Teachers to be replaced by apps

[noblegiraffe]

Your school can't get a Spanish teacher to teach A-level? No worries, how about a 1 hour weekly webinar and 4 hours of working on an app?

Soon to be extended to maths, physics and any other subject the government can't be bothered to find a solution to the shortage of (like decent pay and conditions). Oh, and you'll be paying Pearson for it.

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/exclusive-schools-consider-virtual-a-levels-dont-need-classroom

[Julie8008]

For sixth formers that actually want to learn I think it should work. High quality specialist content, where teachers never get sick or has a bad day. Students could re-watch lessons multiple times. Subjects where its not viable for the school to run the subject. Ear phones on and no distractions from other disruptive students. Pod casts to revise whilst on the go. Maybe even flexible lessons times. Quite a few possibilities.

I accept it would not work for all students but definitely for the ones who want to learn and go to university I could see the benefit.

[noblegiraffe]

What worries me is the suggestion that a teaching assistant be employed to keep students on-task suggesting it's not actually that great.

Would you really want to risk one of your 3 A-level choices on a bit of software and the hope of self-motivation?

[sonlypuppyfat]

Will the app be sarcastic and have class favourites?

[noblegiraffe]

It'd have to be to adequately replace me.

[noblegiraffe]

I remember hearing about a school that couldn't get maths teachers so they put all their kids in a massive computer room and made them work through mymaths instead, supervised by a teaching assistant.

Results were terrible.

[jeanne16]

The general view is that lots of professionals roles will be replaced over the next 10years. Teaching is just one of them.

[Ll81]

Apps would be better than the majority of secondary teachers I had.

It's all 6 of one half a dozen of another.

[noblegiraffe]

I bet it would be the poor kids getting the apps, the best schools would still have proper teachers.

[Quorafun]

Nothing surprises me anymore.

[noblegiraffe]

There should also be concerns that this is more handing over of education to private companies. Pearson has spotted a gap in the market (no teachers) and is selling its products and 'Pearson teachers' to schools to make up for it.

Alarm bells should be ringing as Pearson virtual schools in the US have performed poorly academically.

www.ft.com/content/d3c5d510-1aeb-11e7-a266-12672483791a

[Julie8008]

What worries me is the suggestion that a teaching assistant be employed to keep students on-task suggesting it's not actually that greatTeaching assistants/non specialists are are already used to supervise A-Level self study, fortnightly assessment classes or periods when teacher is ill etc. Obviously it wouldn't work with students who cant stay on task. But plenty of children who take their studying seriously can stay on task, do want to learn and are peed off at the disruptive students wasting the teachers time.

Would you really want to risk one of your 3 A-level choices on a bit of software and the hope of self-motivation? Well it sounds not unlike the Open University courses but provided in a class room, if that was the case then yes I would definitely 'consider' it as an option and do further research.

I dont think 'mymaths' is specifically designed to provide the A-level syllabus (I could be wrong) but again there is a difference between forcing children to do it that way and a student choosing to do that course, in the full knowledge of how it is taught.

I bet it would be the poor kids getting the apps, the best schools would still have proper teachers. Would have thought it was more suitable for middle/high achievers?

Alarm bells should be ringing as Pearson virtual schools in the US Link is behind a pay wall. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't a Virtual A-level a far cry from a whole virtual school?

[noblegiraffe]

Teaching assistants/non specialists are are already used to supervise A-Level self study, fortnightly assessment classes or periods when teacher is ill etc.

Really? Not in my school! I cannot believe that sitting for 4 hours on a Spanish app is going to be an adequate replacement for sitting in a class with other people speaking Spanish and a teacher on had to facilitate discussion and corrections.

The mymaths kids were being taught GCSE, not A-level, btw, and I can see this sort of thing being shunted into schools who can't hire maths/science teachers because it's easier than solving recruitment/retention issues.

And I said that this is more likely to affect poor kids because it is schools in disadvantaged areas who have the most problems in hiring staff.

[Rosieposy4]

Who is going to mark work, give personalised feedback, how do you get peer to peer interaction? Sounds bloody awful, poor kids.

[TalkinPeace]

I have to admit that I can see a massive positive for teachers in getting an "App" to do the bulk of the curriculum cover
on the learn ~ test ~ repeat approach
and then the teacher picks out kids to do 1-2-1 for an hour on the bits THEY need

It would allow a teacher to run 30 kids at their full capacity without them getting bored
BUT
and its an utterly mahoosive but
its only appropriate for optional subjects - where the kids want o be there

at the lower levels its a recipe for disaster

[Julie8008]

Who is going to mark work, give personalised feedback...

Well I guess it will be easier in some subjects rather than others but I can definitely see AI being able to do that.

[noblegiraffe]

If you're thinking about maths because it's either right or wrong, then think again!

[TheDrsDocMartens]

If an A-level student isn’t motivated to work without a TA supervising then I’m not convinced how a virtual course will work for them.
Dd1s A level classes work alone if there is no teacher available.

[Ll81]

If computers can fly planes and drive cars im sure they can analyse someones work and give feedback just as good as an excellent teacher.

[Rosieposy4]

I’m not at all convinced of that, there is loads of unwritten knowledge from examining meetings, discussions with colleagues which would very impossible to replicate as well as all the exam analysis which of course a computer could do. Never mind the issue of reading handwriting and enthusing the students, giving them a passion for the subject.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

sonlypuppyfat

don't worry you will still be able to whine about how shit it all is.

[noblegiraffe]

LI81 spend a few hours doing homework on mymaths and you might change your mind!

[BoneyBackJefferson]

noblegiraffe

I suspect that we are back to 'I know all about teaching because I went to school'


I have several classes that would rip this to shreds.

[Julie8008]

there is loads of unwritten knowledge from examining meetings, discussions with colleagues which would very impossible to replicate as well as all the exam analysis which of course a computer could do

But the unwritten knowledge could be written down, and computers are very good at learning, you only need to tell them once and then they all know forever, no need for the examining meetings.

[TheDrsDocMartens]

What about the actual teaching? Sometimes you need different methods to learn something. A good teacher knows how to get things across.

[Situp]

There are some interesting studies by Sugata Mitra relating to independent learning and technology which suggest children learn best when using technology to find answers themselves.

He has lot of talks on Youtube. I doubt this will work for all but traditional teaching doesn't work for all either. Wouldn't want Pearson doing it though. They are shocking