Digital learning is inevitable in the 21st century, but what are we missing to make it a reality?

The progress that had been made across the Caribbean region to leverage ICT and move closer to digital education can be at odds with the return of students to the classroom. With the start of the 2022/2023 school just days away in the region, we discuss some key considerations to more comprehensively foster digital learning.

 

Without a doubt, the experience of the last two years has emphasised the importance of digital and remote education, and the fact that the physical classroom is not the sole domain of teaching and learning. Across the Caribbean region, Ministries of Education have made a considerable effort to secure computing devices for students, to remove one of the barriers to them participating in online learning. However, many others challenges persisted including students not having access to the internet, or experiencing other infrastructure-related challenges at home or in their community.

Although it is commendable that Ministries across the region do not want the gains of the last two-plus years to be lost, as it relates to greater use of digital tools in teaching and learning, how that objective is achieved ought to be carefully considered. For example, there was a recent announcement in Jamaica, that secondary school students will have their English language textbooks in electronic format, which will be delivered to them via website links in an email sent to each student.

In addition to encouraging students and teachers to use their digital devices to access learning materials in the classroom, securing books in digital formats may be more cost-effective for Ministries of Education – hence a distinct benefit. However, the announcement has been met with concern and dismay, as a number of challenges are likely, and the digital and economic chasm among students and communities across the country, which became increasingly evident during the school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been addressed.

 

A cogent plan and strategy are needed to transition to digital education

To their credit, many Caribbean countries have an education sector plan or strategy. In those documents, ICT would have been recognised as a crucial tool that needs to be better leveraged to improve education management and administration. It is rare for those plans or strategies to comprehensively address digital teaching and learning – by providing guidelines and strategies that could be employed by ministries and schools to better integrate technology in the classroom.

Education in the Caribbean region is still primarily ‘chalk and talk’, and so the pedagogy and more importantly, the mindset in Ministries of Education, schools and the wider society also need to change. However, that change cannot – and will not – happen overnight, and so requires to be carefully planned.

 

Not all students have devices

It is also prudent that we appreciate that although a concerted effort was made to provide students across the Caribbean region with computing devices, there is still a sizeable number who are without. In some countries, subsidies were provided to families or households to assist them in purchasing suitable devices, but in many instances, the assistance was not enough. Further, and if digital-only options are being implemented – as in the case of Jamaica – the situation of the historically disadvantaged students is not being considered and so they are liable to continue to be left behind.

 

Internet access and affordability are still challenges

Coupled with the previous point, which focused on devices, students and their households may be challenged with securing internet connectivity. In the Jamaica example, it is unclear whether the digital textbook can be downloaded for offline access, or whether it would only be accessible when online. Nevertheless, the initial access to the books will be via a weblink sent by email, which inherently means that at some point, students must have internet connectivity.

In very rural communities across the region, internet access may be very limited or non-existent. Further, and for the connectivity that can be secured, it may very expensive, and so prohibitive for low-income communities and households.

In a similar vein and in some rural communities, electricity is not as readily available or accessible. Hence, although some community members may be able to access the internet and have digital or computing devices, keeping them charged and functioning as and when needed may still be a problem to be addressed.

 

Schools still not connected and with limited infrastructure

Following on the previous point, it is important to also focus on schools, which vary considerably in the resources to which they have access. Across the region, there are schools that still either have little or no access to electricity or potable water or do not have them continuously. As a result, internet access would not yet be a primary consideration.

Further, in schools that were built decades ago, and so the infrastructure did not contemplate the current demand, other challenges start to emerge. For example, the electric supply to a school would have focused on the administrative offices, with a minimal allocation being made for classrooms. However, should most, if not all, teachers and students have digital devices, the electricity supply to a school may be inadequate and there might be too few electrical outlets to accommodate the need.

 

Pedagogy and updating the curriculum are essential

To varying degrees and over the years, teachers have received some training on electronic (e-)learning and e-learning tools. However, when digital education had to be implemented, the majority found they were ill-prepared and ill-equipped to do so.

Over time, most teachers found their footing, somewhat, and under exigent circumstances. However, moving forward, a greater focus and the corresponding resources ought to be assigned to providing more guidance to teachers on teaching methods within a digital environment and ensuring that they are given the necessary tools to do their work efficiently and effectively.

Further, the curriculum may also need to be updated to make it more relevant to 21st-century living and imperatives, and to help students to be better prepared for the future.

 

What are the arrangements for the management and maintenance of devices?

Finally, and with so much emphasis being placed on digital devices, it is unclear whether arrangements have been, or are being made, to maintain and manage all of these devices. Smartphones, laptops and tablet computers are fragile pieces of equipment that not only are very susceptible to damage but also would benefit from regular maintenance.  

In making digital devices crucial in the classroom, it becomes even more important that comprehensive arrangements are in place to maintain, replace and upgrade these devices as necessary. However, developing such facilities, which would need to be either resident in each school or education district, would require extensive planning and resources, which considering the previously outlined challenges, may not be a top priority at this time.

 

The above are just a few of the issues that Caribbean countries need to address to position ALL of their citizens to not only leverage technology but also to ensure that upcoming generations are able to have access to, and benefit from, a quality education that better prepares them for the future. Two recurrent themes in many of the above points are “digital inclusion” and “education for all”. These are popular terms that sadly our leaders may not have fully inculcated into the policies and programmes that are being proposed or implemented. Although the needs of “the haves” must be considered, those of “the have-nots” tend to be overlooked, with the result of not only widening the digital divide but also deepening many of the societal problems that we have not addressed at the root.

 

 

Image credit: Juraj Varga (Pixabay)