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The problem with online education isn’t screens—it’s pedagogy
The problem with online education isn’t screens—it’s pedagogy Premium
Over the last few years, online learning has been widely criticised. Parents blame it for short attention spans. Teachers argue it weakens conceptual understanding. Students often describe it as tiring, isolating, or uninspiring.
But this criticism misses a crucial point.
Online learning did not fail students. What failed them was the way it was designed.
As the founder of an online school, I have seen this debate up close. Most online education models did not emerge from thoughtful pedagogy. They were created in haste—by simply copying the physical classroom and pasting it onto a screen. When that happens, disengagement is inevitable.
In many so-called online schools today, the structure looks familiar: long video lectures, large class sizes, a teacher explaining concepts while students listen silently, and assessments that test memory rather than understanding.
This model already struggles in physical classrooms. When transferred online, its weaknesses are amplified.
Screens reduce natural human cues. Attention spans shrink. Passive listening becomes exhausting. Without physical interaction, students disengage faster—especially younger learners.
The problem is not technology. The problem is assuming that teaching methods designed for physical classrooms will automatically work online.
They don't.
True online education must be designed from the ground up. It cannot be an emergency alternative or a digital replica of offline schooling.
At its core, learning happens when children do, not when they only listen. This is where activity-based learning becomes essential—not as an occasional add-on, but as the foundation of instruction.
Activity-based learning is often misunderstood as “fun exercises” or “games.” In reality, it is a structured approach where every concept is introduced through exploration. Students handle learning tools, test ideas, make mistakes, reflect, and arrive at understanding through guided discovery.
In an online environment, this approach is even more important. Without it, children become spectators to learning rather than participants in it.
When online education relies primarily on video calls, students are expected to focus intensely for long periods without physical engagement. This is cognitively unnatural, especially for children.
Research in learning science consistently shows that:
● Passive listening leads to low retention
● Concepts learned through action are remembered longer
● Engagement improves when learners manipulate ideas, not just observe them
Poorly designed online learning ignores this. It treats attention as a discipline problem rather than a design flaw.
When children lose focus online, the instinctive response is to blame screen fatigue. But often, what they are experiencing is passivity fatigue.
Another design failure lies in scale. Many online schools operate with 30, 40, or even 50 students in a single virtual classroom. This might appear efficient, but pedagogically it is ineffective.
Online teaching demands more individual attention, not less. Teachers need to observe how each child is thinking, ask probing questions, and adjust pacing in real time. This is impossible in large batches.
In practice, meaningful online learning works best in small groups of six to nine students. This structure allows:
● Continuous interaction rather than one-way instruction
● Personalised feedback
● Emotional connection and trust
● Teachers to function as facilitators, not broadcasters
Without small class sizes, online education quickly becomes transactional.
Another overlooked issue is teacher preparation. Teaching online is not the same as teaching offline. It requires different skills—facilitating discussion, managing engagement, interpreting limited visual cues, and guiding activity-based work remotely.
Many teachers are asked to “go online” without any training in these methods. They are handed digital tools but not pedagogical support. The result is predictable: reliance on lectures, worksheets, and assessments that test recall rather than understanding.
Online education can only succeed if teachers are trained specifically for it—not as a fallback option, but as a distinct professional practice.
A real online school is more than scheduled classes on a video platform. It requires a structured ecosystem: learning management systems, progress tracking, diagnostic assessments, and consistent communication with parents.
Without this, learning becomes fragmented. Parents are forced to compensate, children rely on external tuition, and the school loses visibility into actual learning outcomes.
Many online models have “classes” but not a coherent learning system. This distinction matters.
As environmental disruptions, health crises, and mobility challenges become more common, flexible learning is no longer optional. Online education will continue to grow.
The real question is not whether online schooling works.
The question is: Are we willing to design it properly?
When online education is built around how children actually learn—through activity, reflection, interaction, and feedback—it does not dilute learning. It deepens it. It builds independence, curiosity, and understanding.
Online learning failed only where design failed. Where pedagogy led the process, it succeeded quietly—often without headlines.
If we stop treating online education as a temporary substitute and start treating it as a serious discipline, the conversation will change. Not all online schools are the same. And when designed thoughtfully, online learning is not a compromise—it is a powerful possibility.
(Dinesh Gupta is the Founder & CEO of Vikalp India.)
(Sign up for THEdge, The Hindu's weekly education newsletter.)
Published - January 01, 2026 03:18 pm IST
education / teaching and learning
Source: TheHindu
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