When news hit that COVID-19 was going to cause the shutdown of campuses across the country, many educational institutions found themselves at a loss for how to proceed. Few institutions, particularly in K-12, had plans in place for such an unprecedented situation.
We at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College were fortunate in that, although we didn’t have a large-scale disaster plan to cover this particular situation, we did have the foundations in place to begin quickly building one out. That has allowed us to continue educating our students in a manner that has not been nearly as disruptive as other schools and colleges are reporting.
The timing of our campus shutdown also occurred at a relatively fortunate time, during spring break, so we were able to use that period to prepare for a larger rollout of distance-learning options. Not every educational institution has been so lucky.
Here are the most common challenges institutions are facing in trying to keep lesson plans rolling out, as well as suggestions and examples for overcoming them.
1. Lack of a Learning Management System (LMS)
An LMS is a software platform that provides an educational institution with online solutions for administration, documentation, grade reporting, and delivery of educational courses and lessons. Many K-12 institutions have some form of LMS in place, such as Blackboard or Canvas, but many were not leveraging the platform’s full capabilities, using only basic features such as allowing parents access to view students’ grades on individual assignments and overall class standing, viewing descriptions and due dates of assignments (but not the actual assignments themselves), and discussion forums.
Because the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College has been using the Laulima LMS for roughly a decade, we were able to shift more quickly from in-class instruction to distance learning, which is defined as when a teacher and student are in two separate — and often far-off — locations. One benefit for us is that instructors already had their syllabi and assignments posted, which also meant that the vast majority of students were already familiar with navigating the Laulima interface. Although there was still the learning curve of transitioning the courses to be delivered online, this was far easier to overcome than if all of us — instructors, students, and administrators — had been starting from scratch.
Even when institutions are not faced with a crisis such as the coronavirus outbreak, having an LMS in place allows for greater efficiency in so many areas that its benefit usually far outweighs the cost. Any time an institution — educational or otherwise — has less red tape to wade through and fewer repetitive questions to field, it’s going to be far more streamlined in its day-to-day processes. For this and many other reasons, I am a huge proponent of every educational institution using an LMS.
2. Access to the Internet
I don’t know of a higher-educational institution in the country that doesn’t already offer internet access to its enrolled students. But I am gravely aware of the number of K-12 institutions that don’t, usually due to school policy or budgetary concerns. Even for those that do, many students do not have access once they leave campus.
But the situation created by the pandemic has underscored what has become increasingly apparent every year: the internet has become a part of our daily lives and isn’t going away any time soon.
UH Maui College knew that some of its students did not have internet access at home, so even with Laulima in place, these students wouldn’t be able to continue with their courses. We had to find a way to allow this population access to their classes, which had moved online, in a manner that was as safe as possible given the circumstances.
Our solution was to open an on-campus learning center, open from 9 AM to 7 PM daily, that was monitored to regulate the capacity and configured to maintain safe distance between each student. We were also able to loan out laptops to those students who had at-home internet, which allowed us to further minimize the number of students in the learning center.
Again, we were fortunate that we already had many of the necessary resources to make this happen, but even smaller schools or those without a sufficient budget can come up with a solution in times of emergency.
My recommendation is for K-12 and higher-education institutions to form collaborative relationships with one another. Even in situations such as the one we are currently in, both parties can benefit. The K-12 schools can gain access to technology and human capital, while the higher-ed institutions can begin outreach to pre-college students, increasing the potential for upcoming enrollment at a time when numbers for fall are looking bleak.
Another possibility is to seek a corporate sponsor. For our distance learners, UH Maui College was able to secure limited free internet access simply by reaching out to an internet service provider. (It should be noted that after a certain data level is reached, the cost is quite expensive for the student, but we were happy to get what we could for them and will continue to revisit the arrangement as the situation warrants.) Had we needed to, we most likely would have been able to secure additional laptops the same way.
3. Ability to Counsel One-on-One
Educating isn’t merely about what is learned in the classroom. Being able to individually coach and counsel students can be crucial in helping them achieve success. Traditionally, this is done in person, with students visiting a counselor in their on-campus office.
Thankfully, this is a rather easier obstacle to overcome, due in part to the wealth of technological options available. Traditional mental-health therapy has led the forefront for distance counseling, as evidenced by the numerous platforms available, such as BetterHelp. Even better news: You don’t need a therapy-specific platform to allow for personable, face-to-face educational counseling.
At UM Hawaii College, we offer counseling via STAR Balance, a platform that leverages the Zoom teleconference system. Zoom has offered a suite of resources to help you get started during the COVID-19 crisis. Even everyday options such as FaceTime and Skype can be leveraged, and most of these work for group sessions as well.
Although most higher-education institutions are already far more mobile than just a few years ago, K-12 still lags behind in technology. Even after our current crisis is over, the issue needs to be addressed to ensure ongoing progress in both improving the everyday education students receive and preparing for any future emergencies.