Teaching and learning for a borderless world

Blended learning: A "brick and click" approach to learning is the way forward.

SINCE the pandemic was announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) six months ago, our daily routine – including schooling – has been disrupted as millions of children and young learners around the world saw their education put on hold.

While the situation looked hopeful for a few months, the rapid rise in cases around the world has not given the government any choice but to impose a ban on travellers from countries with more than 150,000 Covid-19 cases.

This decision, however, has certainly impacted the sustainability of Malaysia’s colleges and universities from the prospective of enrolment, progression, and on time graduation of international students.

During these trying times, we also saw learning institutions adopting what is now called the ‘pandemic pedagogy’ – remote teaching to cope with the pandemic.

Many institutions of higher learning have switched to online learning mode mirroring the online distance learning (ODL) mode as part of their business continuity plan. New terms such as virtual conference apps, webinars and e-events were introduced to us overnight but we cannot simply talk about temporary measures and methods just to see us through the pandemic.

As leaders of public and private education institutions, we need to start thinking about a long-term plans and the expansion of what universities can offer in the future.

While campus life is an important journey for students, the learning experience must now go beyond the traditional learning bubble. Institutions must make sure of this should unprecedented situations, such as the pandemic, occur in the future. As educators, we cannot stand idly by and wait until a pharmaceutical solution for the pandemic arrives in hopes of returning to the “old normal”.

The time is ripe for the industry to explore an amalgamation of global practices to arrive at a “brick and click” approach to learning that will harmonise synchronous, asynchronous and in-person learning in a meaningful way. The good news is that technology is aplenty.

For a start, universities can consider integrating these technologies with a campus centralised hub where both students and lecturers can access a single platform for their teaching, learning and administrative needs. Such a hub can be used for classes, assignments, interactive content, communication, planning and even for storing student data and tracking their attendance.

Many local universities have adopted some form of blended learning this year. At Taylor’s University, academics and students have been utilising the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) extensively since March. The VLE system features e-assessment, e-tutoring, e-submission and e-forums while allowing students to connect with their lecturers, collaborate with their peers and take charge of their learning.

Gamification elements encourage them to earn badges as they complete various steps in their learning process.

Building on this infrastructure, we merged online learning and in-person learning, going back to the drawing board to re-imagine a model that will bring meaning to learners from a borderless world. This means that students would be able to join a class either physically or virtually through live streaming.

Students are assigned project groups and can interact simultaneously through chats on social media channels, and utilise online forum tools. They will be able to access content and submit assignments on an online portal, and assessments may also be conducted virtually.

Instead of depending heavily on educators to impart knowledge and skills, students have to take greater responsibility for their education as blended learning models shift empower them to take charge of their outcome and encourages peer-to-peer coaching.

The idea is to allow students to thrive in their studies through a new innovative approach where learning is not defined by what happens within the walls of the classroom or campus.

Dedicated and passionate educators, a curriculum that gives space to the learner to be reflective and inquisitive are necessary for learners to apply the knowledge they have acquired.

As we head into 2021, institutions may have to face the possibility of continued international border closures and student apprehension with regard to online learning but if we are innovative, we can still fulfill our responsibility of bringing education to society.

Dr Logendra Stanley Ponniah heads the Taylor’s University School of Education. Having joined the varsity in 2005, he is instrumental in shaping its pedagogical approach to online learning. Prior to his career as an academic, he was an educator in secondary schools for 10 years. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.