During my capacity as a lecturer at a private tertiary education institution, the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic forced a change of necessity in the delivery of learning content. This change manifested in the innovation of online teaching or virtual classrooms. Yet this innovation, in the way it was implemented, was one without benefit, or could arguably be detrimental.
Online teaching became merely a substitute for face-to-face classes where the facilitators present the class online as they would a face-to-face class; the facilitator present and the student listen and at times engage in activities.
The technology changed, but the delivery method did not, and can arguably be seen as incompatible to an extent. There is some contact between the facilitator and student, as well as the student and peers through the mediation of an online class scenario, yet it is lacking the immediacy of a face-to-face interaction. It is still an isolating and disconnected experience. The act of sitting in front of a screen listening to a sometimes disembodied voice is disingenuous.
The incorporation of online virtual classrooms is not in itself problematic, but rather how it is approached. Yes, it has the added effect that a student can download and rewatch a class, which for some students became a preferred way of engaging with the material. A pre-recorded video could have achieved the same results, and it could free up the class time for a more active engagement with the students.
An online virtual class could rather be conceptualised around the learner experience. To use digital tools to enhance the learning experience through promoting engagement and fostering agency. Rather than focusing on the facilitator needing to present a class, the focus should be to engage with students in their native digital tongue.
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