Guardian UK Online Learning
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British Council accused of forcing gig economy teachers into ‘feeding frenzy’ for work
With regular teaching hours unavailable, agency tutors must compete for lessons
The British Council has been accused of exploiting hundreds of agency teachers on zero-hour contracts forced to compete for lessons in a “feeding frenzy” every week.
An open letter from teaching staff reveals the prestigious government-funded public body does not offer regular hours to tutors on its popular English Online platform, which provides lessons to more than 45,000 students worldwide.
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Free online virtual reality tool helps people tackle public speaking nerves
Cambridge scientist behind VR platform says it could help those put off by high cost of speech anxiety treatment
A free online platform that allows speakers to practise in front of thousands of virtual spectators has been released to help with the anxiety many feel when presenting to an audience.
Dr Chris Macdonald, the founder of the Immersive Technology Lab at Cambridge University and who created the online platform, said the approach was an attempt to reduce the lengthy waits or high costs people often face when seeking help.
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Online learning can’t replace being in school | Letter
Jim McManners is dismayed by the suggestion that children who find it difficult to work cooperatively would be better off with remote lessons
While statistics show that there is clearly a problem with some children, or their families, not valuing their time in school, I take issue with Anne Fine’s suggested solution (Anne Fine: children should be allowed to learn online instead of going to school, 7 September).
She is right to suggest that young people react badly to being considered empty vessels into which information is poured. Good teachers in our education system have avoided this model of learning for some time. However, the idea that children who find it difficult to work cooperatively would be better learning remotely fills me with dismay.
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Higher education was easily accessible to disabled people during Covid. Why are we being shut out now? | Rosie Anfilogoff
The pandemic showed that remote learning is effective. It’s absurd that universities are going back to processes that exclude us
- Rosie Anfilogoff is the winner of the 2024 Hugo Young Award (19-25 age category) recognising young talent in political opinion writing
My route to university was never going to be simple. While my friends were flicking through university brochures and choosing Ucas options, I was signing chemotherapy consent forms in the teenage cancer unit at Addenbrooke’s hospital and throwing up in its weirdly tropical island-themed bathrooms. Even before then, my severe chronic illness made attending traditional university unthinkable – until the pandemic happened.
In 2020, for the first time, it became possible to attend a brick-and-mortar university online. Universities became accessible – or at least, more accessible than they had ever been – practically overnight. Accommodations that disabled students had been requesting for years, such as lecture recordings and software that would allow them to take exams from home, were slotted into place so that students could learn remotely. Suddenly, friends at university were having the kind of experience that would have enabled me to join them.But since the “end” of the pandemic, online learning has withered away and thousands of students have been left without sufficient access. By returning to the pre-pandemic state of affairs, universities are failing current and prospective disabled students like me.
Rosie Anfilogoff is a writer and journalist
Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.
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UK students: has your attitude towards attending university lectures changed?
We’re keen to hear from students at UK universities how they’ve been feeling about attending lectures and tutorials
We’re interestedto hear from university students in the UK about their attitude towards in-person lectures and tutorials, and attending university classes generally.
Whether you’ve been appreciating the return of face-to-face teaching since the pandemic, have experienced reduced interest in attending tutorials and lectures or have been attending your classes as usual but have experienced a change in attitude nonetheless, we’d like to hear from you.
You can see the article that included respondents to this callout here.
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