The Regularity of the Chaos Conditions in Online Learning

Writer : Tundung Memolo

The government has established online learning in most parts of Indonesia. Face-to-face is eliminated and replaced with virtual face-to-face either through Google Meet, Microsoft 365, Webex, or Zoom. Although this virtual face-to-face practice has not reached most of them, especially at junior high school level and below.

Like it or not, like it or not, the teacher switches learning from the majority offline to the majority online, which is known as online learning, which is learning from home either with virtual face-to-face or assignments.

For some teachers who don't like the integration of IT-based learning, online learning is one of the scary things. Because they interact with something new, which is something that has not been done so far. So that there is stuttering in technology.

The implementation of online learning, which has been going on for several months, still leaves several obstacles. There are at least 5 aspects, namely in terms of teachers, students, infrastructure, patterns of interaction, and the socio-cultural community. Constraints in the five aspects above have caused an irregularity in the implementation of learning, which is known as chaotic conditions.

Ideally, in learning to get a maximum output from a process when the five aspects, namely teachers, students, infrastructure, patterns of interaction, or the community's socio-culture can be of perfect value. If you don't want to be said to be perfect, so be it as possible. Although in reality these ideal conditions will not be found. That is, an ideal or regular condition is something relative.

This regularity is only an ideal, but as a stake holder of education, he continues to strive for this ideal condition. The conditions that are not ideal, are often seen as something organized by teachers who are comfortable when they can meet face to face with students even without using supporting technology. This is regularity meaning narrow.

The ideal of an order is often interpreted as something narrow, namely face to face. Therefore, when face-to-face face-to-face is not possible, it is said to be chaotic (irregular).

Whereas when a broadly defined order is defined as an ideal condition with a maximum of these five aspects, then even one aspect cannot be maximized, in fact chaos has occurred. It means that there are problems in the process which result in the learning process output that is not optimal. So with this definition, the conditions experienced before the pandemic can be said to be chaotic.

Regardless of the meaning of chaos, the question that arises is, can the learning process in this chaotic condition be maximized so that it is able to approach an order? The answer, is not something that is impossible. Because the teacher's condition is able to face to face with students, the teacher feels comfortable even without supporting infrastructure, the teacher considers it a regular condition, it is very possible to create an online learning process in this pandemic period to become an order.

In chaos theory it is often known as a change. This change is an initial value. The slightest change, the impact will be seen in the future. Cannon motion, free fall motion, or straight movement of an object is closely related to its initial velocity. Recursive functions in mathematics are affected by initial values. When several functions that have initial values ​​differ even slightly, the result of the value of the umpteenth function will change.

Even if this initial value is very small, it will have an impact. This concept is what makes us not underestimate the slightest change. These changes need to be believed as having an impact. The expected impact is regularity, which is the ideal condition for a learning process.

Then how to get this initial value? Actually, with teachers and students doing online learning to the fullest even without face to face, it has actually made a difference. Perhaps this change has not been seen in the current conditions, but in the future, it will be seen.

Let's take a look at the impact that can be felt. Teachers who previously held cellphones only as a means of communication, are now starting to use them to provide assignments via WA. Teachers who have laptops are already familiar with several applications related to learning. Webinars were scattered and teachers crowded into registering. Students begin to adapt to independent learning by opening links shared by the teacher.

In terms of interaction patterns, it seems that students are starting to dare to ask their teachers to guide them in solving problems in the subject matter. In terms of infrastructure, several schools provide internet credit facilities to teachers and students. The computer begins to connect to the internet network. Sharing knowledge and information is easily visible.

From the socio-cultural aspect of the community, communication has been established between parents and students, between village officials and the school, and even the local government facilitates online webinars.

This is what we can see and feel. That the education gap is no longer so obvious between urban and rural education. However, internet facilities are still found in an area that are not supported. But gradually, it will be resolved soon.

Without realizing it, it is precisely the five aspects of the ideal conditions of a learning process that can be intertwined during this pandemic. Even though, it can't be maximized. However, these small changes are starting to show. Many teachers have become educational content YouTubers. Students began to dare to appear in front of the camera during presentations. The relationship between the teacher and the university “almameter”. This is an authentic proof that order can be created in the current chaotic conditions.

Furthermore, the government needs to give appreciation for these changes. Focus on establishing internet towers, low-cost quotas for students and teachers, and convenience services in webinar facilities. It is also necessary to create an education-based television capable of reaching all regions accompanied by quality content.