The corona pandemic and school digitalisation

A leap ahead

The corona pandemic is a challenge for the entire school organisation, says Björn Broberg, quality strategist at the Children and education administration in the City of Falköping. Everyone can gather around this, and they help each other find solutions to the problems that arise.

- The investments we have made earlier in the school’s digitalisation are, of course, a necessary condition. But now everyone is taking a leap ahead. Even teachers who have not previously been interested, and who have slipped behind, are now joining. Everyone takes the time to listen to those who have knowledge and experience, and they generously share what they know.

Tommy Lindmark is an IT strategist in the Labour market and education administration in the City of Skellefteå. He says he has probably never been involved in a change that has started so quickly.

- The IT department in the City of Skellefteå ensures that the digital infrastructure can manage the increased load. The service department fixes computers and other digital equipment when needed. Now I think everyone in the school has more faith in technology. They see it works. I am also happy that we have two super-skilled IT educators who give teachers help and support to meet the pedagogical challenges.

A third-order change

The experiences in the spring and during the autumn give a real boost to school’s digitalisation, says Tapio Liimatainen, deputy head of the Children and education administration in the City of Lidingö.

- Teachers who used to resist have now come to terms with the fact that our earlier investment in infrastructure and competence development helped us handle the corona pandemic. Without access to technology and pedagogical competence, the upper secondary school would not have managed the transition to distance education.

School experience a third-order organisational change, says Björn Broberg. School is not the only place to teach and learn. Other spaces fit in different situations, under certain conditions.

- What if we had only used books and paper assignments when upper secondary school students studied from home? No one would have wished that! We no longer discuss the necessity of digitalising school. Instead, we discuss how we should do it. Of course, there are still many issues to solve, such as security and support for students with special needs. But everyone, from politicians and administrative officials to principals, teachers, students and guardians, agrees digitalisation is unavoidable.

It is becoming natural to think in terms of digital opportunities

There is both a desire to meet in physical space and an increased demand for digital possibilities, Björn Broberg points out. It’s not about either-or, but about both.

- We are gradually returning to a normal situation, but everyone agrees we should use digital opportunities where they fit best. Many teachers are discovering the benefits that exist. The same goes for digital services. It is not enough to work with paper forms when digital solutions are easier to use and much more efficient.

It is becoming natural to think in terms of digital opportunities, says Magdalena Kågström, head of the Unit for digital learning on children and education in the City of Skellefteå. It is an apparent effect of the corona pandemic, she adds.

- Using digital teaching aids has increased in primary school, and many teachers are curious about tips and ideas that they can use in teaching. During the spring, we arranged lots of short online training sessions in various tools and services. We will continue to do so in the entire education area, from preschool to adult education. Teachers will also share their knowledge and experiences. Now, collegiate learning is getting serious!

We also hope to use various digital services to reduce teachers’ administrative work, adds Magdalena Kågström.

- One example is using adaptive teaching materials and self-correcting tests for assessment. We would also like to use face recognition to manage attendance control. The Swedish Data Protection Authority said no, but we hope to continue testing the technology later on.

Before the upper secondary schools closed in mid-March, we had an event where we informed the teachers about what is necessary to keep in mind when teaching online, says Tommy Lindmark.

- Our purpose was to set a common framework. It was partly about helping the teachers, but we also wanted to be sure that the students received equal education. For instance, we addressed the importance of having a clear teaching structure and to gather all students towards the end of the lesson for a sum-up. It is essential to feel confident that the students are doing what they are supposed to do, as it is impossible to keep track of everyone online.

Risk of a growing digital divide

Just before the summer holidays, Tommy Lindmark and his colleagues evaluated how the spring distance education had worked out.

- The technology worked as it should, and the teachers felt that distance education did better than they had expected. But it was sad not to meet the students at school. The students also thought that the teaching worked, but that it was more tedious than ordinary teaching. Many of them missed the social life at school. Another common opinion was that the teacher gave them far too much information and that they are not as good at explaining online as they are in the classroom. The school days were longer and more challenging because the students had to take care of most things on their own.

There are many indications that distance education risks leading to a knowledge gap between students, says Björn Broberg. Those who usually do well in school also do so online. Students who have difficulties in school find it even more complicated when they have to take greater responsibility for their teaching.

- Digitalisation is a catalyst: it reinforces the differences. After Easter, we started taking students to school in small groups to complete practical steps. Those who needed extra support or variety from the home environment could also come. I wish that students who have difficulty would benefit from the teaching taking place online, but this is usually not the case. We need more good examples of how to work with blended learning to utilise the respective benefits of physical and digital learning environments.

A unique chance to take the next step forward

In the City of Lidingö, school management and upper secondary school teachers have both pointed out difficulties and highlighted good examples to help each other move forward, says Tapio Liimatainen.

- This has worked fantastically well, and the teachers have now become a unified team. No one is an expert in teaching online, so you help and support each other across the subjects. Many of the teachers are very skilled and have learned a lot during the spring. For us, as school organisers, it is essential to learn from their experiences. What can we build on? The pandemic forced into this situation, but now we have a unique chance for school development that we must not miss!