Why students should embrace online learning during school holidays

When Covid-19 hit this wide old world hard in March 2020, it paralysed learning at all levels. Somewhat, learners had to find ways of staying focused. But being that there is always a silver lining on every cloud, people thought of creative and innovative ways of engaging learners while holed up at home. Therefore, as part of home-schooling, online learning became the Hobson’s choice. This became more possible because learners in this dispensation are digitally-tick. We are living in an age with digital advantage. Therefore, with good guidance, students can join and learn on online spaces such as zoom platform. 

Actually, at God’s Pen Consultancy, we had to break the mold. So, we thought about how to assist students in such tough times. So, we came up with Penman Online Programme. We set up separate premium zoom accounts. Luckily, in the process, we managed to assist several students to remain focused like laser beams during Covid-19 crisis. Consequently, we have kept on engaging students every holiday. In 2024, when the April Holiday spilled into May due to national flash floods and teachers’ strike, we also took the plunge by setting up online lessons to assist several students to make wise use of the prolonged holiday. 

Advisedly, learning online calls for real reliance on ICT and digital devices such as smartphones, tablets or computers. There should be stable internet connection. Learners join to learn online by using the provided link or learning platform. This must be done in a pacific place, free from distractions. Withal, they should prepare learning materials such as notebooks, textbooks and pens. Then, while in class, it is important to be active and productive: Ask and answer questions. Attempt assignments shared by teachers. 

More importantly, when learners spare some time to join online lessons during the holiday, they access big benefits. For example, they keep learning. So, they remember content taught or read in school. They polish performance through regular practice, revision and repetition. They become consistent, which is a sweet secret to peerless performance. When learners attend online lessons, they prepare for upcoming school assessments such as opener exams, KCSE, SBAs and KCBE. They develop diligence, self-discipline and FOCUS (Following One Course Until Successful). They develop useful study skills such as positive mental attitude (PMA), time management, attention, concentration, consultation, writing notes, reading avidly, et cetera. They receive guidance and advice from teachers. They make productive use of holiday. They build confidence by staying engaged in academic work. They improve digital and online learning skills. They stay connected with classmates, peers, contemporaries and teachers beyond their schools. 

Again, students that yearn to learn and evince excellence must make wise use of every holiday. How? By basically balancing three things: attending to home chores, having free time for leisure, and more importantly, creating personal study time. This is in line with proper stewardship of time, with a special focus on Expansion of Learning Time. What is it? While at school, because time elapses as if late for a flight, Expansion of Learning Time entails shortening breaks and lunches. It is maximising on prep time and weekends. It is sleeping late, but waking up early. Then, when schools are closed for holiday, it is making wise use of every bit of it. Largely, during the holiday, learners must rest. For when they rest, they do not rust. During holiday, they should press pause buttons and reflect deeply in order to gather winsome wisdom. When reflecting, they can mend mistakes made while at school. During holiday, they can re-create themselves and re-charge academic batteries.  

Ideally, while students are holed up at home, it is sometimes challenging to spare some time for personal study. It is even harder for students who lack the will to win, strong self-drive and powerful personal initiative. Remember, in school, it is easier for students to remain focused like laser beams because schools are anchored on raft of rules, regulations, programmes, practices and quotidian routine. Too true, tintinnabulation of bells in schools assist students adhere to a certain way of doing things.

Conversely, at home, rules are relaxed. During the holiday, when there is a chance to join and learn on online platforms, it can be a form of personal study time. For instance, at Penman Online Programme, we have two lessons for Forms 4 and Grade 11 learners on daily basis. The first lesson runs from 8:00 to 9:30 am. After a brief break of 30 minutes, there is the second lesson which runs as from 10:00 to 11:30 am. Therefore, any diligent student who chooses to be part of our online school will have quality study time on daily basis.

Additionally, at the tail-end of every week, we focus on Learner-Support Programmes (LSPs), where we stage Life Skills Education, career and academic talks. Being that we visit schools in over 40 counties across the country, our online lessons are akin to vast nets catching fish in a large lake like Victoria – the mother of all rivers. We bring together learners from different schools: giving them vast array of opportunities to meet and interact online. With this, they manage to embrace collaborative learning recognised in best academic practices. 

Moreover, when learners meet, they can compare notes on best practices, programmes and approaches put in place in their schools. Likewise, we achieve this good goal when we engage teachers from different schools to teach Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English and Kiswahili in Form 4. Core Mathematics, Essential Mathematics, CSL, Literature in English, Fasihi ya Kiswahili, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English and Kiswahili in Grade. We focus more on these subjects because they are the core-career subjects needed for cluster combination for courses. Then, some of these subjects are challenging to some students hence calling for affirmative action.

Furthermore, in best academic practices, serious schools complete Form 3 syllabus in Form 3. There are no spillovers to Form 4. In case it is possible, they begin Form 4 syllabus in Form 3. It is not easy to meet such demanding objectives and targets when students focus on the bare minimum. So, they must stretch, pay the price and sacrifice. No wonder, some schools identify simple topics Form4 candidates can do on their own during the holiday. 

Finally, most schools complete Form 4 syllabus in Term 2. Thereafter, they launch in-depth revision programmes: to help Form 4 candidates to polish pale parts. Or to dot the i’s and to cross the t’s. Meaning, when learners get coveted chances to join and learn in online lessons, they can accrue some bountiful benefits. For instance, in our Penman Online Programme, we teach both forward and backward. Forward means, we teach students topics they will learn later in school. Backward means, we assist students re-visit topics they learnt earlier. It is revision or re-visiting. During the holiday, some learners have some shedloads of reads and assignments to attempt. Sometimes, students find some assignments to be quite challenging. While learning online, it is easier to consult the teacher at the tail-end of lessons to seek some assistance and support.