What is Missing from our Current Online Learning World?

In this trying time of COVID-19, schools around the globe are transitioning to online learning with varying levels of success. Is this the future of teaching and learning, a turning point in pedagogy or simply a consequence of our current situation?

I would like to hope that being pushed to the extreme of remote learning, we will be able to learn from the process and better prepare the students for a future which is likely inevitable to blur the physical and digital boundaries like never before, but I can’t help but wonder what are we sacrificing in the present that can potentially be damaging our future.

Schools are more than just an institution of knowledge, they are where we hone our interpersonal skills, seek guidance, form friendships and grow as individuals. The simple things like play, pastoral care, sport and music all rely on the coming together.

I am excited for the lessons and possibilities being forced to the extreme will foster and how they may impact the design of the physical spaces we use for teaching and learning, but hopefully not to the detriment of everything else that a school provides.