Virtual Classroom ; A Case Study Of COVID 19

What is a virtual classroom to the common man? 
 Virtual classroom is the process of imparting  knowledge to leverage learning outcome through the use of technology.

A virtual classroom is also a teaching and learning environment where participants can interact, communicate, view and discuss presentations, and engage with learning resources while working in groups, all in an online setting.

 The medium is often through a video conferencing application that allows multiple users to be connected at the same time through the Internet, which allows users from virtually anywhere to participate.
Some of the virtual classroom tools are: Goggle classroom, Edmodo, Zoom, Seesaw, the use of radio and television, animation, white board animations , the use of wassap,amongst others.

Unfortunately, COVID 19 has frustrated a lot of  businesses. The pandemic has caused more harm to the world. There has been a total lock down of economic activities in almost all part of the world.

 To make it worse,schools are shut down. The pre-nursery,nursery, primary,secondary and tertiary institutions are affected ,not to say the least. This means that ,for every business that involves any form of formal learning is adversely affected. This ranges from janitorial services, to plumbing,to  health, banking down to also the  drivers.

 However,what about learning? Learning has to still to take place ,unfortunately to the affordable few.
Then ,what happens to learners who cannot afford the use of technology ? What can we do to assist? Its quite very unfortunate.That's a question to ponder over.

Nevertheless, like I rightly mentioned , learning has to place. Most schools adopted the virtual means which is  otherwise known as  online classroom.
The truth of the matter is that teaching online is particularly more challenging than the physical classroom.This borders on the use of technology,effective  classroom management,use of  feedback such as  assessments, quizzes, intervention programmes and what have you.

The reality is that virtual classroom has come to say. It is either the society do all we can to accommodate everyone irrespective of gender, class, ethnicity and background.its quite imperative or we become obsolete.

 Advantages of Virtual Classroom:

1. Learning is taking place.
2. It is a 21st teaching methodology.Therefore, a modern tool for learning.
3. Learning is fun.
4. Parents are fully involved.

Disadvantages of Virtual Classroom

1. Not everyone has access to virtual learning
2. Because you dealing with young learners, the educator may not meet the affective and psycho-motor domain of learning as much as possible.
3. It mostly concentrated to the cognitive, to a larger extent.
4. The parents are involved now, sometimes you may not really know if its the child or the parents that provided the feedback as the assignment.

Recommendations

1. There should be sensitization on the imperatives of virtual classroom to all concerned.
2. More awareness needs to be created.
3. There should be a reinforced and flexible approach to learning especially for the learners who often than not, may not afford virtual form of learning.
4. The government must review the cost of data and possibly step in to cushion the effect.

I am the  Queen of Educational Psychology.