The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has carried out a recent study highlighting that school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are negatively affecting 98 million children throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

UWI Open campus Deputy Principal, Dr. Francis Severin in speaking about the study is arguing that “regional development is set to face a significant setback” given the findings of so many children being affected in the region by school closures triggered by the pandemic. Given this reality, Dr. Severin is pointing to the clear and urgent need to equip teachers with the appropriate skills and techniques to enable them to effectively deliver online teaching and learning, where schools remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He argued that must be the top priority of The University of the West Indies noting that improving the delivery of online teaching is critical to regional sustainability. Dr. Severin highlighted the upcoming Open Campus webinar where a panel of global experts in online teaching and learning techniques will be delivering on the topic: ‘Pedagogical Approaches to Online Teaching and Learning: Strategies for Success.’

The webinar is being hosted by the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute and TEACHGood /LEADGood Foundation. The webinar is scheduled for this Wednesday, March 10 at 4:30pm, and is currently open for registration.

Key note presenters delving in online learning and distance education

The lead presenter will be Dr. Luz Longsworth, who is principal of The UWI Open Campus, and has played a pioneering role in advancing the online delivery of courses across the region. She will demonstrate the best method of online learning to increase retention of information among students, and improve the quality of learning in less time.  

Dr. Severin noted that “the 10 years and more of online teaching and learning by the Open Campus have led to the designing of simple techniques and strategies to achieve better communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking among students.”

Presentation experts will include Professor Paul Bacsich, visiting professor at the University of Derby online learning, and a consultant in e-learning, distance and open learning for over 30 years, and Dr. Denise Gaspard-Richards, one of the region’s foremost authority in distance education and director of the Open Campus Academic Programming and Delivery.

Education and Leadership Consultant, Dr. Renee Rattray, who is the Chief Learning Officer at the Foundation, noted that the rapid move to online learning has created the need for the adoption of new pedagogical approaches to ensure that the integration of information technology in education will be used to improve the learning capabilities of our students and maintain quality education that is necessary for growth and development.

Head of the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute, Danny Roberts made the point that teachers “have been responding positively to the opportunity to improve their capabilities of providing improved quality outcomes in our education system.”  He said that research shows that effective online learning and teaching will only occur where teachers receive targeted training and support for online instructions.

The webinar is expected to attract teachers at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels as well as presentation experts and corporate personnel who will be called upon to make presentations on various online platforms.