Important considerations for going online
Posted on: April 23, 2020
There is no need to reinvent the wheel if you consult experts who already make and improve wheels. When going online, there is no need to write a new textbook on what to do if you first find out what researchers and practitioners already know and do.
One of the best people to consult is Martin Weller. Here are pots of advice he offered over two blog entries.
- Going online is not quick, easy, or cheap. For it to be effective, the move requires schools and education institutes to invest in developing the expertise in its own staff instead of outsourcing.
- Plan in phases: Consider what needs to be done now, in the mid term, and in the longer term; factor in the support for students and staff to prevent dropouts and burnouts.
I would simply add this: Building school infrastructure, a normal curriculum, and conventional assessment takes significant time and effort, so the same expectation should apply to efforts online. One key task to start the wheels turning is to ask educators these questions and help them find answers:
- How might teaching online be different from doing so face-to-face?
- What processes can teachers replicate online? What practices should teachers avoid?
- How might teachers avoid the cool tool trap and instead focus on what matters?
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