It’s time to face the facts that virtually no one wants to address. With all of the E-learning days students across the nation have been experiencing, educators must ask themselves this question: Is E-learning worth its salt?
Teacher General Accounts
The answer is not always so black-and-white. Mr. Neil Bahbah, an EHS cybersecurity teacher in the ETI building, offers up one of the benefits he sees to it. “I really enjoy E-learning days. The technology makes it fun,” he states, “and makes it easy to get caught up with other school work that needs to be done.”
While Bahbah focuses on certain benefits through E-learning, Miss Gabrielle Books, an EHS ASL teacher acknowledges that it isn’t perfect. “I see E-learning days as both good and challenging,” she begins. “They are good because they allow flexibility and give students time to work at their own pace. However,” Books continues, “they can be difficult because not everyone learns well independently or has a good learning environment at home.” For these reasons, Books continues to have mixed feelings about E-learning.
Mrs. Kristin Baker, an EHS speech teacher, highlights another juggernaut associated with E-learning. “I know many students struggle to get adequate WiFi or have tech issues. It’s not ideal,” she states. Moreover, Baker explains that teacher reactions to E-learning often stem from the type of course one teaches. “I’m a very hands-on teacher who teaches a lot of interactive social and communication skills,” she notes. “So, synchronous E-learning feels a little like trying to tap dance in bare feet!”
Think of the difficulties the music and physical education departments must be experiencing as they try to orchestrate a musical piece or field a team, respectively. Likewise, how does one finish a piece of pottery at home without a wheel or kiln? If one were in the middle of a science lab experiment, how does he or she complete it from home? And, will the alternative assignment for any of these days be truly instructive, or will it equate to little else than busy work? There are clearly more questions than answers as schools attempt to navigate the integration of technology into their educational operating systems.
In times of necessity, an E-learning day may be a logical option. However, even when that is the case, they may prove no more beneficial than a make-up day at the end of the year–where substantive lessons are non-existence and learning is lost. The real question one might ask is now this: How many E-learning days can students encounter without sacrificing their forward academic growth? The answer not only relies upon a quantitative number but also the quality of the assignments and the quality of involvement from the students.
Currently, Indiana allows for three asynchronous days to be used for such things as weather conditions. The number of synchronous days, however, is unlimited. With asynchronous E-learning days, the state has already determined the threshold of tolerance. It is up to each individual corporation, however, to determine how many more synchronous ones it can withstand and still show academic progress–especially as it is measured through mandatory state testing.
Clearly, the more valuable a teacher can make his or her lessons for E-learning, the better the chances are of achieving that goal. However, the teaching-and-learning experience is reciprocal by nature. Thus, student buy-in is essential to the overall success of an E-Learning lesson. “I have great classes and students who have made it bearable,” Baker acknowledges. Thus, her students attempt to be as adaptable to the conditions as possible. Other teachers may note their struggles with attendance on E-learning days, as well as follow-through with the work assigned. While this is not the ideal situation, Baker prefers it to the alternative right now. “I do like the fact that we don’t have to add on days at the end of the year like other schools do, but I miss the days when a snow day was just a snow day for students.”
How it seems to affect learning
Mr. Kyle Lesniewicz, an EHS English teacher, is rather pragmatic about it all. “I would say that E-learning days are a necessary nuisance.” Pausing briefly, he explains. “They are far from ideal for anyone involved: The more casual learning environment, the lower level of teacher-student engagement, and the lack of accountability all contribute to a subpar experience.”
However, without E-learning days, the academic situation could actually become worse. “Without E-learning,” Lesniewicz adds, “students would increasingly struggle with retention. Their learning routine would be further disrupted, and the school year would be prolonged through added days in June–which no one wants.”
Books agrees whole-heartedly with that point. “E-learning can help students practice responsibility and time management,” she begins. “But, it can also make learning harder if students need more hands-on instruction or interaction.” Concluding, Books adds, “Students who stay focused and complete their work benefit more than those who struggle with motivation.”
Even Bahbah–who intrinsically enjoys the technological aspect that E-learning days provide–also highly values man’s need to interact with others in person. “E-learning once in a while, or even once a week, would be wonderful for teachers and students,” he asserts, “but face time is very important…especially with younger kids. High school students who are self-driven can handle the individual unsupervised work; many others cannot.”
Chiming in on that, Baker says, “I think it depends on the student,” Baker concludes. “It works for some, not for others. But for me as a teacher, I very much prefer face-to-face than screens.” In a truly reflective moment, she adds in this poignant observation: “I’ve been at the bedside of two people in their last moments of life. No one asks for more screen time. It’s more time with the people who matter to them.”
What is the take-away?
What educators can learn is that while E-learning can be a useful tool for some, too much of it can be a problem for students. In fact, it can ultimately cause them to fall further behind on work, harming their learning achievements. Thus, like salt, E-learning days should be used sparingly.
