Taking the Example of God for Online Education

 A great challenge of our time is online learning. On one side, it provides a continuity of education despite physical or biological problems, but on the other side, it puts us face to face with the fact that we are human beings and need physical co-presence for a sustained focus, effective learning and a satisfactory human interaction. Although these challenges become more pronounced for the youngsters, they impact the adults as well. Is there a guide showing the right path in this context?

Pondering over such issues, it occurred to me that we could find help from an unexpected source. We humans are not the only ones doing distance learning/teaching. Although we are not aware of it, there is an education going on in the entire world through a broadband and ubiquitous broadcast. A teacher we have never seen is trying to teach us things. Yes, that teacher is God. And I think there are lessons we could learn from His distance teaching techniques.

1. Forming local groups and assigning local leaders

Throughout the history, God communicated His words to humanity through messengers. These messengers were individuals directly from within the communities, and especially in the rather ancient times, there were multiple messengers at the same time, each for their own people.

Similarly, although the teacher might be away from the students, the students are close to each other. At least, there are groups that live in each other's proximity. So, in order to foster a group spirit and create a learning atmosphere, encouraging the groups to form is rather useful. Next, in order to facilitate a division of labor and to emplace a factor of trigger for others, selecting leaders within groups is important. In order to avoid a sense of "not my job", the position of leadership can be shifted among the group members.

2. Using examples from familiar daily life items and events

A key feature of the Quran is that it directs our attentions to the things that we witness always and ignore due to familiarity. Those familiar things, however, contain elements of miraculousness when studied with care. In fact, such deliberate study and contemplation is a key ingredient of a healthy relationship between God and His servants. 

Becoming irrelevant is one of the pitfalls of education today. Not everything that a student learns in a lesson is directly related to a job or to an experience they might have in real life. In order to give relevance and induce awe, involving daily items and events for experiments or for examples is a key treatment. This becomes even more important and vital for online education where retaining student attention and increasing retention of the course material is an extreme challenge.

 3. Never neglecting the one-to-one interaction

Class environment is a whole sale type affair in the education system. This, however, is a major hurdle in real education. In its original definition, education means a permanent change in the behavior of the learner. Such level of achievement cannot be established without a focused interaction between the educator and the student. Similar to the daily prayers, which are unmediated communications between the Creator and the individuals, teachers must establish one-to-one interaction time with their students.

4. Homework to enable learning by doing

Reading the Quran, one thing you cannot miss is the constant juxtaposition of faith and action. In short, if you believe in God and the judgment day, you must act in accordance with your belief. Those who utter words of faith but fail to act accordingly are those whose faith has not yet been ingrained in their hearts. To achieve this, nevertheless, they are encouraged to act even if in small steps. 

In an environment of distance learning, a similar approach is indispensable. Students must put into practice what they were taught in the lessons and feel it in their heart. They must toil to achieve something, even if small, and must get out of their comfort zone to acquire a habit  of trying. Of course this will not happen just by assigning homework. The teachers must keep in touch with their students through on-to-one communications and guide them, and if necessary motivate them.

5. Encouraging mutual help in the exams

At several places, Allah instructs the believers to help each other in doing good and avoiding evil. He encourages and praises those who recommend each other the truth and patience. This notion of group study is only newly taking roots in the modern education. More often than not, helping each other is unconditionally treated as cheating in exams. When put in a class environment, however, this approach creates masses that are left behind. Online learning exacerbates this wound of education, sadly. Yet, encouraging a sense of group, motivating the students to help each other to learn, while ensuring individual progress through the one-to-one interaction between the teacher and the students can solve many problems and enable education in the real sense.