Ask HN: Is anyone working on anything cool in remote schooling/learning? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Is anyone working on anything cool in remote schooling/learning?

7 pointswNjdbfm3 comments

It seems that during the pandemic we crossed some invisible line with regard to remote working, certainly in tech adjacent fields. Remote schooling has been a much tougher nut to crack for a variety of reasons. My own kids, jr high and college age, have seen their instructors just abjectly fail at running online versions of their classes. One would think that two years in things would improve but there’s no sign of that from what I can see.

Is anyone here working on anything cool in EduTech that they wouldn’t mind sharing/describing? Any thoughts on how we could improve remote and / or hybrid learning?

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I think a big part of why remote learning is such a "tough nut to crack" is because in-person learning is about the social experience as much as anything else.

As much as I've enjoyed online courses that I've taken, even the ones with robust Discord channels haven't felt the same as in-person courses. At least in my experience, so much learning is done outside of the classroom in study groups, talking to teachers/professors, and even in casual conversations with other students. While some of that can be facilitated with technology and appropriate structure, it simply doesn't have the same effect as putting all those people in the same physical space.

There's also the cost aspect: CS50x and Nand2Tetris are among the best courses I have taken, including the in-person classes I took for my Bachelor's. However,I don't think I'd be nearly as satisfied if I'd paid university tuition for either. I've taken a few community college courses remotely during the pandemic, and after experiencing high-quality MOOCs, it's hard to avoid the feeling that I'm basically paying a hefty premium for the credential.

Hi, I am Gal Novak the Founder of Weelrn the first Student Generated e-learning platform (https://www.weelrn.com/). Not sure if it's cool or not but it is most definitely needed in schools. Our AI Algorithm supports Social and Engaging e-learning for the students, Hands Free teaching for the teachers and as a Saas solution it is costefective for the schools. Learning is a social activity but making e-learning social is one of the biggest challenge for teachers in remote and hybrid learning. We solve this by using tech to get students involved in the teaching process and generate their own learning, freeing the teachers to focus on face-to-face teaching. For more info: galnovak@weelrn.com

I think the technology is there to facilitate online learning. The teacher training and practices are another thing altogether. So a big need for basic computing education for all!

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