The current pandemic has taken its toll and shattered the societies across the globe in practically all spheres of human life. Almost all facets of human life have been severely affected, especially in the second wave. The repercussions of the pandemic have had far-reaching consequences on the social, economic and personal aspects of human life.
Education, being a sector of special significance and an inseparable part of modern civil society, has also been grossly affected. The sector is being revamped across the planet, marked by an incessant use of technology. The revamp can be witnessed by the increased usage of digital technology, multimedia, augmented reality, online study material and e-assessment in education, that has transformed the chalk-duster model of learning space into a virtual learning ecosystem.
Benefits & challenges
The virtual mode of learning enhanced the efficiency of the education system with its underlying benefits viz. increased accessibility, inclusivity, flexibility and convenience. But the remote learning method has floated in new-fangled challenges that are behavioral, psychological and infrastructural in nature. The raison d’être for the trouble faced by the stakeholders in education could be attributed to the human tendency to resist change, the deficiency in handling a novel mode of learning, the limited availability of required software and hardware, mounting pressure on parents for their increased role in the learning of their wards due to remote learning and partly, as parents are not conversant with technology and /or facing financial difficulties and most prominently, students lacking interest in online learning, as their social need is not catered to in this non-personal mode of learning.
Indian society is a collectivist society and the need for belongingness is ingrained in individuals through social institutions. Remote teaching and learning limits relationship building, which is an essential attribute of our culture. Moreover, the use of online teaching platform restricts the display of emotions that are spontaneous for meaningful implicit communication.
Primary challenge
The prime challenge faced by teachers in the wake of the rapid shift to the remote modes of instruction is managing their relationship with students, as the dynamics of student-teacher interaction are being redefined. The disruptions in the learning process can be overcome with an astutely crafted strategy imperative in facilitating seamless shift to a new learning ecosystem and improving the student teacher collaboration for an elevated learning experience.
Doctors and neuropsychologist unequivocally establish that learning abilities are directly proportionate to the satisfaction of social needs, inculcating feeling of safety, belongingness and comfort amongst children. For a balanced psychological growth of students, social support, especially from parents and teachers is indispensable. Socialisation has extensive benefits among adults like improved mental health, belongingness, confidence and security.
Having appreciated the significance of student-teacher relationship for effectual learning, some strategies can be delineated for augmenting the student-teacher relationship and designing a learning environment hinged on learner characteristics, skills, resources, content and assessments.
Virtual mentoring
Virtual mentoring entails virtual implementation of the mentor-mentee concept, ensuring that teachers stay connected with their mentees and try to unearth problems that students either are unaware of, find difficult to articulate or are too coy to discuss in virtual classrooms. Comforting students through a tailor-made solution to resolve their problems will undeniably take student-teacher relationship to the next level and develop deeper confidence and trust between them. Unvarying support offered may address the likelihood of any psychological deformity among students and provide feedback to the system to make essential changes.
Virtual learning requires hardware and software support, which financially vulnerable groups of society may find difficulty to have access to. Educational institutions may contribute by sharing data and devices with students of adjoining areas. When educational institutions go out of the way to support the students, it augments the student-teacher bond, as teachers are synonymic to institutions in the view of students.
Virtual learning is a novel mode of learning and teachers who are not accustomed, are largely unaware of technical, social and personal aspects of remote learning methods. Teachers must gain expertise and practical knowledge concerning virtual teaching methods and aids and more significantly, applications of various digital virtual platforms to effectively deliver knowledge during virtual classes. The teachers may enrich themselves by attending virtual conferences and seminars. Reverse mentoring builds a unique relationship, wherein the student skilled in the use of digital technology supports the teacher. The exchange of technical skills and understanding can be pivotal to frame trust, confidence and a mutual support system.
Superior learning experience
When academic delivery is coupled with engaging projects and assignments and also with interactive learning methods, the result is a superior learning experience for students, which eventually strengthens the student-teacher relationship. The creative medium of feedback from students encourages their participation and inclusiveness. The varied nature of classes, synchronous and asynchronous, can help reduce the stress caused by continuous online activity and glitches due to internet availability. Moreover, collaborative group work in a remote setting can strengthen the student-student support system.
The teacher-parent relationship is significant in understanding the developments or loopholes in a student’s learning ecosystem, especially in remote knowledge sharing, where personal interface between the teacher and student has gone astray. The valuable feedback received from parents can be utilised in managing the dynamics of virtual relationship.
Cultural and academic events organised virtually address the social and emotional distress by improving the interaction of students with peers and teachers. Participation in non-academic activities checks behavioral problems among students and infuses new life into the teacher-student relationship.
In the process of creating an effective learning environment based on online teaching, the role of culture cannot be averted. Therefore, the choice of pedagogy and strategies need to be aligned and customised to the beliefs and assumptions of the stakeholders. An engaging and enriching collaborative relationship between students and teachers is a prerequisite for teachers’ work satisfaction. In the larger interest of education, efforts should be made to irrigate this relationship in an ecosystem that is non-personal by nature and character.
The writer is Vice Chancellor, Lucknow University
