LearnDo: DISTANCE LEARNING ADVISOR FOR TEACHERS

Why this course is needed?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut all across the world. Globally, over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom. As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. Research suggests that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information, and take less time, meaning the changes coronavirus have caused might be here to stay.
With this sudden shift away from the classroom in many parts of the globe, some are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist post-pandemic, and how such a shift would impact the worldwide education market. Even before COVID-19, there was already high growth and adoption in education technology. Whether it is language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or online learning software, there has been a significant surge in usage since COVID-19.

What does this mean for the future of learning?

While some believe that the unplanned and rapid move to online learning – with no training, insufficient bandwidth, and little preparation – will result in a poor user experience that is unconducive to sustained growth, others believe that a new hybrid model of education will emerge, with significant benefits. There is no doubt, that the integration of information technology in education will be further accelerated and that online education will eventually become an integral component of school education.

A changing education imperative

It is clear that this pandemic has utterly disrupted an education system that many assert was already losing its relevance. Many schools continue to focus on traditional academic skills and rote learning, rather than on skills such as critical thinking and adaptability, which will be more important for success in the future. Could the move to online/ distance learning be the catalyst to create a new, more effective method of educating students? While some worry that the hasty nature of the transition online may have hindered this goal, others plan to make e-learning part of their ‘new normal’ after experiencing the benefits first-hand. That’s why this course is needed: to give instructions and directions to teachers how to explore and put in practice the full potential of online learning technology by using a range of collaboration tools and engagement methods that promote inclusion, personalization, intelligence, higher students’ engagement and increased motivation for learning.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes:

To provide teachers with educational tools to use in the process of distance learning while offering much more freedom to choose the most appropriate ones for their students;
To gain knowledge about how to teach students competencies of developing skills such as: the skill of self-study, the ability to plan and organize, time management skills, the ability to solve problems, to take responsibility, to work under pressure, and to be creative and initiative;
Learning to Learn;
To develop motivation, attribution, self-regulation, internal locus of control, preference for autonomy and self-efficacy;
To improve teaching-learning results with distance learning as an alternative or as a gateway to a better education;
To support pedagogical innovation: innovative learning scenarios;
To create and manage, copyright and license digital learning resources;
To identify and review best free practical applications for educators, news and media applications useful for educators and their students;
To design, plann and write sample units of work or lesson plans that deploy the use of e-devices and apps;
To integrate strategies and IT platforms/ tools/ apps/ resourses effectively into a curriculum.