REMOTE LEARNING: DISPARITIES & SOLUTIONS

The Covid19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of hundreds of thousands students in the country with schools and colleges being shut down as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus. Many educators are now turning to technology for distance learning. But the uneven access to the internet, disparity in teacher qualifications, education quality, and lack of digital skills remain a huge hurdle to accessing the new format of learning. The poorer communities especially stand at a distinct disadvantage. WHO in a recent report states that the COVID-19 pandemic threatens education progress worldwide through two major shocks: ● The near-universal closing of schools at all levels, and ● The economic recession sparked by pandemic-control measures They say that without major efforts to counter its impacts, there will be long-run costs on human capital and welfare. But countries can still mitigate the damage and even turn recovery into new opportunity. Countries now have an opportunity to “build back better”: they can use the most effective crisis-recovery strategies as the basis for long-term improvements in areas like assessment, pedagogy, technology, financing, and parental involvement. B360 asked some of the finest educators in the country about possible solutions, online learning as a suitable alternative to traditional learning systems and what measures should the government take.

Pavitra Bahadur Gautam Co-Founder & CEO, Karkhana

As an educator, what would you recommend to be a possible solution?

Before I share my personal recommendation about what is a solution, let me share what is not a solution. Stopping a potential education by issuing a notice to stop online education is definitely not a solution. That is just going to increase resentment and cynicism.  The solution starts when we rethink the purpose of education; education has to give students the right attitude, right skills, and knowledge for their better livelihood. Technology is just the medium to teach, a good teacher can teach with anything around him/her. But I do think that digital skills are going to be an important skill. Through combined efforts of public and private institutions, we have to keep increasing access to technology and also improving digital skills. Again the fundamental solution here is to empower teachers with the right attitude and skills. And I am not talking about digital skills but fundamental skills of progressive education, a better understanding of 21st-century pedagogy. After that, we need to help parents become aware that the time has changed and just passing the exams means nothing for their child. Other solutions will follow automatically.

Can online learning be a sustainable format and a suitable alternative to traditional learning systems?

Just online learning alone is not a sustainable format in my personal view. Good learning comes from the combination of good engagement, enough exploration of topic and constructive reflection of understanding, all of this together form a good experience. In the 21st century we are not looking for students who can memorise information or just give written exams but for students who can identify problems, come up with creative ideas, and reflective enough to form a solution. All of this to happen just through online medium is not possible, I do consider it as a good alternative to a traditional teaching process if a student is learning just through verbal explanation and assignment, online mediums have rich contents, well-articulated visuals which can deepen students’ exploration. But online learning coupled with discussion among other students, opportunities to experience those ideas physically, through more sensory mediums like touch and smell always helps students engage with learning more. And the most important thing is that students can enjoy it.

I am worried when we talk about access to education because the government boasts that access-to-education is more than 95% in Nepal. The challenge here is access to quality education. An education that a child enjoys, an education that prepares a child to think and solve problems, and an education that prepares a student to be a better human being. When we talk about that kind of education, there is a gap.

What are the advantages and disadvantages for the student?

Advantages: ● Students who are generally not outspoken or who hesitate to speak in front of mass can get a good opportunity to express themselves. ● It increases familiarity with the technology which is the most demanding need of the era. ● Teachers can use rich content, like videos, animation, which will engage students more on the topic. ● Documentation of the learning can go hand in hand with digital tools, so focus would be more on the learning than the retention of the information. Disadvantages: ● It will disturb the learning aura of the classroom and also the real connectivity between teachers and students. ● In this time most of the teachers are also not familiar with technologies and online classes which create lots of problem in running effective class ● Evaluation is very tough. Teachers need to spend a lot of time going through online assessments of students. Giving individual feedback and consultation is tough several times. Thus, it limits students learning due to lack of frequent feedback. ● Many parts of the nation still lack proper internet access which is itself the biggest challenge for now. In this situation running online classes with 30-40 % presence of students is not effective and fair enough too. ● Also, weak connectivity creates problems at times.

What measures must the government take in the near future to bridge the gap in access to education and to promote distant learning practices?

I am worried when we talk about access to education because the government boasts that access-to-education is more than 95% in Nepal. The challenge here is access to quality education. An education that a child enjoys, an education that prepares a child to think and solve problems, and an education that prepares a student to be a better human being. When we talk about that kind of education, there is a gap. For that government and private institutions should be super selective about the teacher. A teacher who has the right attitude and the right skills to teach. When a teacher thinks of teaching as just a job, I will be worried about how that would result in quality education. Putting a human being inside a class is not going to solve this problem. The government along with private institutions if they focus on creating platforms, an environment where it would be easy to access quality content and engaged through distance mediums like online, TV it will force the teachers to go beyond information and focus more on skills and attitude of students. Also, distance education should not just be about sharing information but connecting students with problems, a way to connect to other students thinking, and getting inspired through another human being. For now, with limited access to high-end technology, it’s not possible everywhere but if we keep adding connectivity and keep adding technology in rural places, that day is not that far.

Shisir Khanal Co-Founder & Chairman, Teach For Nepal

Ground Reality

Since the outbreak of Corona Virus, the lockdown has impacted almost 1.6 billion school going children around the world. Nepal’s lockdown has affected over eight million school going children. When lockdown was announced, Nepal was at the end of school year. Thus academic activities weren’t affected in the beginning. But by mid-May, it’s been a month since the time new academic year would have started. With increasing number of infections the normal functioning of schools are likely to be several months away. Thus, students in Nepal will lose several months of school year. Historically, education is delivered primarily in close and direct contact of teachers and students; students and students inside classrooms at schools. The risk of Covid-19 puts that fundamental way of operating into a challenge. Schools are one of those places where hundreds of students from many different communities and background come together and spend several hours in very tight space with a lot of physical contact whether in classrooms with students forced to sit on narrow benches or playgrounds where kids engage in different playful activities. Therefore, until we can be fairly certain that coming together of large number of people wouldn’t put their health at risk, it is very likely that schools will remain close.

Challenges

This has naturally given rise to the question about: How to continue education? In urban areas, private schools have already started out with online classes using video conferencing technology and other digital learning platforms.  But for the vast majority of Nepalese students such opportunities aren’t possible.  Only 8% households in Nepal have a computer at home; only about 17% people are connected to internet through wired/wireless connection. Of those with internet access, a vast majority (76%) connect via mobile devices to mobile internet. But mobile internet in Nepal is also the most expensive in South Asia. Thus, making it difficult for middle and low income families to afford sustained long term internet engagement required by internet based classes. Additionally, access to television and radio nationally is also low. Only about 37% homes have cable television and 26% homes have radio. Therefore, these traditional communications mediums by themselves aren’t sufficient.

Solutions

Therefore, Nepal needs to use multi-pronged approach to ensure education access during the current closures. This means that using all available means, rather than fixating on internet or television based programs, including internet, TV, radio, phone support as well as local community based programs to ensure that all kids have opportunity to learn.

In urban areas, private schools have already started out with online classes using video conferencing technology and other digital learning platforms.  But for the vast majority of Nepalese students such opportunities aren’t possible.  Only 8% households in Nepal have a computer at home; only about 17% people are connected to internet through wired/wireless connection. Of those with internet access, a vast majority (76%) connect via mobile devices to mobile internet. But mobile internet in Nepal is also the most expensive in South Asia. Thus, making it difficult for middle and low income families to afford sustained long term internet engagement required by internet based classes.

The community-based programs could mobilise local volunteers including teachers and some educated local individuals to organise small clusters in each tole or community where small number of kids come together, stay at safe distances, where an adult supervisor can provide some guidance on learning.  Since students are primarily at home, the role of parents is very critical but across rural communities many parents are also semi-literate or have basic education. Therefore, they aren’t likely to be able to guide with academic content but they could create an environment for students to learn at home. So, I see a need for parental awareness and education campaign. Furthermore, for the children who come from low income families, local governments also need to ensure adequate supply of food. Since the parents, who primarily rely on daily wage income are out of jobs, many children are likely to be at a situation where they simply don’t have access to basic nutritious meals required. Additional risks that children are on are physical and emotional abuse. Thus, we also need to ensure that kids have safe spaces to learn and study whether at home or in communities. While we need focus on some of these immediate steps, for the long run, and to ensure that education can continue through and during future crisis, as a country we have no option but to investment in digital infrastructure including access of reliable and low cost internet to all communities across the country; digital literacy of parents and teachers and contents that enable students to learn through self engagement with digital devices, particularly mobile devices.

Bishnu Raj Adhikari Principal & Managing Director, Kathmandu College of Management

As an educator, what would you recommend to be a possible solution?

Social distancing seems to be the new normal. In such a situation, providing education in a traditional classroom format does not seem feasible. Nevertheless, students must not be deprived of learning and thus online system seems to be getting quite popular all over the world. At KCM, we have switched to an online platform since March 22 so that our students are kept engaged in learning. Of course switching to an online platform has its pros and cons but that seems to be the only possible solution for now.

Can online learning be as sustainable format and a suitable alternative to traditional learning systems?

Online learning may not be a sustainable and suitable alternative to traditional learning system, especially for a country like Nepal, which lacks the proper infrastructure and technology to conduct online learning smoothly. Even with the infrastructure and technology, there are certain things that traditional learning offers which the online format may not.

Online learning may not be a sustainable and suitable alternative to traditional learning system, especially for a country like Nepal, which lacks the proper infrastructure and technology to conduct online learning smoothly. Even with the infrastructure and technology, there are certain things that traditional learning offers which the online format may not. Since the switch to a virtual learning platform at KCM, both our facilitators and students have been trying to adapt to the new teaching-learning method.

Since the switch to a virtual learning platform at KCM, both our facilitators and students have been trying to adapt to the new teaching-learning method. We have been making adjustments as required by introducing new and better ways to make this method more productive. However, technical issues have time and again disrupted the classes from being run smoothly. At KCM, we try to make our classes interactive and keep our students engaged through group assignments but with the online platform, doing this has been challenging. Another issue for us has been in finding out the true level of understanding of the students. Traditional learning system allows for better supervision making it easier to monitor student engagement and understanding which may be crucial in figuring out if the system is working.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to the student?

From our experience of conducting online learning for the past two and a half, almost three months, we have observed that it can have both advantages and disadvantages to the students. Advantages: ● Not losing a semester as online platform allows for continuous learning ● Learning from the comfort of their homes Disadvantage: ● Lack of face-to-face interaction with the facilitators as well as fellow classmates ● Concentration issues as technical issues may hamper smooth running of the classes and online classes may not be as interactive as traditional classes

What measures must the government take in the near future to bridge the gap in access to education and to promote distant learning practices?

The government can play a major role in providing more people with access to technology required for distance learning by making internet more affordable for the general public

Diptee Acharya Founder Director, Sanskriti International School

Ground reality

The world changed in a matter of weeks! The coronavirus pandemic has transformed how millions around the globe learn. As the world was locking down, all the schools around were also vulnerable to revert to distance learning. Nepal was no different! The schools in Nepal were also told to close down by March 18. Since it was the end of the academic session, exams were held for elementary and secondary schools, but the state halted the national exams for grades 10 and 12. None of the schools in Nepal were prepared to publish the final term examination results, let alone be prepared for distance learning. Usually, schools would have opened by mid-April, but the lockdown continued.

Disadvantaged students suffer the consequences of those gaps more than affluent children, who typically have lots of opportunities to fill in those gaps. I’m hoping that we can learn some things through this crisis about online delivery of not only instruction but an array of opportunities for learning and support. In this way, we can make the most of the crisis to help redesign better systems of education and child development in Nepal.

Some of the private schools knew that this would be the new norm and started working as early as April to train the teachers and started to equip themselves with online learning. This was to continue the learning experiences for their students. Some of the private schools in Nepal had a smoother transition, in this period of school closure, so they moved seamlessly to online learning. This was also a big challenge in itself! However, it cannot be said the same for most of the private schools and definitely not for the public school system, who didn’t have any sort of backup. In reality, we have always had significant gaps in students’ learning opportunities in Nepal. Disadvantaged students suffer the consequences of those gaps more than affluent children, who typically have lots of opportunities to fill in those gaps. I’m hoping that we can learn some things through this crisis about online delivery of not only instruction but an array of opportunities for learning and support. In this way, we can make the most of the crisis to help redesign better systems of education and child development in Nepal. The first thing to consider is that it’s going to have a variable effect. We tend to regard our school systems uniformly, but actually, schools are widely different in their operations, just as our students themselves are very different from one another. Children come from very different backgrounds, resources, opportunities, and support outside of schools. Those differences and disparities have become more vivid now. Some students will be fine during this crisis because they’ll have high-quality learning opportunities. Other students won’t have access to anything of quality, and as a result, they will be at an enormous disadvantage. Generally speaking, the most economically challenged in our society will be the most vulnerable in this crisis.

The digital divide

The digital divide between students has become apparent as schools have increasingly turned to online instruction. What can public school systems do to address this gap? Arguably, this is something that the government should have been doing a long time ago, opening up the whole frontier of out-of-school learning by virtue of making sure that all students have access to the technology and the internet they need in order to be connected in and out-of-school hours! Twenty-first-century learning requires technology and the internet. This is the absolute truth, and no one can deny this. It doesn’t mean that this is better than the physical face to face setting, but let’s face it; what better alternatives do we have? Communities and the government are going to have to adapt to get students engaged in online learning. Otherwise, many students will continue to be at a huge disadvantage. We can see this as our lower-income and more heterogeneous school struggle over whether to proceed with online instruction as not everyone can access it. Shutting down schools that can provide online learning should not be an option. We have to find some middle ground, which means the government and state municipalities are going to have to act urgently and rapidly to fill in the gaps in technology and internet access. We can also look at how parents can help at this time. It will be helpful by giving parents guidance about how to use this time constructively. The default in our education system is now homeschooling. Virtually all parents are doing some form of homeschooling, whether they want to or not. And the question is: What resources, support, or capacity do they have to do homeschooling effectively? We cannot deny that a lot of parents are struggling with that.

Outcome

The best that can come of this is a new paradigm shift in terms of how we look at education because children’s well-being and success depend on more than just schooling. For children to come to school ready to learn, they need a wide array of essential supports and opportunities outside of school. These education prerequisites go far beyond the purview of school systems, but rather are the responsibility of communities and society at large where Public-Private partnership is the key. In the medical field, we are looking up to developed countries who are far ahead in medical science and research to take out the vaccine for COVID-19, and we are following their methods and actions to combat this deadly virus. We, the developing countries, don’t have the facility or the competence for trial and research. In the same way, the private schools should be allowed to continue the online learning in Nepal, so that the state can take the best possible structure and practice into the Public system for the broader community. In order to learn, children need equal access to health care, food, clean water, and stable housing, to name a few. We have to come together as communities and re-conceptualize the whole job of child development and education. Construct effective systems so that the children of our country have equal opportunities to be successful in facing the world.

Binita Mittal Agrawal Principal & Executive Director,  Alok Vidyashram

Distant learning has been a part of education for a long time in most institutions elsewhere. Anyone from any part of the world has access to videos of lectures at MIT, for example. The closure due to COVID-19 pandemic has opened the doors to such type of imparting education here too. Necessity is the mother of invention, and any situation can be taken both as an opportunity or a hinderance. I take this as an opportunity in the field of education. It is the right time to take education to a global platform. Many of us, in our part of the world, are still dependent on traditional ways of teaching that rely on the qualification and knowledge of the teachers. But with the introduction of online education, there is much more room for experimentation and creativity in the learning process. The access to the vast resources has made it easier for both teachers and students to refer to and share with each other, leading to a collaborative, integrated process of learning. Teachers who were technologically challenged are being prompted to expand their technological literacy. With proper training and sharing amongst the colleagues, it is not difficult to overcome this hurdle.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and any situation can be taken both as an opportunity or a hindrance. I take this as an opportunity in the field of education. It is the right time to take education to a global platform. Many of us, in our part of the world, are still dependent on traditional ways of teaching that rely on the qualification and knowledge of the teachers. But with the introduction of online education, there is much more room for experimentation and creativity in the learning process. The access to the vast resources has made it easier for both teachers and students to refer to and share with each other, leading to a collaborative, integrated process of learning.

The other advantage I see is the possibility of getting guest lecturers from any part of the world to share their expertise with our students. This will help them gain perspective on the developments taking place around the world and will open their minds to beyond the boundaries of closed walls of classrooms. However, the one issue I see in carrying this out successfully is access to internet. This problem is exacerbated in the less economically developed regions of our country where getting electricity itself is a challenge, let alone the internet. The immediate solution that comes to mind is channeling Nepal’s relatively well connected cellular system as network data has been accessible to many people, regardless of their income and background. Moreover, data consumption per capita in Nepal is quite high. Leveraging cellular data for online education could be a potential solution. Another solution could be using pre-recorded videos of courses taught by qualified teachers in the country. I still remember listening to radio Nepal which had a program for children to learn English in the days when English was not the medium of teaching. There were no mobile phones, no internet, not even television and the only mode of getting information was radio. Still, a subject that was not easily accessible could be made available to the students. What stops us now? Now, when we are more advanced technologically, we should not feel handicapped without trying.

Udgam Khadka Educational Designer & Faculty, King’s College

As an educator, what would you recommend to be a possible solution?

I don’t think there is “A” possible solution. The situation has caught almost every sector, including Education, off guard. No one was prepared for it. No one had thought out plans to handle such abrupt disruption. In my opinion, in this lockdown situation as a result of the pandemic, we, Educators, are left with only two alternatives. First, halt the process of students’ learning. Do nothing much and let the situation unfold. Second, we think through and act creatively and sensibly, pushing our normals, to continue students’ learning process. If we are bold enough to choose the latter, coming back to my initial remark, I don’t think “A” solution can cater to the diversity of students from the Government schools and colleges to private institutions.

The mode of teaching we are forced to jump into these days isn’t exactly online learning. Many recent research and articles have coined it as “Emergency Remote Teaching” or “Pandemic Pedagogy”. In most cases, at present, we are “delivering” curriculum designed for physical classroom teaching instead of covering curriculum “designed” for online class teaching. Henceforth, first, I think we must be clear if we are talking about the sustainability of “Emergency Remote Teaching” or “Online Teaching”.

Those who believe students’ learning shouldn’t be halted and who echo the conviction that we, Educators, play a crucial role in enhancing students’ learning; we are left with no choice than to find virtual ways to stay connected with students. How to continue learning remotely? Everyone, including us, are testing, learning and improving on different measures and methods to ensure a safe and meaningful virtual learning environment for students. As this territory is new for most of the Nepalese Educational Institutions, my only recommendation is to understand your stakeholders closely, interact with them frequently, communicate openly and dare to try out various pedagogical approaches giving technology a second priority. Pedagogy comes first, technology second. And, of course, try out, learn from the errors, listen to the stakeholders from time to time and keep improving the teaching-learning process in your particular context.

Can online learning be as sustainable format and a suitable alternative to traditional learning systems?

The mode of teaching we are forced to jump into these days isn’t exactly online learning. Many recent research and articles have coined it as “Emergency Remote Teaching” or “Pandemic Pedagogy”. In most cases, at present, we are “delivering” curriculum designed for physical classroom teaching instead of covering curriculum “designed” for online class teaching. Henceforth, first, I think we must be clear if we are talking about the sustainability of “Emergency Remote Teaching” or “Online Teaching”. If it is a case of online teaching and learning, yes, I think it is about time we start thinking and re-thinking how we have been ‘Educating’ learners. Time has shown that learning can happen beyond the four walls of the classroom sitting at your home - with the teacher in his/her living room and students in their respective rooms. Research has also shown and online courses offered by prestigious institutions have proven, online learning can be as effective as on-site learning. We just need to acknowledge that they are two different methods which should not be compared using the same lens.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to the student?

Advantages ● The students (in fact the teachers too) would have a high amount of flexibility, in terms of timing, place, and pace. Learning can be done in either or blending both synchronous or asynchronous modes. ● A well designed online course is usually more student-centric meaning students will have to be more accountable for their learning. ● Another major advantage is accessibility. Though in our Nepalese context, this advantage can be contested, yet, online learning can open doors for many who haven’t been able to access quality education. ● Talking about access, there’s no more four walls that can confine learning. Students can take advantage of hundreds of free online courses and resources offered by major universities all over the world.

Disadvantages

● In most of our process of Education (at home and school), we are not guided to take charge of our own learning. We require continuous and regular guidance, support, assistance from our teachers or parents, in case of learning at home. So, taking charge of one’s own learning in online teaching could be inherently difficult for students. This could result in resistance, frustration, denial or easy dropout among students learning online. ● Digital divide or inequality is a highly debated topic which can put many students in a disadvantageous position. ● Students may also experience the lack of a classroom community, interaction with other students, and engagement with content and this could eventually result in disappointment or negative experience of online learning.

What measures must the government take in the near future to bridge the gap in access to education and to promote distant learning practices?

● There are schools and colleges which have sailed through initial challenges of remote teaching transition. Some institutions have also gathered valuable learnings and proven practices. The Government can play a facilitative role in initiating and maintaining collaboration among such schools and colleges with public schools and colleges. ● Not only ZOOM or Google meet are the tools, though widely used, to teach online. There are many other tools to engage students even in an online setting. And, in case of inaccessibility of internet or computer devices, the Government can explore other broadcast mediums too. ● The Government can reach out to, work closely with and support institutions to create and make their resources available for everyone. And, the Government can take the role of disseminating those existing resources to different parts of the country. ● The Government should also acknowledge and adopt this current and future change this situation has brought upon. The heavy use of technology and digital tools shall persist even after the lockdown opens up. Thus, in order to minimize the gap in access to education, the Government should start investing in enhancing technological infrastructures such as accessibility of computer devices and high-speed internet. ● The Government should also start including the requirement of technological and online pedagogical knowledge while appointing teachers. This creates a pool of teachers ready for the changing future of providing Education. For existing teachers, the Government should collaborate with private and public institutions to provide training, support and support resources to help them transition to remote teaching mode.

Shailaja Adhikary Managing Director & Principal, Euro School

The Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on education

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted every field and sector in countries all over the world but the worst impact can be seen in the Education sector. The spread of this virus has put a sudden stop to everything that we have always perceived as normal and it has disrupted the learning of hundreds of thousands of students in the country. Students, their parents and educators, are feeling the ripple effect of the novel coronavirus as schools have shut down and quarantine measures have been put into force in order to cope with the global pandemic. While the government and health officials are doing their best to slow down the outbreak, the education systems are collaborating to collectively respond and provide quality education for all during these difficult times. The majority of students in our educational institutions today, have grown up or are growing up, in a truly globalized world. Many educators are now turning to technology for e- learning. But the inadequate and unequal access to the internet due to the divide between the rich and the less rich, the difference in the qualifications of teachers in the cities and villages, the quality of education, the lack of digital skills, are all obstacles that stand in the way of accessing the new format of learning in the virtual world. And, it is always the less fortunate who are at a great disadvantage here.

As an educator, what would you recommend to be a possible solution?

This Coronavirus-related disruption has given all educators time to rethink the sector. Technology has stepped into the breach and will continue to play a key role in educating future generations. In a world, where now knowledge is a mouse-click away, the role of the educator must change too. For quite some time now, educators have been talking about the need to rethink how we educate future generations. And this might just be the disruption that the education sector needed to get us to rethink how we educate, and question what we need to teach, and what we are preparing our students for. So, as an educator, this is a good time to reflect on how we can find new ways to communicate with our students away from our classrooms and how this crisis can help us all define what learning should look like for this generation of students and beyond.

This Coronavirus-related disruption has given all educators time to rethink the sector. Technology has stepped into the breach and will continue to play a key role in educating future generations. In a world, where now knowledge is a mouse-click away, the role of the educator must change too. For quite some time now, educators have been talking about the need to rethink how we educate future generations. And this might just be the disruption that the education sector needed to get us to rethink how we educate, and question what we need to teach, and what we are preparing our students for.

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in educational institutions across the world being compelled to suddenly harness and utilize all available technological tools to create content for remote learning for students in all sectors. Educators are experiencing new possibilities to do things differently, and with greater flexibility, resulting in potential benefits in accessibility to education for all students. These are new modes of instruction that have previously been largely untapped particularly in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 arena. As an educator, I feel there is the need to help the government in mobilizing resources and implementing innovative and context-appropriate solutions to provide education, using hi-tech, low-tech approaches, and seek to find fair and equal means to bridge the divide between the rich and the not so fortunate. This is an opportunity for all educators to find solutions to provide support and resources for parents, teachers and learners, and help them navigate a plethora of challenges facing education because of school shutdowns. We need to realize, more so now, that digital learning has risen from a ‘nice to have’ extracurricular facility to become the lifeline for education. The opportunities that digital technology offers are many - it allows us to find entirely new answers to what students learn, how they learn, where they learn and when they learn. Technology can enable teachers and students to access specialized materials well beyond textbooks, in multiple formats, and in ways that can bridge time and space. Real change often takes place in times of deep crisis and this moment holds the possibility that we won’t return to the status quo when things return to ‘normal.’ While this crisis has deeply disruptive implications for education, it does not have predetermined implications. It is the nature of our collective and systematic responses to these disruptions that will determine how we are affected by them. Instead of worrying whether or not online education can ever be as good as more traditional formats, perhaps we should instead focus on how we can use it to deliver quality education for all, particularly the poor and underserved. It has to be understood that, in the times to come, e-learning and digital learning will have to be complementary with physical school based environment. Education boards should work on accreditation and quality control measures to ensure regulation and commonly accepted education standards to weed out defects. Tomorrow’s schools need to help learners to think for themselves and join others with empathy, in work and in citizenship. They need to help learners develop a strong sense of right and wrong. Building these capabilities will necessitate very different forms of learning and technology will be an integral part of that. Technology can build communities of teachers to share and enrich teaching resources and practice. It can help system leaders and governments develop and share best practice around curriculum design, policy and pedagogy. Technology can build communities of learners that make learning more social and fun.

Can online learning be as sustainable format and a suitable alternative to traditional learning systems?

The virtual classroom cannot replace the traditional classroom because it is by its very essence or nature not completely ‘real.’ Teaching on the Internet is teaching in virtual reality, but not in reality. Does that mean that any type of education given or received on the Internet is not real? Absolutely not. The teachers are real. The students are real. The material is real. The atmosphere, however, is not real, and that is why virtual teaching cannot replace classroom teaching. The environment makes the classroom, which is why virtual teaching will never fully replace classroom teaching. The instructor figure plays a crucial role in the process. You can’t transition an emotional or intellectual bond online. Direct motivation and feedback are not to be replaced any time soon. There must be someone to verify your understanding and reinforce assessment. Otherwise, you might be just going in the wrong direction on your own. Holistic approach never can be achieved through online classes.So both the traditional classroom learning and e­learning simultaneously offer strengths and suffer from limitations, it is only natural to combine the strengths of the two into blended learning.

What are the advantages of online learning?

● It saves time as teachers do not need to give the same lessons repeatedly to different groups of students. He/she only needs to prepare the content once and then share it with different groups at any time. ● It allows for self-paced learning as students and trainees can take courses from their own devices anytime and anywhere. ● It is an integral part of the modern world. The Internet is used to read the news, watch our favorite shows, keep in touch with friends and family, book appointments, shop and so do much more. And considering all of the conveniences the Internet has added to our daily lives, why should education remain strictly traditional? Why not utilize the advantages provided by the Internet? ● Digital learning provides the opportunity to learn in new ways that may rethink how we collectively think about the school system. ● Students will have the autonomy and agency to take charge of their learning to explore new ideas and experiences like never before. New interests and passions will emerge for many students and teachers.

What are the disadvantages of online learning?

● Learner is unable to focus on learning and has high levels of anxiety. ● Learner loneliness increases even though digital tools are offering ways to connect. ● Parents are struggling to balance work and homeschooling. ● It can be easier for students to cheat in online exams and also take the idea or work of someone else and pass it off as one’s own. ● Students are worried about having an unnatural closure to the academic year. ● Keeping in mind that your students are using a computer and not being monitored at all times, they could potentially plagiarize essays and other assignments.

What measures must the government take in the near future to bridge the gap in access to education and to promote distant learning practices?

The Ministry of Education must join hands with the Ministry of Information Technology in order to - Mobilize all major telecom service providers to boost the internet connectivity service for online education, especially for the under-served regions. Increase the bandwidth of major online education service portals. Mobilize resources for the provision of online courses, more online courses for university students and provide primary and secondary schools with free online courses. Adopt flexible and appropriate methodologies to facilitate learning. Schools and teachers should be advised to choose appropriate modes of delivery based on local readiness, including Online Portals, Digitalized TVs, FM, Mobile Apps. Teachers should receive guidance on teaching methodologies, including live-streaming of online tutorials. During this educational shift from school to home, the government needs to address the needs of students in remote locations with little or no access to connectivity.

Education for all

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, excellence and equity, the cornerstones of good education systems, are being challenged in every part of the world. Our greatest concern is that differences in parental involvement and access to technology give rise to inequality. At the same time, as in every major challenge, this is an opportunity to improve. Our goal should be not to provide one recommendation to solve all problems, but rather solutions for different types of challenges around education during this crisis. And, as important as continuing quality education is, it is just as important to maintain mental and physical wellbeing for students and parents. Maybe we can even use this situation to connect with the rest of the world. There are areas for individuals as well as educators to reflect on how to improve. Everything has happened so fast and unexpectedly. It does not seem realistic that there is a holistic solution that is easy to implement and works for everyone. However, inspiring individual solutions have been developed in every country. Perhaps we can even combine these different approaches to create a new and impactful education for all students. People are creating amazing resources overnight and the concept of learning and school is reinventing itself. I think we have an opportunity for students to do a rapid up-skill in terms of their soft skills because this will be forced by the current situation. I am hoping that once students prove that they can work autonomously, creatively, and communicate their learning in new ways, this crisis will show everyone the importance of moving learning experiences beyond the traditional school building and hours, resulting in a more real-world application of content and increasing frequency of authentic experiences for students. For everyone right now, we need to make everyone’s safety our first priority and learn what will enable each of us to establish a state of positive wellbeing. And, when we are free to go back to school, we must use this experience to positively change the way we think of education for the better.

Dr. Bijay KC Dean, Kathmandu University School Of Management

As an educator, what would you recommend to be a possible solution?

Education system around the world is passing through a very precarious moment brought by the pandemic Covid19. Almost all major activities of the economy are badly affected by it. Yet, thanks to the technological development, education sector has not come to stand still like some other sectors e.g. aviation, hospitality, transport, construction, agriculture etc. Many academic institutions have gone online for teaching and interacting with the students. With the COVID-19 pandemic growing at a fast rate around the globe, the Government of Nepal imposed lockdown in the country on March 24, 2020. Most of the universities had called off classes earlier than this around March 15, 2020. In the situation priority of the universities was to ensure safety of students, faculty and staff. Obeying lockdown and keeping physical distance among faculty, staff and students is very important to contain the spread of Covid19. When we at KU School of Management suspended classes as a precautionary measure to contend Covid19 pandemic effects classes of Spring semester and trimesters were in progress. Keeping the complexities of the situation in consideration we suspended the face to face class settings. Although we hope that things will come under control and return to near normalcy soon, we are not in position to predict how long this situation will continue. In such situation it is necessary to give continuity to its classes through online so that the students can complete the current term and semester as per School’s academic calendar without significant delay. During the lockdown period we have made encouraging progress in delivering courses online using different platforms such as Google hangout or meet, zoom etc. The Academic Council of KU also passed a policy regarding the online delivery of courses and instructed all schools to go online to the possible extent.

Can online learning be as sustainable format and a suitable alternative to traditional learning systems?

My experience so far tells me that we cannot expect online learning to be as sustainable and suitable alternative to traditional learning system. This is particularly so in the case of management education where we use case methods, role playing, simulations, presentations with face to face questions and arguments. The history of online learning has mixed results in the world. When MOOCS ( Massive Online Open Courses) system was introduced first it was seen as a revolutionary step towards education. However, over a period of time it showed very low retention rate. One of the studiesconducted by MIT has shown that the courses had a dropout rate of about 96% on average over five years. Despite that in the future we should have a hybrid system with online teaching and traditional classroom settings. Online learning can be complementary tothe present system,not its substitute.

Education in the days to come will be a hybrid of traditional face to face setting and online teaching. It is clear that the government must invest in developing IT infrastructure necessary for education. Distance learning practices have its own advantages in a country like Nepal where access to education is difficult, particularly in the remote areas. Government must see that internet facilities are available to the people at large at a reasonable cost. For this, the government should mobilise the local governments. Efforts should be done to increase the bandwidth at the national level. The accessibility and quality of internet facilities is very crucial. The government should see that the teachers are trained to use the IT tools and techniques for online teaching. Universities should take this responsibility and the government should support them technically and financially. University Grant Commission should be involved in these activities. It is also necessary for the government to help universities and other schools to revise and redesign courses to facilitate online teaching and learning in the future.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to the student?

Advantages: ● Under the uncertainty brought by catastrophe such as COVID -19, online learning helps the students to continue their study without losing time. ● As students have access to the online lectures, they do not go to campuses. ● This saves their time in commuting to the campuses which they can use for study and doing their assignments in home, and for some other productive purposes. Some students spend 3 to 4 hours for this. ● This also helps to some extent the problem of traffic congestion. ● Students can record the lectures which they can refer later when needed. ● This also makes the teacher serious and careful about what and how he teaches. ● Faculty members are forced to plan their lecture seriously beforehand. Disadvantages: ● Students miss the teaching learning environment of campus which offers them place for their social interaction and experience. Face to face group discussions in the classrooms, campus premises, and canteen etc. have their own charms and benefits which the students cannot get in the online classes. ● It is experienced that after some time students feel the classes monotonous and lose their interest in online classes. This is a big challenge to the faculty. Continuous monologue for more than one and half hour does not give the desired results. ● As has been reported in other universities abroad, this has also led to the psychological and behavioural problems among the students. ● Students who do not have access to internet facilities, power backup system and laptops are unable to attend the online classes effectively. ● Delivery of the courses effectively is also a problem as they are designed for the traditional face to face teaching setups. ● As the universities are forced to go for online teaching extensively due to COVID 19, faculty members and students are not well exposed to the online teaching methods and facilities available. ● Universities also lack adequate infrastructure needed for the online teaching of the courses. Frequent disruptions in the voice and image break the flow of lecture and understanding of the topics.

What measures must the government take in the near future to bridge the gap in access to education and to promote distant learning practices?

The structure of education system in Nepal is expected to change as an aftermath of COVID 19. Uncertainty prevails and prediction about gaining normalcy is difficult. Education in the days to come will be a hybrid of traditional face to face setting and online teaching. It is clear that the government must invest in developing IT infrastructure necessary of education. Distance learning practices have its own advantages in a country like Nepal where access to education is difficult, particularly in the remote areas. Government must see that internet facilities are available to the people at large at a reasonable cost. For this, the government should mobilize the local governments. Efforts should be done to increase the bandwidth at the national level. The accessibility and quality of internet facilities is very crucial. The government should see that the teachers are trained to use the IT tools and techniques for online teaching. Universities should take this responsibility and the government should support them technically and financially. University Grant Commission should be involved in these activities. It is also necessary for the government to help universities and other schools to revise and redesign courses to facilitate online teaching and learning in the future. Due to COVID 19, universities and schools will have problem in following academic calendar. Admission into new semester and year is going to be affected in the academic institutions. The government should prepare a contingency plan and come out with programmes for this.