Working Together to Support Online Learning

KOMPAS/KRISTI DWI UTAMI

A teacher show an application used to support the distance learning system to new students during the introduction of the school background (MPLS) in the hall of SMA Negeri 1 state senior high school in Slawi, Tegal regency, Central Java, Monday (13/7/2020). Through the application, the school can get information on how many students and teachers attend the online learning sessions.

All parties should be optimally involved in supporting the government’s distance learning program (PJJ) according to their respective roles. The cooperation among various parties is a determining factor in helping students adapt to online learning so that they will achieve success in their education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the government to introduce the distance learning program, which is more popularly called online learning. The learning system emphasizes learning and teaching activities carried out through the internet.

However, the online learning faces many obstacles. Many students cannot follow online learning properly because of poor internet connections. In fact, many cannot take part in online learning because they don’t have internet access.

Also read : Schools Find Ways to Address Learning Issues

Not surprisingly, the public doubts that online learning will be able to replace the role of face-to-face learning. A Kompas survey held in early July indicated the people\'s doubts. Three quarters of respondents believed the quality of the education provided through the online learning process was worse than that provided through the face-to-face learning.

More broadly, the public believes that the distance learning method applied in the current school year could risk the success of the teaching-learning process. The pessimism is reflected in the opinion of nearly three-quarters of respondents of a survey who said that the online learning method reduces the quality of education.

In line with doubts about the quality of the online learning, about 75 percent of the respondents expressed concern that distance learning would be carried out until 2021. There are at least three main reasons why about 50 percent of respondent are worried about this: the quality of the graduates will decline, children will be discouraged from going to school and parents face difficulties controlling their children because they have to work.

Also read : When Classrooms Move to Homes

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Students go to Temulawak Hill at Petir B Hamlet, Petir village, Rongkop district, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, to send school assignments online, Tuesday (12/5/2020). It was the only location in the village with an internet signal.

Weaknesses

The distance learning method has a number of fundamental weaknesses. In the distance learning system, parents play a key role. In fact, they are very dominant in determining the quality of the schooling, especially for elementary school students, who still need a lot of parental and teacher guidance.

Students and teachers cannot conduct face-to-face teaching-learning interactions. The interaction process has to be carried out through the digital platform. That is, students remain at home while getting learning materials from their teachers.

Students who study at home every day demand parental assistance in the learning process. Meanwhile, with the easing of social restrictions in a number of areas, many parents have to go back to work and have to leave the house. Even if they don\'t work outside the home, parents will not necessarily be able to replace the role of the teacher due to limited knowledge.

Also read : The New School Year in the Pandemic Era

Not only knowledge, the availability of technology such as smartphones is also another issue that requires special attention. This condition can be troublesome in a number of families.

At least, there must be electronic devices available that are connected to the internet. In fact, not all families have gadgets. Smartphones, laptops or computers are still used by parents for work.

Not all students have their own gadgets. As a result, some parents must share their mobile phones with their children. The children also still need help from their parents in using these digital devices.

Also read : Confusion Persists in School Enrollment

Parents not only need to remind the children to do their school lessons but also to make sure that all supporting applications can be operated and all learning materials can be downloaded.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

The home study policy set by the government regarding the covid-19 outbreak was used by Al Azhar 15 Pamulang Elementary School, South Tangerang, Banten to hold online teaching and learning activities, on Tuesday (17/3/2020). Students and teachers utilize the googleclassroom application for study rooms and zoom cloud meetings for teleconferences.

Next, parents must also help their children understand the learning materials and assignments delivered by the teachers. Reporting of the daily learning outcomes to teachers also requires the assistance of parents.

Not all parents can do such activities. In addition, helping the children will be more difficult when parents have to work outside the home. It is not impossible that the lack of parents’ helps will create another problem in online learning activities.

Other problems at home is the decline in parents’ economic limitations. Many households are classified as economically disadvantaged and do not have the required technological devices. Of course, this will create another problem for teachers in delivering the learning materials to students whose parents cannot afford mobile gadgets.

Also read : The Face of Indonesian Education in the New Normal Era

The schools’ control over the distance learning system is also vulnerable to a drop in the quality of education. Teachers will not be able to fully monitor the learning progress of their students. It will be difficult for teachers to directly observe the children’s compliance, discipline and understanding of the learning materials.

Moreover, some students are also less enthusiastic about participating in online learning. Not a few of the students who take online lessons do not follow the learning process properly.

The rest, many people consider studying at home a long vacation. If all the problems of online learning are not resolved and are protracted, it is not impossible they will result in a decline in the children’s enthusiasm for learning .

Also read : Educational Movement

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

The new students joined the school environment introduction (MPLS) activity at SMK Negeri 2 Salatiga, Salatiga City, Central Java, Monday (07/13/2020). Health protocols and distance restrictions are implemented during activities in schools to prevent Covid-19 transmission

Common awareness

Parents also have the awareness in supporting their children in online learning. The Kompas poll showed that about 94 percent of respondents admitted there were a number of important things that parents could do to support online learning.

Accompanying the children while learning is the first important thing that must be carried out by parents. In addition, parents are also required to participate in directing students to follow lessons as suggested by teachers and to provide additional knowledge that has not yet been taught to the children. Parents should also help all the tasks given to the children and direct them to pursue other forms of education or preferred skills.

Another positive thing, the majority of the Indonesian people are aware of the need to cooperate in supporting distance learning. Around 70 of respondents acknowledged that the responsibility of the children’s education during the current pandemic is not only in the hands of the government but also in the hands of teachers and parents.

There is a lot of time that can be used to explore something both online and offline learning.

This indicates that most of the respondents are aware of the importance of the involvement of parents in online learning. It may be difficult to realize, but it is a must for the sake of their future.

Helping each other in the education process can help us get through this difficult time. If this awareness is followed by concrete steps by the government, teachers and parents according to their respective roles, distance learning is not something to worry about. On the contrary, it can become a dynamic learning system that can optimize the abilities of each student.

There is a lot of time that can be used to explore something both online and offline learning. Moreover, when studying at home, children will have more time that can be used for positive purposes. One of them is to improve the ability of their use of technology, especially to explore the millions of positive information available in cyberspace. (Kompas R and D )