What Is Learning Like Without School?
Home-Based Learning has taught students that learning is physical and social too.
Not having to go to school sounded exciting at first for many students, but Home-Based Learning (HBL) has probably changed their minds. While students were freed from the structured time-table of a school day, they could also no longer physically interact with their friends while learning and playing together. Without a building, “school” became an isolated activity confined to a screen at home. Learning this way was physically tiring as students stared at the screen all day (“HBL = Eye Pain!” said a Secondary 1 student), and many students found the experience less intellectually stimulating and even mentally draining.
“HBL feels a bit dry and (the) teachers are not there to challenge you properly. Also, being alone, makes me feel bored. You want to see your friends,” says a Secondary 4 student.
The isolation was felt even more because of the lack of opportunities for group work during HBL. Other than live lessons, where students gathered together virtually, learning from home was by and large confined to self-study and working independently on assignments. For many, such an arrangement was similar to receiving homework on a normal school day.
“Without live lessons, it is all written work. It doesn’t feel like there is anything special about it. It feels like a month of homework.” says a Primary 1 student.
To overcome the loneliness, students started hanging out with one another virtually on platforms such as Discord, WhatsApp and Google Meet. Some were online the entire day, switching between chitchatting and working on assignments “together”. While this may seem distracting, students said seeing others work motivated them to do so too.
“Having a person to work with helps so you won’t feel so alone. (It also) helps when you talk to someone. That’s why (I) will stay on call,” said a Secondary 5 student.
As a result of HBL, students ended up spending more time with their friends as compared to a typical school day. While they found it easy to meet online, one student noticed how the need to organise meetings meant their encounters were less spontaneous and they were less likely to meet friends who were not close.
Without Teachers, Students Step In
Left to their own devices during HBL, students had to take charge of their own learning. Many enjoyed the flexibility to organise their day and could sleep more as they no longer needed to travel to school. However, there was anxiety over the need to practise self-control as they could no longer rely on teachers checking in on them. It was a new experience for many to manage their own learning.
“A lot of responsibility is dumped onto us right now. It’s expected of us, almost like a culture shock to be in charge of our time,” said a Secondary 4 student. “So if you work for it, you’ll get it, but it you don’t, you can’t hand in on time… Everything is your own choice, but you have to manage it.”
For some, the need to take charge of their own learning was detrimental to their ability to learn:
“In HBL, we have to be independent, have to self-study, if not (you) will lose out. I don’t like it.”, said another Secondary 4 student.
Besides the challenge of being self-disciplined, students felt that the ability to see their teachers and classmates were important to their learning. Not only could they seek help immediately, but they could also compare against their peers to gauge their own progress. As one anxious Secondary 4 student shared:
“School is more conducive. HBL has been a bit taxing because I have a lot of work and have no help from teachers. I am losing out.”
The home was also far from an ideal learning environment compared to school because of issues ranging from the lack of devices for HBL to distractions such as the bed and friends on social media. A Secondary 2 student said he spoke up less during live lessons as his learning space was shared with other siblings who were attending classes at the same time too.
Lessons for School in the “New Normal”
While challenging, HBL showed students another version of what “school” could be. They were excited to pick up new computer skills and experience new ways of learning through technology, and some wished HBL had offered more than just live lessons. One parent was also impressed by a teacher turning the experience into a teachable moment as her Primary 2 daughter was prompted to reflect in her weekly journal on how they felt about this period. One of the biggest takeaways for students was realising their role and responsibility in learning.
“I need to balance whether to do this homework now or next time as I can’t ask my teacher,” said a Primary 1 student.
With students and teachers set to return to physical classrooms in the coming weeks, the HBL experience has made everyone reflect on what “school” means to each of them. Many students are looking forward to seeing their teachers and friends again, as well as the regular rhythm of a school day and learning in a more productive manner and environment. However, some will also miss the flexible schedule and the freedom to organise their own learning too.
HBL has demonstrated how the “school” is not just a physical building but a space of different experiences and interactions. It is where different individuals, from teachers to students, engage in a variety of ways of learning, be it physical, digital, social, individual. Just as learning cannot be simply flattened into a screen, the same goes for “school” wherever it may be.
As schools return to a “new normal”, what lessons from the HBL experience should we bring along with us?
