The opportunities and challenges of online schooling With many parents who can afford it enrolling their children in online schools, what are the opportunities, benefits and challenges for families? By Anthony Sharpe
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n the past year, many of our daily activities have moved online – from shopping to studying. When schools closed during lockdown, parents found themselves scrambling to find ways of teaching their children via web-based channels. Online schools have become mainstream, with more parents considering this form of education.
ONLINE OPTIONS As South Africa doesn’t have dedicated regulations for online schools, they are accredited in various ways, explains Sarah Ferguson, head of marketing and communications at Teneo School. “We offer two South African CAPS options for learners: Teneo Independent writes through the Independent Examination Board and Teneo Schools through the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute. Then there’s our British international option, where learners write through Pearson.” Ferguson says that having been started by an entrepreneur, Teneo is big on teaching entrepreneurial skills. “We offer a free extracurricular programme for Grades 7 to 12 called Converse Crew, where children can learn about how to set up a business,
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with presentations by guest speakers in the business space. Our Launchpad tertiary programme is aimed at matrics and those who’ve just matriculated and want to learn basic entrepreneurial skills.” Jay Paul, business manager at Curro Online, says online education offers a more collaborative approach to learning. “There is a shift away from top-down teaching to a more interactive, collaborative approach whereby learners and teachers co-create the learning process. This education approach empowers learners to become active in the process of taking ownership of their learning experience.”
STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES Of course, learning outside of a traditional school environment offers a certain flexibility in structure. Whether or not a child chooses to embrace that is up to their learning style, says Paul. “The model’s online material is created and taught by Curro teachers with a structured timetable
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in place for learners who need structure, as well as the option to be flexible for those who work well at their own pace. “The timetable includes teachers initiating each class and guiding learners through preset material on the online platform.” Alternatively, more independent students can select the material that best suits their learning preferences and go through it themselves within an allocated time. Curro learners do not study in isolation, but rather in small classes, says Paul. “They also have group projects assigned to them, where projects are done in small groups of four. Through such projects, they learn the skills of co-ordinating projects in the virtual work-from-home world in which we find ourselves.” He stresses that rather than relying on a rotating schedule of tutors, teaching is done by a dedicated Curro teacher per subject, per grade for the whole year. “The model entails live interaction whereby learners can ask teachers for help and also receive detailed feedback on their progress. This approach allows them to actively track the progress of the learner and intervene proactively when needed.” Teneo follows a more traditional format, says Ferguson. “All our classes and lessons are live,” explains Ferguson. “It’s like a bricks-and-mortar school that has moved into the virtual space. Children log on at 7:45am and start class at 8, they have a timetable on our learning management system with the links to all their classes. They interact with their peers and ask the teacher questions.” Ferguson adds that rather than homework, there is independent study time built into the learning calendar.
“There is a shift away from top-down teaching to a more interactive, collaborative approach whereby learners and teachers co-create the learning process.” – Jay Paul
The South African Schools Collection 2021 2017
2021/04/16 10:17 AM
