Prof. dr. Dumitru Alice Mădălina

Liceul Teoretic „Ion Barbu” București

          Have you ever imagined an educational system in which the teachers’ motivational role is enhanced by an interactive and innovative approach towards learning? Using my teaching background, I consider that a successful online lesson represents a mix of the six types of learning: acquisition, inquiry, discussion, practice and production. In this article, I will present a few aspects proposed by experts in the field of education in order to achieve the objectives of learning and to be in accordance with the educational standards from the European Union.

        First of all, the importance of attributing the teacher the role of creator of learning resources should be emphasized, as it is a key factor in the teaching process. One priority of the experts in the field of education is the management of resources. Traditionally, this refers to the methodical organization of the course syllabus. In the computer age, the modern lesson cannot be realized without the appeal to the materials and the information provided by the internet. In the postmodern society, lesson planning and the digital storage of data,   are key tools for successful teaching. In addition, specialized computer storage services which can save classroom materials –like Google Drive – simultaneously bring teachers several benefits. These online services make room for developing creativity and for the maximum use of teachers’ professional skills. Moreover, they offer teachers the opportunity to share professional teaching methods. Furthermore, the digitalization of resources represents a challenge for all teachers, irrespective of their age or experience. Teachers are given the possibility of changing their lesson plans on a regular basis, according to the evolution of the class or to the implementation of a new method.

     The second interesting aspect, is the tendency of the teachers, irrespective of their age, to apply the technological innovations in their lessons. As opposed to traditional versions, modern education is based on four principles, specifically compile, contribute, combine and change. In this scenario, the teacher could intervene in the stage of change, which requires a feedback from an external source with the intent of modifying the existing content. However, the modern teacher assumes many different roles: monitor, observer, tutor, assessor and feedback provider. The students of the digital classroom process the information in many different ways: by solving Kahoot quizzes as a formative assessment method, by revising lesson content from a graphically-designed Jamboard or by leafing through Google slides in which the highlighters have emphasized the essential information.  

      Last but not least, a great challenge is the promising agenda for the future of the virtual classroom. In an age of the explosion of information and of quick cultural, social and educational changes, I think that the flipped classroom model could be an efficient alternative for several categories of students. The target groups which are aimed are:  the students belonging to disadvantaged environments, the one who are often absentees and those who fail to keep up with the level of the course book. The University College London created such a model by means of an application called Learning designer. This model, proposes three major steps, specifically watch/listen, investigate, and create. Its role is to stimulate our students to make the transition from face-to-face to online learning in a way which ensures an objective assessment. Another model is HyFlex, which introduces the advantage of hybrid learning by using flexible and standardized methods. Also, the digital lesson is efficient for those who are involved in a project-work assignment.     

        Judging from my experience as an online teacher during the pandemic, I could assert that the Romanian educational system has managed to integrate modern technology and the digital methods, by changing the physiognomy of the lesson. The students, who are the main players of education, are the main beneficiaries of this change.