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Credit: CFBL
The future of
DIGITAL LEARNING COVID-19 HAS SHAKEN UP EDUCATION IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. BUT IT’S NOT ALL BAD. VICTORIA EVANS LOOKS AT THE RISE OF DIGITAL LEARNING AND EDTECH
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ands up if remote learning from their homes, whether in London was a piece of cake? or poolside in Spain. It seems an Anyone? And hands obvious choice for home schoolers It’s about up whether your children were or children who suffer from moving towards whizzier with the tech than anxiety, victims of bullying or you? From Microsoft Teams to those with needs which can’t be the classroom of Google Classroom, Class Dojo, met in a traditional setting. But the future. hangouts and breakout rooms, they’re not the only pupils. it’s been a steep learning curve Esther Clark from Wey Education, for teachers and parents alike. And the parent company of InterHigh says: that’s just for the schools and families “Our school certainly attracts students that had access to tech, the internet and who are looking for a mainstream alternative printers for all those worksheets. Research by the but some of our students have found it fits Sutton Trust found that 10% of teachers said all better with their lifestyle or prepares them their pupils had adequate access to devices and for what they want to do in the future. Sometimes the internet. But despite the challenges, digital students prefer to learn at home while others are learning has a chance to become a more integral professional student athletes or artists and value part of daily school life. the flexibility we offer. We have whole families The Lycée Winston Churchill in Wembley has of students who study at InterHigh because of embraced technology so well, that it launched their unique lifestyle or because they have moved LIL Online last Autumn. The programme allows overseas and want consistency in their learning children to study the full curriculum remotely, and value a UK education.” while enjoying a communal learning experience. The Good Schools Guide recommends that we It matches the studies followed by the on-campus “cast aside all preconceptions you’ve ever had students with daily, live interactive classes. The about schools. It certainly isn’t for everyone – bilingual curriculum provides crucial structure perhaps even for most – but for many families, and participation for those being home-schooled, it is viewed as (quite literally in some cases) a or perhaps those following their parents’ lifesaver, with a community of enthusiastic, international careers as they move around but interested and often (but not always) introverted can continue their studies before or after their self-starters that thrive on their four hours of time in London. For those who can’t attend intense tuition a day.” school in person, it’s the closest thing to being Perhaps one of the most exciting innovations there. in digital learning, is the use of artificial But this internationally-minded school isn’t intelligence or AI. Award-winning educational the only one with a full curriculum offering technology company, CENTURY combines online. Non-selective InterHigh, established learning science, AI and neuroscience and in 2005, welcomes pupils from across the UK it’s coming to a school near you. It aims to and internationally. It is purely online, with aid teachers in the classroom by identifying no on-site teaching at all. Original head and gaps in knowledge, personalising content and founder Paul Daniell wanted to create a school targeting interventions as well as offering access that met everyone’s needs and used the best of to thousands of learning resources. It’s also traditional and modern ways of schooling. For designed to save on teacher workload across the teachers here, they’re used to giving lessons primary and secondary schools. CITYKIDSMAGAZINE.CO.UK 33
