Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) recently finalized a policy dubbed “Internet access in every classroom; a tablet for every student,” with the government planning to spend NT$20 billion (US$719.94 million) over the next four years to achieve the goal of providing tablet computers to elementary and junior-high school students in remote areas.
Following a local COVID-19 outbreak in May, schools nationwide adopted the approach of “suspending classes without suspending learning,” offering synchronous or asynchronous online instruction. Under the circumstances, mobile devices and access to information appliances were the most needed resources.
Surveys show that the most commonly available devices to access the Internet are smartphones and tablets.
Although the smartphone ownership rate is above 80 percent, the small size of the phone screen makes online learning less effective.
The subsidies should have a considerable effect on increasing the availability of mobile devices, as well as enhancing the quality of mobile Internet.
According to psychologist Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” theory, after a person’s material needs are fulfilled, spiritual needs can be pursued, and the theory is applicable to online instruction, too. Once the basic hardware is in place, the question of whether the software is sufficient for the hardware should be tackled next. This includes backup support and teachers’ familiarity with online software.
In addition to preparing experimental courses, elementary and junior-high school teachers need to spend even more time and energy on preparation for online courses. Such instruction involves much more than hardware, as it also includes class preparation, teaching material design, equipment and account management, instruction on the use of the software, data analysis, cybersecurity and cyberethics.
Without additional staff for backup support, a slew of problems could affect online teaching, and more seriously, online teaching could threaten the effectiveness of offline teaching.
Hopefully, the education authorities can revise how to increase support personnel for elementary and junior high schools nationwide.
While providing the hardware to students, they should also improve the quality of online instruction. Otherwise, despite the good intentions of the free tablet policy, no one would benefit from it, and this is not something that the public would want to happen.
Feng Chih-ming is director of the Taipei Teachers’ Association’s Information and Policy Department.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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