Question
Question 11
The pandemic made digital learning invaluable to organisations yet research evidence is inconclusive about its effectiveness. Critically evaluate the options for making digital learning more effective.
Solution
In World Bank (2022) report, it argue that as a consequence of prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic, this has had direct implication in above 150 nations and impacting an average of 1.6 billion learners. In the initial phases of COVID-19 pandemic, the approach was to implement remote learning modalities being an emergency-based practice. The rationale of this is engaging learners and ensuring that the learning process from their different locations. While supporting this view, World Economic Forum (2020) argued that COVID-19 pandemic has evidenced an increased growth and education technology. This is with an expectation of the industry to growth with more than $350 billion by 2025. The growth is in the areas of language applications, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools and different online learning software. Despite of the popularity of the technology based learning in current COVID-19 pandemic, the authors noted that it would potentially lead to reduced bandwidth and little preparations and lack of sufficient capacity leading to issues with the technology based learning process. There are nevertheless approaches which could be put into place for success of digital learning process. This is supported by Nedungadi et al. (2020) which had adopted Digital Learning Ecology Framework as existence of need to review digital learning as opposed to its integration as part of learning. Hence, for the purpose of managing these challenges, the best practice would include;
Not making assumptions of learners tech savvy characteristic– Today, the success of the digital learning in the current COVID-19 pandemic has been as a result of the employees being digital natives. As evidenced in Seifert and Cotton (2020), considering the learners are developed through modern technologies and possess skills important to navigate in the contemporary digital world. Many organisations nevertheless make an enormous mistake assuming that by default, the learners are in a position of proficiently successfully adopting the technologies in their successful learning process. For instance, in MNGHA organisation, the application of technologies for improving the scope of learning, performance levels and creativity represent a new concept to the employees. Therefore, in planning for application of new technologies as part of digital learning, their orientation and knowledge acquisition would be essential for their successful operations. This is while offering them sufficient time in learning on application of the tools for digital learning and sharing their learning process with the rest. Also, the employees could be offered with relevant opportunities for teaching themselves digitally and effectively.
Integrating digital citizenship as opposed to only teaching digital citizenship– It is not an appropriate concept handing the learners with devices with zero support of safety and responsibility. Majority of the institutions have been creating personalised digital citizenship behaviour curriculum or source for a customised digital learning system for their learners. This is what is identified in James et al. (2019) as creation of an independent digital citizenship resources which would be availed in a free subscription in various online platforms. Attempts for anticipation of issues with the learners would also be encountered to apply the digital devices in class work. To manage the challenge linked with lack of continuous content provision, the best practice would entail proactively and in-depth pursuing a series of engagement upfront with the learners on best practice. This is for identifying the most appropriate strategy for sharing, judging the validity of sourced resources, respecting the content ownership fairly and the best practice in reporting the challenges and issues faced. In the same context, Walters et al. (2019) had recommended on the need for assisting the learners in pursuing both online and physical spaces interactions to acquire relevant knowledge and skills core for successful learning process through the digital platforms.
Planning on Management of Distractions– During and after COVID-19 pandemic, a significant encountered challenge has been on best practice of managing the different distractions occasioned in application of technologies as part of digital learning. According to James et al. (2019) with the technology opening distinct opportunities for leveraging on the new world of operations in learning and diversion of the set priorities in digital learning process. In this case, for improving the efficiency of the digital learning, the most appropriate strategy would be to ensure that the learners are avoiding distractors which hinder optimum gains being accrued from the digital learning process. This would have to be managed appropriately while similarly alleviating encountered boredom for stimulating the scope of being curious and planning for the engaging lessons. The effectiveness of the learning process would be achieved by leveraging on what de Souza Lopes and da Silva Vieira (2020) identify as a culture of digital learning in physical classes. By working collaboratively with all the stakeholders, it would be possible to meet entire expectations of all player and integrate them as part of their operations. Shared responsibility would be mutually pursued and integrated to be part of the learning. The overall efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process would hence be guaranteed.
Balancing Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning–
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