(MENAFN- the peninsula) sanaullah ataullah &
fazeena saleem |
the peninsula
doha, qatar: since the adoption of e-learning over a decade ago, pens, paper and notebooks and all traditional learning tools in classrooms are gradually being replaced by laptops and tablets.
screens have, over the years, replaced textbooks, and students spend more time in front of computers or tablets, which the institutions provide for students. this trend is driven mainly by the temptation to digitise and improve education.
one cannot dispute the convenience of modern technology, a fact that was further highlighted during the covid-19 pandemic. however, writing by hand, reading from a book and being present in a classroom have proven to be more conducive to learning and memory formation for students than the keyboard and digital devices.
in a report on the impact of replacing pens and notebooks with keyboards done by the peninsula, experts, school administrators and teachers have said that students learn more and remember things efficiently when writing by hand rather than using keyboards or tablets.
the interviews with these education professionals coincide with recent decisions by some countries to switch back to paper books from e-books. recent reports state that swedish schools are backing away from e-books and instead opting for more traditional paper books.
according to scientific studies presented by the swedish national agency for education, textbooks have many advantages because, with digital tools, the reader spends less time reading. students skim through the text faster at the expense of understanding what they read. those who read printed text were better able to reproduce key points, remembered more parts, and showed better reading comprehension overall.
in qatar, e-books and textbooks are being used in classrooms. the country's education sector has seen a lot of changes in the last few years, especially due to the pandemic. schools had to go online, and the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (stem) also means students are more encouraged to use computer devices.
in february, the ministry of education and higher education launched the 'digital innovation clubs' platform on the 'qatar education' system in all public schools, to spread the culture of e-learning in the educational process.
the digital innovation clubs are concerned with extracurricular activities for students and supervised by the schools' e-projects coordinator. its aim is to encourage students in self-learning and cooperative learning through various projects and activities, as well as support students learning and hone their digital skills outside the classroom to ensure they adapt to e-learning effectively and gain modern-day skills.
teachers against complete replacement
speaking on the issue, several teachers praised the efficiency of the e-learning system, but they opposed the idea of rolling out fully digital learning using only the keyboard.
“i think switching completely to e-learning replacing pen and notebook with keyboard is not good for students in terms of developing their skills,” umm ahmad, a teacher working with an international school in qatar told the peninsula.
she said that writing by hand helps in developing the fine motor skills of students enabling them to enrich their vocabulary.“students may be weak in spelling by relying on the auto-correct feature in laptops and tablets,” said umm ahmad.
“my school has adopted e-learning. students of grades 1 and 2 are learning on microsoft team and from grade 3 to 12 on e-education platform.”
she said that students are doing their exercises and homework for some subjects on the system. however, she said, students are still using pens, pencils and notebooks for exercises in subjects like languages, qatar history and islamic studies.
she said that the school seems to be gradually moving towards digital.“i hope that we will not reach the level where pen and notebook are replaced with a keyboard that may deprive students of learning the very basic skills such as handwriting,” said umm ahmad.
another teacher, umm abdullah, said that amid the fast adoption of modern technology in e-learning, parents are facing difficulties in assisting their children with their homework. she said that some parents who are not much familiar with modern technologies are asking to give homework on paper.
to a question about going fully digital, umm abdullah said:“i think, so far, there is no alternative of pen and paper as they are very basic learning tools for students to teach them handwriting and other skills.” she lauded the e-learning system for easing the education process.
“i think the e-learning system is efficient and helpful for all stakeholders including teachers, students and parents. we can use it to support the education process without relying fully on it,” said umm abdullah.
digital devices to be used as an adjunct to learning
parents described e-learning as very convenient, but they did not support the idea of going fully digital replacing pen and paper with keyboard.
“i am not in favour of replacing pen and paper with keyboard for exercise in classroom and homework for students because handwriting is very basic for learning,” said a parent.
he said that with the adoption of modern technology in schools, keyboards are taking the place of pen and paper very fast.“my daughter, a student in grade 4, is doing over 50 percent of her exercises and homework using a keyboard. i think this is enough as going further will affect handwriting,” he added.
“i do not support the idea of classrooms going fully digital. although digital transformation offers many benefits, i believe educators must maintain the balance between digital tools and the traditional pen and notebook,” said parent marga tumbaga.
she said that digital devices should only be used as an adjunct to learning. it should not control a classroom but rather the teachers must have control over them and use them to enhance their teaching styles.
“as i check on my children's homework and school requirements, i see that certain lessons demand the use of tablets and laptops, but others require more hands-on or physical attention,” said tumbaga.
“i am for the current method of teaching - a mix of the good old book, paper and pen and the computer integration into the classrooms.” she said that technology should not replace conventional approaches; rather, it should supplement them.
ali mahmoud, a parent said:“as a parent with two daughters in school, i've noticed the positive impact of the integration of technology in education. it enables quick results and direct interaction with parents at home through interactive platforms like google forms, where we can ask questions and engage actively.”
nevertheless, he said, this integration also poses challenges for children, leading to dependency and impatience.“relying heavily on technology for their tasks makes them ill-prepared for future success in the job market.”
he said that beyond technology, parents play a crucial role in addressing these concerns. mahmoud suggested that parents must recognise the importance of creating activities alongside homework to help students maintain their effectiveness and abilities, preparing them to navigate real-life situations.
adopting new realities but not at the cost of basic skills
several private schools in qatar also responded to the report done by the peninsula. they implement e-learning systems for providing e-textbook and curricula reference to their students but none of them plan to go fully digital replacing pen and paper with screens.
they said that handwriting on paper is very necessary for students to develop their many skills like memory, vocabulary and spelling.
hassan chougule, president of dps monarch international school and dps-modern indian school (left). riyaz amed bakali, director of tng school.
president of dps monarch international school and dps-modern indian school, hassan chougule, said that notebooks and pens are necessary for school students for developing their handwriting, memorising and other necessary skills.
“it is essential for our students to take notes in books following the educational system with which we are affiliated. we are not in favour at all of going fully paperless because it will affect the basic skills of the students,” said chougule.
he added:“we adopted e-learning in dps monarch international school and dps-modern indian school by providing tablets to students to use e-books for reducing their backpacks.
“when we decided to introduce e-learning, we analysed whether we go fully digital or not. we did not adopt the idea of adopting fully digital mode thinking that in this case the students would be glued to the gadgets most of their time daily casting bad effects on their eyes.”
he said that students from the first standard were given tablets to use e-books only in the classroom and use bigger screens - desktop or laptop - at home for the health of their vision.
“the students read the textbook on the tablets, but they are not doing exercise or homework on them. the handwriting is very important because, in the indian system, the examinations are still on paper sheets,” said chougule.
he said that the tablets are tailor-made and controlled as the students need wi-fi to access the system for reading the e-books which are connected only to the server with no other access.
speaking about the future of going fully digital, he said that if the whole world adopts one format then it might work properly.“during the covid-19 pandemic two years ago, when the classroom learning was switched to online learning, students were forgetting how to write as their hands were not working properly due to lack of practice because students did not practice,” said chougule.
to a question about the decision of sweden to switch back to the old learning system, he said that they might try to go to paperless which is a different idea from those of dps monarch international school and dps-modern indian school. chougule said that going fully to paperless e-learning will affect the skills of the students like weakness in spelling, vocabulary, and many other drawbacks.
director of tng school riyaz amed bakali has said that writing by pen on a notebook is necessary for the development of fine motor skills of students that cannot be developed with a keyboard.
“we in tng school are following a hybrid model which is the part of our curriculum where students are using education technology in the classroom and at home,” said bakali.
following a blended model or hybrid model, he said:“we have a fine balance between education technologies and the classical pen and paper.”
bakali said that e-learning and modern technology created an efficient learning environment. he said that the homework is sent electronically, but the student has to use paper and pen to complete it.
“we should not be away from the classical touch of pen and paper because handwriting is still needed in most of the exams,” said bakali.
he said that tng school adopted e-learning during covid-19 pandemic.“e-learning is something that alone has challenges. so, e-learning has to be made sure that it is instructor led. there are several modes - self-paced, time-based, and instructor-led. the e-learning, which is instructor-led is fantastic.”
commenting on sweden's decision to switch back to a system for learning with printed books, he said:“we need to create an effective learning environment utilising the available medium by the book, a notebook presentation or simulations.”
he said that the book is not the only medium.“i think we should utilise all means to create an effective learning environment as going back only to books is something that i suggest it is too late. we have gone so advanced on education technology where content can be electronic, visual, virtual reality and piece of paper.”
however, he said, printed workbooks and notebooks are necessary so the students can write with a pen and pencil.“the basic concept is that at a later stage, everything will be electronic. but we have to keep basic skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing because it is necessary,” said bakali.
speaking about the merits and demerits of the e-learning system, he said that it brings efficiency in learning and creates a better learning environment if it is led by an instructor for proper guidance to avoid any negative impact.
“paperless e-learning does not work. it has to be hybrid mode because today and after even five years, exams will be still on a piece of paper with a pen,” said bakali. he said that keeping students away from the classical touch of pen and paper may create problems when they will come for exams and their practical life.
creating fine balance for students' physical and mental health
a paediatric specialist at reyada medical centre, dr varsha sayed emphasised the necessity to ensure the children's physical and mental wellbeing.
“online learning has provided the necessary solution for the continuity of learning especially during pandemic times. however, we cannot overlook the potential impact it has on the physical and mental health of our children. prolonged screen time, lack of physical activity, and reduced social interactions can contribute to a lot of concerns,” said dr sayed.
dr varsha sayed, paediatric specialist at reyada medical centre
she said that excessive screen exposure can strain the eyes and disrupt sleep patterns, further impacting a child's well-being.
“from a mental health perspective, the isolation and lack of social interaction associated with online learning can have detrimental effects on children,” said dr sayed.
she said that human connection is vital for their emotional development, and the absence of face-to-face interaction with peers and teachers can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and even depression.
“it is hence crucial for us to ensure that we create a balance so that children have opportunities for offline activities, exercise, and meaningful connections with peers. we must also advocate for strategies that prioritise the holistic well-being of our children, both in the digital and physical worlds,” said dr sayed.