teaching is absolutely not possible with this system. No file exchange and, with insufficient bandwidth, no mimicry. Parents we know reported that lessons with Jitsi were often "cancelled" due to lack of bandwidth. The children were bombarded with tasks and instructions from the teachers via email and WhatsApp, even during the holidays. This is unacceptable and we wonder why others like Lernattack or Schülerhilfe can provide decent platforms and schools cannot. If this continues, state schools will soon become redundant.
With chargeable Video conferencing providersWe have not yet had such an experience of a total breakdown in communication with other companies, such as Zoom. Ok. Sometimes there are irrelevant bandwidth fluctuations here too. But in general, communication works smoothly and without major interruptions. Information arrives. Communication is possible.
Online learning - sharing files between student and teacher
With Jitsi, it is not possible to share files between student and teacher, so forget about distributing assignment sheets - you have to resort to classic "face-to-face" teaching. Because of Jitsi's low bandwidth, students should have video turned off for anything to work. You as a teacher are then not only in an alienating and digital world, NO, you have absolutely no feedback from the students - no facial expressions as feedback, no emotion - NOTHING. This is what we call fatal and is absolutely no alternative.
Zoom does offer the possibility of exchanging files, see https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/209605493-In-meeting-file-transfer. This function is indispensable for sensible online teaching.
Now to the question: Who can learn online?
With this question we mean: who is able to learn online at all?
The answer: definitely not everyone.
You must be familiar with digital media and also know how to use them! Knowledge of WhatsApp & Co is of course not sufficient. You must know how to create and save files and send them to the lecturer. The possibility to do this must also be available - otherwise it will logically not work. Currently, these prerequisites exclude certain professional groups (who have never worked with a PC) whose participants have reached a certain age. Unfortunately.
Requirements for people who want to learn online
- Internet affinity
- PC affinity
- Communication affinity with digital media
Requirements for teachers who want to teach online
- Internet affinity
- PC affinity
- Communication affinity with digital media
We dare say that the students can probably do this better than the teachers. How about the teachers getting trained by the students on this topic?
Online learning, video conferencing and DSGVO
The issue of data protection is often used as an excuse to avoid using Jitsi, for example. This is not coherent. Just Google "Zoom DSGVO", for example. You will find what you are looking for! You will find instructions on how to use modern video conferencing systems in a DSGVO-compliant manner.
Conclusion
Online learning is a technical problem for many and/or a personal challenge for others. This is both for students and we would say even more so for some teachers. It is not enough to provide digital learning platforms. People need to be trained and prepared on this topic in methodological competence. Many parents reported during the lockdown that they are totally stressed about Home Scooling. Right. After all, parents had / have to take over a big part of the teachers' job. This is unacceptable in this country, which has taken up the cause of digitalisation. Hasn't something important been forgotten?
Would you like an online learning platform?
Ask us. Email us at ks@pr-agentur.pro or call us on 017640783890.
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