The model, presented by our Assistance team, allows for timely monitoring of the participation of children and young people who are in on-site or remote classes, in order to avoid a distancing from the educational system that could lead to a definitive dropout.
The pandemic The pandemic brought with it a form of distance learning that, as several studies have pointed out, has an impact on the quality of learning. studies have pointed out, has an impact on the quality of learning. In addition, as a result of the complications associated with connectivity and the availability of technological resources, many students, especially those living in and availability of technological resources, many students, especially those who live in socially vulnerable social vulnerability, have progressively distanced themselves from the educational system.
Given this complex scenario, we propose the need to change the view of school attendance under the concept of "participation". This concept would allow us to approach school attendance both from the perspective of remote or hybrid education.
The head of the Yanira Aleé, head of the foundation's Assistance program, explains that "we approach participation as the students' frequent contact with the school. participation as the students' frequent contact with the school, either in person or virtually, to get involved in the development of learning experiences, i.e., a contact with a pedagogical focus. learning experiences, that is, a contact with a pedagogical focus".
In addition, he added that "addressing participation under a shared definition would allow us to He added that "addressing participation under a shared definition would allow us to timely follow-up with students to avoid their exclusion or distancing from the system, which could lead to process of distancing themselves from the system, which could lead to a definitive definitive desertion".
"The participation modality - face-to-face or virtual - does not have the same expected results in learning and socioemotional development. expected results in learning and social-emotional development, however, the important thing is to expose children to learning experiences that can be important is to expose children to learning experiences that can be provided through an online class, the activities sent to them by through an online class, activities sent to them via Whatsapp or printed guides. Whatsapp or printed guides that are handed out in homes. The important thing is that students have a feedback and link with the educational teams," he added. educational teams," he added.
In order to arrive at this new approach, we worked with representatives of other foundations, the Ministry of Education and schools. representatives of other foundations, the Ministry of Education and municipal schools in the Metropolitan, Coquimbo and Magallanes regions. and with municipal schools in the Metropolitan, Coquimbo and Magallanes regions. In these the causes of low student participation were analyzed and ideas were designed that will be tested. and ideas were designed that will be tested in different school contexts.
Juan Pablo Valenzuela, economist and researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE) of the University of Chile, who participated in this work. Education (CIAE) of the University of Chile, who participated in this conceptual work on the conceptual work, said that "in a context of a pandemic, it is critical that each school community is context of a pandemic, it is critical that each school community be linked regularly with each child and youth. with every child and young person on a regular basis. This connectivity is an enormous challenge, because in a context of closed schools or classes with hybrid methodologies, it is urgent to ensure this connectivity. methodologies, it becomes urgent to ensure this individualized socio-affective link. individualized. Thus, this proposal of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, with the active participation of teachers and school principals, offers us a valuable and school principals, proposes a valuable tool for monitoring and learning from this linkage, but also for and learn from this linkage, but also to monitor each student's own teaching-learning process. and learning process of each student, and it is a simple but very valuable design that should be replicated in many kindergartens. should be replicated in many kindergartens, schools and high schools throughout the country. the country.
The work under the new approach will be applied by the foundation to follow up on more than 6,000 children in kindergarten and elementary school in 15 Chilean and elementary school children in 15 districts of Chile.
