Tin Tức

As much as adults have been pondering the possibility of making work-from-home workdays a reality following the pandemic, so too have education authorities and parents everywhere the idea of allowing students to study remotely. The method would certainly not be without precedence, given the fact that everyone has already done it during the height of the pandemic. However, whether or not studying remotely is a suitable long-term alternative to traditional classrooms is still up for debate, and there are good reasons why experts have not so readily embraced this seemingly highly convenient and efficient method of teaching. At present, there are aspects of traditional face-to-face teaching that simply cannot be replicated in a virtual environment, a sentiment shared by experts and learners alike. So long as this shortcoming persists, the reality where virtual classrooms
are the norm shall remain out of reach regardless of how pronounced its other benefits may become.

The rise to popularity of virtual working and studying environments was all but inevitable given the nature of the pandemic. However, contrary to expectations that things would go back to the way they had been prior to the pandemic, many companies have adopted working from home policies to varying extents. Schools have, in the same way companies have experienced with their employees, been pressured into considering virtual classes in place of physical classes following the pandemic, citing reasons surrounding logistical issues of having to bring a child to school, among other reasons of convenience. Putting aside the fact that parents are complaining about their children having to be brought to and from school for the sake of their own education, it is true that virtual classrooms have presented a new method for students to receive the same lecture from an educator without the need of physically being present at a certain location at a certain time. This can significantly reduce emissions by means of reducing traffic, lighten the workload for teachers who have to teach at multiple schools at different times, and generally make things easier for everyone. Despite its revered convenience, however, parents need to understand that the importance of physical classrooms extends far beyond convenience, as will be explored further below.

For as long as the concepts ‘class’ and ‘school’ have existed, learners have always invariably gathered at classrooms to study from their educator. This has been the status quo for many reasons, though the most noticeable one is the fact that it had always been the only method by which an educator could convey his teachings to a group of dozens of students, prior to the introduction of virtual classes. Given the fact of which, it is all but understandable why many would think traditional classrooms have become obsolete now that virtual classrooms have presented a new alternative to physically gathering inside a physical classroom. However, what many fail to realise is the fact that we do not flock together for lessons for mere convenience, we also do it because it works. Physical classrooms in which the teacher can interact directly with students are more conducive to effective learning, something that numerous studies have highlighted time and again through the years, for the fact that the same level of attention and interaction provided to learners cannot be replicated through a screen. Traditional classrooms are far from perfect, but the benefits they bring about far outweigh the inconveniences that would have been solved as a result of attending virtual classes in place of physical classes.

At the end of the day, classrooms exist to serve the purpose of facilitating an environment in which learners can effectively and efficiently learn what they need to learn. To that end, it is our responsibility as adults to make sure that they have the best environment possible to study in, regardless of what that means for our convenience. Perhaps, then, we could think about how to incorporate virtual learning to enrich learners’ experience instead of trying to choose one method over the other.

VOCABULARY:

Ponder (v): Suy nghĩ kĩ về
Authority (n): Chính quyền
Remote (adj): Từ xa
The height of: Đỉnh điểm
Alternative (n): Giải pháp thay thế
Replicate (v): Tái lập
Sentiment (n): Quan điểm
Persist (v): Tồn tại
Cite (v): Trích dẫn
Revere (v): Tôn kính
Invariably (adv): Không ngoại lệ
Obsolete (adj): Cổ xưa, vô dụng vì đã lỗi thời
Conducive (adj): Giúp cái gì đó có thể xảy ra
Facilitate (v): Tạo điều kiện
Incorporate (v): Kết hợp