Distance learning during lockdown periods – Perceptions of actors and lessons learnt[1]
Since the decision to close down training and education providers during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure the safety of learners, VET providers had to shift to distance learning to also ensure continued learning for 390 000 students in initial training which required considerable efforts.
As such, quick and practical solutions were deployed in record time to continue providing training to young people by activating all possible measures.
This response, in a crisis context, required the engagement of all stakeholders and quickly enacting special measures to catch up years of digital education and training progress. In effect, the measures have accelerated the scaling up of distance learning as well as the modernisation of teaching methods.
But this shift to Digital Distance Learning (DDL) was not without obstacles for the various stakeholders invovled, notably the trainees, the teaching and administrative staff of the training providers.
In order to take stock of this experience, an online survey was launched by the VET Department in June 2020 with the help of public and private VET providers to give them a voice and better understand the implementation of DDL and gather views on how it can be improved and developed further.
6472 trainees, 1154 trainers and 453 school masters responded to the Google forms survey. The results presented below must be interpreted with caution as it only represents the views of those of answered.
The data collected allowed to clarify the significant efforts made by the various stakeholders in order to convert face-2-face training to digital distance learning. But it also helped to point out the difficulties they encountered and what lessons were learnt.
Views and perceptions of respondents on DDL.
Learners’ fear regarding DDL
It was difficult for 64% of young people to regularly follow DDL as almost 25% of them did not have an internet connection, and the limited broadband as well as its high cost led to 70% of learners spending less than 2 hours a day on learning.
Almost all learners used their smartphones for learning and the follow-up was mostly on social media.
Over 90% of learners tried to follow the timetable suggested by trainers or freely organise their work, but 26% sought collaborative works with peers to sustain learning motivation.
That motivation dropped for 50% of learners following the shift to DDL, and that can be explained by the psychological pressure of lockdowns in addition to fears regarding assessments, continuous grading and examinations. The concern of not being able to follow and the fear of a ‘white year’ were the factors mentioned by the learners.
Despite these difficulties, the majority of learners had positive views of DDL. They all prefer face-2-face but suggest the following elements to introduce this form of training into the system:
- The availability of content that is adapted for DDL, easy, accessible and free of charge, combined with the availability of necessary means (tablets, PCs, etc..)
- Technical and pedagogical assistance made available to support their progress, with clear information regarding online activities and their duration.
- Continuous communication to ensure uninterrupted contacts which favour learning but also development of autonomy and maintaining motivation.
The key role of trainers in supporting DDL
The importance of trainers in the pursuit of distance learning has been demonstrated and is no longer questioned.
They had to continue fulfilling their mission in a context of uncertainty regarding the quality fo the internet connection (mentioned by 73% of them), the difficulty to ensure assessments online (49%) as well as the follow-up of learners’ progress online (44%). Moreover, 55% of them claim having received no support to shift teaching methods online.
Other constraints were mentioned by trainers: the non-availability of ready-made online contents and programmes, the difficulty to translate theoretical and practical courses into online format. 28% of them took part is such exercise which required over 3 hours of preparation and practical courses were turned into short video demonstration pills.
However, despite the issue of learner’s attendance, mentioned by 71% of trainers, a number of methods (some in real-time others not) were deployed to maintain contacts with learners, with a combination of social media (72% of cases), Email (41%), online platforms (40%). The duration of classes varied between 1 and 2 hours for 62% of them and they usually supervised over 3 sessions daily (73%).
These undeniable difficulties did not stop trainers mentioning the advantages of DDL, notably the overall flexibility in the management of courses, the saving and sharing of resources and the diversity of additional contents available.
Trainers also suggested their training in the field of DDL (80%), the development of online content (50%) and the use fo technology (35.5%) all need to be improved.
Headmaster ‘strategy to ensure DDL
Once the decision to shift to DDL was taken, the main challenges faced by headmasters related to the difficulty to ensure practical courses (79%), the limited use of digital technology by trainers and learners (56%), the high cost of DDL, the non-availability of online content, the lack of basic infrastructure and IT equipment as well as necessary skills of trainers.
Although almost 11% of headmasters claimed their establishment does not have internet connection, 76% gave their support to the trainers to mitigate this challenge. They either offered training to trainers on DDL or ICT and in some cases, shared their own connection.
Similarly to trainers, headmasters expressed the wish to receive trainings on teaching during DDL as well as the use of digital technology and the management of their centres.
The future of DDL
The shift to DDL during the health crisis has fed the reflections on the future efforts to be deployed at all level of the VET ecosystem to rethink the programmes and methods used for the learner ’skills development, the assessments of learners training and apprenticeship.
Beyond the various actor’s call to capitalise on this unplanned and improvised but rich experience, the proposals formulated all relate to the following elements:
- Implementation of dedicated platforms for DDL, with equipment, supplies and learning resources made available for all levels and learning needs.
- Investment in network infrastructure and equipment as well as their regular maintenance to give VET centre the means to manage such teaching modality.
- Availability of necessary equipment for disadvantaged learners to ensure equitable access to this form of learning.
- Need for full ICT literacy for the various users in order to reconsider the demands of the modality and establish a new culture based on new approaches such as reversed class and blended learning.
- Promote best-practise in the design and implementation of learning paths that are either fully or partly online by clarifying rules and procedures as well as mainstreaming DDL.
- Development of networks and communication related to DDL while encouraging cooperation and exchanges to implement digital strategies at system level.
These proposals raise the question of effectiveness of distance learning as a complete or partial alternative to traditional face-2-face learning, the predispositions to its adoption, its role in the development of quality teaching, and finally its function for the future of schooling which requires the participation of all.
[1] This text is a courtesy English translation of the initial text drafted in French by
Wafa ASRI, Director for Coordination of learning and private sector
Department for VET, Ministry for National Education, VET, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Morocco
Dear Romain, this is very interesting experience from Morocco. It is amazing how quickly VET systems had to adopt DOL, due to pandemic. Thanks for sharing it Romain!
This is a courtesy translation of the original French article published by the Ministry in Morocco. I agree, this is very interesting and although the methodology was different the findings are similar to what we found in other countries: access to broadband and IT equipment is problematic for large parts of the population and digital learning requires preparations for both teaching staff and learners.
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