Judith and Chris are back again in this latest episode of the Think Education podcast but alas, still no theme song.
Our podcast began with a chat about names, sweets, and old radio DJ’s. And yes, Chris got the name wrong despite having enjoyed a lamington on multiple occasions. A sweet by any other name, would still taste as, well, you get it. We recovered quickly and turned our focus to life in Dubai, in this our latest installment of on the ground conversation.
As of Monday 20th April, education in Dubai returned to a sense of normalcy. For a given value of normalcy of course as not everybody is back and many students still remain online. This is part of the flexible hybrid approach still in place – a legacy of decisions made during the fully online and remote period of a few weeks ago – and requires careful management from a technical and pedagogical perspective. Hybrid teaching is hard.
Chris talked about the approach undertaken in Dubai and the clear and rigorous ministry guidelines in place. The return has been staggered and is still ongoing. Universities and schools began to open as of Monday, and teachers were back on campuses and in the classrooms. Safety measures are in place, drills have been drilled, training has been done and a new normal is here.
We talked about the environment and how this impacts the sense of community and engagement by influencing the degree of mobility you have – or want to have. The heat has jumped the past few days but still remains cooler than it will get. The campus and surrounding area are not as busy as they would have been a few months ago, but the city is filling up. Even during the height of the war, there were still people sat outside at cafes, walking dogs, running, and just getting on with their lives. This is a hopeful reflection of human nature and a clear indication of the level of security and safety we, the Dubai residents, have felt throughout this turbulent period. Loud noises can still cause a scary reaction however and makes you realise that no matter how safe you may have felt, there is often a mark left.
We talked about infrastructure and communication and the need to respond to shifting realities and adapt accordingly. What has remained the consistent message has been the safety of students and the quality of the learning experience. What has been interesting is seeing the renewed interest, on the part of students, regarding online learning – particularly as it is supported by social mobility, unlike during the pandemic.
#community #inpersonlearning #safety #Dubai #hybridlearning #infrastructure #adaptation #shifitingexpectations #emerginglearningpatterns #innovativepedagogy #familytime
