For the most part, we’ve had a tremendous response to having students and teachers get back to school, with almost everyone returning this week. Anyone who is not feeling well, should of course stay at home, but we are really encouraging students and parents to resist the urge to stay home for the day and access the HBL programme rather than SBL, and here are some more reasons why:
1. Excessive amounts of close-up eye contact – During SBL, students look down at handouts, jot notes, look at the teacher, and glance at others. In HBL, everyone is looking at everyone else on the screen, with listeners treated nonverbally as if they are speaking. Feeling comfortable when speaking in front of all one's peers is still one of the biggest challenges for our students. In addition, other students’ faces seem uncomfortably close, sized as they would be in an intimate or tense conversation which can be disconcerting.
2. Constantly seeing yourself during video meetings – In the real world, if somebody was following you around with a mirror constantly – so that while you were talking to people, making decisions, getting feedback – you were seeing yourself in a mirror, that would just be crazy. In HBL, constantly seeing yourself in real time causes self-consciousness and stress.
3. Less getting up and moving around – During SBL, students can move and walk around whereas during HBL most students will be spending the majority of time in one place. There’s growing research now that says when students are moving, they’re performing better cognitively.
4. Higher cognitive load – During a HBL, we can’t use gestures, nonverbal cues, body language, and quick glances at others as much as SBL . That means we have to work harder to fully and comfortably express ourselves and understand others.
Overall then, while it may seem easier to stay home, coming into school will have a more positive energising effect on our students than staying home. Looking forward to seeing everyone next week.
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