Education 2.0 & 3.0

"The global pandemic fast-tracked the imperative for students to have access to technology and connectivity to succeed inside and outside of the classroom ..."

Our world is becoming more digital every day. The pandemic has forced so many essential activities online: going to school, earning an income and staying in touch with friends and family all require a reliable broadband internet connection. But millions of Americans don’t have access to broadband –  either because it’s not available or they can’t afford it – and are cut off from what has become essential to everyday life during the pandemic. This problem is particularly acute in Black, African American, Latinx and Hispanic communities in cities where broadband infrastructure largely exists, but the connection and devices to utilize it are unaffordable, leaving access to essentials of life out of reach for millions. This is a problem we can and must fix.

Having to study in a cemetery or in the pouring rain is not deterring these Filipino students during the Covid crisis

A growing number of colleges and universities are announcing the cancellation of face-to-face teaching for what remains of the academic year, and continuing instead through online teaching. Given the technology available, this need not be especially problematic. But in practice, it is, and in many cases means the 2020 academic year is lost.

Things didn’t have to end like this: Learning online is not impossible, but will be difficult unless we start looking at things differently. Why is it a problem for teaching to continue through the internet? 

The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that in times of turmoil, decisions made for the greater good can have collateral impacts. It’s becoming evident that efforts to contain the virus and limit social distancing are increasing precarity for some people, especially those already in socio-economically disadvantaged positions. Universities are not immune to these collateral impacts, and last week’s decision by most Canadian universities to finish the current term by moving pedagogical components online is one of those times when a small segment of students will be neglected in a move meant to benefit all of them.

The decision is a show of resilience and solidarity by our higher education institutions. But the problem is the digital divide among students. Even in our great cosmopolitan country, not everyone has equal access to the web and all its resources. This digital divide was on the radar a few years ago, with a push to bring broadband to remote constituencies. But less attention has been devoted to the divide in urban settings, and especially within the hubs of knowledge that are universities.

In decades past, students needed little more than paper, pencils, and time to get their schoolwork done. For the vast majority of students, that's no longer the case. Most schoolwork these days necessitates a computer and an internet connection, and that includes work to be done at home. One federal survey found that 70 percent of American teachers  assign homework that needs to be done online; 90 percent of high schoolers say they have to do internet-based homework at least a few times a month. Nearly half of all students say they get such assignments daily or almost daily.

Educators can find cost-effective solutions in new technologies such as open-educational resources and by partnering with the business community.

"Digital literacy is crucial for society. We have a big challenge with Gen Z and Gen Alpha being digital natives but not digitally literate ..."

Digital competencies will be essential for students' future success as workers--here's why tech skilling is critical.

As schools settle into more sustained use of online learning tools, attention needs to be paid to teachers’ development and resource needs as well as their students’, writes Patrick Roach

It now seems like a lifetime ago that the majority of children and young people’s learning took place at school. The speed and scale of the Coronavirus crisis meant that virtually overnight living rooms, kitchens, sheds and bedrooms have been repurposed as places of both learning and teaching.

For the majority of schools this has meant a sudden and abrupt shift to delivering the majority of learning online. For some schools this will have been easier than others.

Although it appears that the topics Homework Gap and Digital Divide are getting less attention these days, does that mean the Homework Gap has been closed or eliminated entirely?

To be successful in our daily lives and in a global workforce, Americans need pathways to acquire expertise and form meaningful connections to peers and mentors. This journey begins with a base of knowledge and abilities that can be augmented and enhanced throughout our lives. …