With the internet and AI is self education becoming more viable and should we consider hybrid learning?

[mids2019]

With the internet and AI is self education becoming more viable and should we consider hybrid models of learning?

Some of the resources for education in general are fantastic including BBC bitesize and a whole range of you tube videos often linked to syllabises. As we have generation fully immersed in technology is it time to give deeper thought into how we can integrate on line resource with traditional school based learning?

Would for instance having shorter days with an expectation of using on line resources perhaps help with financial strains in schools and free up much needed teacher time? Should we be less cautious about home learning when we know supportive resources are ever increasing?

On a parallel point should we use AI for home work marking and maybe to some extent accept AI as new revolution and accept children will use it and so think of new modes of assessment and indeed consider some of the mechanisms of teaching!

Given that most state schools don't offer study leave for GCSEs as outcomes are better when they don't, do you realistically think that this will work for anyone other than the most self motivated child?

Also, I doubt that enough households have the resources to be able to do this.

LOL tell me you never tried to teach in the pandemic.

Just no, this won't work.

Yeah, leaving kids at home to "learn online" worked so well during the pandemic! Nobody fell behind, lost social skills, struggled to access resources...

Agreed this approach only works with a disciplined family and self motivated children but having tutored my daughters I was actually quite impressed with the quality of online output. My daughter's maths teacher routinely asks that the pupils look on online bodies on Dr. Frost for example.

I just think there is a place for technology in teaching obviously.....The question is how it is used to its best effect.

That's a very MC outdook.The majority of parents aren't capable of teaching. Reasons? Lack of resources be it time, ability, space, interest. Even in a perfect world as lot of pupils would fall between the cracks.

Has the fallout from COVID escaped you entirely.

I did an open university degree at 30 years old (having previously got a 2:1 at a brick uni). It was challenging from a motivational and time management, and at times social isolation (i was working full time as well) point of view not an educational one (I'd much rather distance learn from a quality provider like the ou than a mediocre lecturer).
But how many teenagers would have the life skills required to make it work if it is tough for a fully formed adult. You can absolutely teach yourself any subject off the internet now, but there is more to education than just that.

The resources are good but school should be about more than learning, socialisation and kids getting the support they need. Parents don’t have the skills or time. I don’t want my dc to spend less time with others and more time on screens. At secondary a lot of hw is screen based and uses many good resources.

The pandemic answered these questions really well for the population level implementation of online learning resources.

It works well for a minority of self motivated learners, that is it.

All schools I know of use online and core teaching, but together - not instead of.

During the pandemic I had teacher friends having to drive to pupils homes with printouts and pens so kids in more disadvantaged areas could continue to learn. We had a fundraiser in our school to buy tablets so that the school could lend them to the kids that had no decent set up at home. Digital poverty is real and stark in the UK and PAYG data allowances soon run out when trying to access material of sufficient quality online.

Add to that the social interaction, better learning outcomes from in person teaching, less pressure on parents who work having to find time to support kids at home then no. It isn't worth it, and short term gains on school finances would be long term pain as the UK dipped in educational outcomes and eventually economic output.

No. I think having a human who can motivate, encourage, spot potential problems (including physical ones by seeing the student, and they may spot dyslexia, hearing issues etc), monitoring interactions, and so on. And of course the social aspect and physically moving.
I’ve had some very inspiring teachers in my life. I’ve had some very interesting classes where we veered either off topic or delved deeper into an issue that was raised by a question or discussion. You’d miss all that.
Plus my son would never have earned the few qualifications he did if it was left up to him to do it!
Then there’s the need for kids to be in school so parents can work!
I think the pandemic surely taught us the value of teachers. My DD thrived, but already had her social connections which she kept up and is also extremely self motivated. My son had just started college and it was a disaster for him not going in and connecting with others daily.
Yes there’s a place for tech - it’s already in schools and it can be used more, but not at the expense of physically going to school and human teachers. I’m sure it’s a boon for those countries like Australia that have some very remote students however.

I think it's an interesting idea OP, especially for subjects which are lacking teachers or schools lacking funding (eg. For MFL). I think in reality it wouldn't be less work for teachers but could allow them to spread further. There could be unqualified supervisors (specifically trained in behaviour management) taking care of online learning. The online learning should be in a school environment though. Socially, we need each other. And the routine/structure is required of the vast majority of teenagers.

Whilst I'm not a fan of screens, I do think it could supplement normal learning. I have seen my own children (in a rough school) suffer from a lack of decent teaching, and also a lack of a range of subjects on offer (eg. No MFL A levels). If online learning were used they could for example have 1/3 lessons face to face and 2/3 online. This would enable the only MFL teacher to spread throughout the school.

What should we call these "unqualified supervisor" who whilst unqualified are some how specially trained in behaviour management, and presumably also in motivational techniques and demonstrating time management and other life skills to children whilst facilitating learning?

Any teachers have an idea for a name?

So parents have to give up work and become teachers.

Yeah I can see that working 🙄

Terrible idea, schools ought to move further away from excessive technology use, its not good for learning.

They don't need to do anything other than supervise online learning so some behaviour management. Schools currently have plenty of 'cover supervisors' who supervise lessons where the teacher has often set quite boring book work, or not set work at all! They do actually exist already (which I'm sure you know) but if these supervisors had even better behaviour management skills it would help as there is little/ no training in that. Many schools have to use these covers quite frequently, especially Yr 7-9. Time management or motivation would have nothing to do with them and would gleefully come from very good online teaching.

Gleefully=hopefully

And out wouldn't be every lesson, just some lessons, especially in areas of need.

Better great, motivational, interesting online learning than a cover supervisor with boring/ no work. If you or your child have not encountered this issue, you're very lucky!

There are schools now which use AI tutors in school and allow children to work at their own pace using these tutors, but supervised in the classroom so they stay on task. I don't remember the name of the school now - I will try to find it. The children seemed to like it but they probably only interviewed those who did.

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Pilot-project-in-London-High-school-students-learn-with-AI-instead-of-in-class-9843225.html

I misremembered - it was not a full school, just a pilot project with 20 pupils.

No, I can't see the evidence for this being a more effective or a deeper learning experience than a real human person. I'm deeply sceptical about the way ed tech based learning is becoming a part of schools without any evidence. It needs to be questioned, and who this really benefits.

I think the issue is comparing online learning to great teaching/ classroom experience. Of course the latter is better! But sadly not the reality for very many children/ schools. I would definitely be interested to see a study which looked at benefits/ drawbacks of online learning in state schools with low to average grades and average ofsted. I do think it's a waste when teachers use too much technology but if it was used properly in an absence of teachers or specialist subject teachers, I think it's better than what's currently going on.

Yeah great.
Even more social isolation and burden on parents who won't have time to earn a living.

But the behavioural, motivational, pastoral support IS what makes a good teacher. So you just want to keep the parts of teaching that really impact the children for the rest of their lives, and train and pay teachers less at the same time?!

I can see a future where secondary teachers are generalists like primary school teachers, overseeing a large class of kids learning multiple subject areas simultaneously, but this doesn't mean the teacher needs less skills and training, just different.

It's hard for me to understand as a parent from the outside how this has been introduced into schools with so little evidence it is effective learning.

AI sucks. It should be used to scrape the internet for recipes and select DIY projects only.

DD was told to use AI for recipe help in Home Ec yesterday. She refused, doesn't want AI ideas.