During the COVID-19 lock-down, we had to switch to online learning within a short span of time. A lot of arrangements had to be made, but thankfully we were able to offer subscriptions to cloud-based productivity tools such as Office 365 to all our students, so that they can continue their learning anytime and anywhere.
The next challenge for us was to ensure all the students had a suitable device for online learning. We know from experience and independent research that Pacific households are more likely to lack access to IT devices and the internet. As 71% of our students are of Pacific and Maori ethnicity, we started to plan for offering them devices before COVID-19. But as a result of the pandemic and the lock-down, everything had to be brought forward. The Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC) Technology Access Fund for Learners (TAFL) came in handy. With the TAFL, we were able to source and deliver Chromebooks to students who were in need of a device.
Students were grateful for the support and relieved that they had access to technology so they could continue with their studies.
This is all part of adapting to the new norm. Learning never stops!
For more on the Technology Access Fund for Learners, please visit:
