“Some (people) have greatness thrust upon them,” William Shakespeare.
This Shakespearean excerpt has taken on new meaning since the onset of COVID-19 and related school closures. Teachers around the world who had been used to the early 19th-century model of teaching and learning – straight desks, prim line, facing a single teacher, often writing on a blackboard – transitioned overnight to teaching on Zoom, or other distance communication platforms that, too, had greatness thrust upon them overnight.
Lazy, bureaucratic systems the world over went into shock – lack of equipment, training, and haphazard home offices plagued teachers. Unstable Internet connections, unpredictable schedules, and misaligned syllabus progressions dogged students. The result: immediate and sustained drops in student engagement, parents withdrawing children from expensive private schools, and school administrations mounting pressures on under-resourced teachers.
Stifling in this air of uncertainty, children with international examinations that will determine the rest of their academic futures are paying the price. Gen-Z, used to digital experiences backed by billion-dollar online companies, demands and deserves better education, packaged and delivered in digestible forms. If we are to re-engage the future of our societies, countries and planet; educationists, policymakers and civil society will need to design learning experiences accessible anytime, anywhere, from the comfort of their homes, and with the convenience of their own schedule.
At Out-Class, we have attempted to do just that. We created all our content ourselves, keeping the needs of Gen-Z in mind. Our beautiful lessons are bite-sized, interactive, and reinforce and assess learning on the go. The Out-Class platform, accessible at www.out-class.org, works beautifully on any internet-ready device, with varying speeds and pop-out options. Parents are on top of their children’s learning because report cards are a click of a button away. Finally, our HappytoHelp Desk ® ensures that students can clarify their concepts as and when they need them, not according to a teacher’s schedule or the availability of face-to-face opportunities.
The future of education is here. We need to rush forward to meet it. Our children deserve nothing less.
FAQs:
Q. What inspired the creation of Out-Class?
Out-Class was inspired by the challenges faced by teachers and students during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a need for accessible and effective online O Level education and exam preparation.
Q. How does Out-Class address the shortcomings of traditional education systems?
Out-Class addresses issues such as lack of equipment, training, and unpredictable schedules by providing bite-sized, interactive online O Level crash courses accessible anytime, anywhere.
Q. Can Out-Class be used as a supplement to traditional education?
Yes, Out-Class can be used as a supplement to traditional education, offering additional support, clarification, and reinforcement of concepts.
