Has COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Education? How?

For most part of 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 was omnipresent in almost every part of the world. Unfortunately, the closed doors of the school (due to the lightning spread of the disease) have impacted over 1.2 billion children across 186 countries of the globe, considering every country has different counts of infection rates. The contrast is quite stark given that toddlers and pre-teens have returned to school in Denmark after 1.5 months of webcam microphone classes since 12th March 2020, and South Korean students have not been able to say adieu to these devices till date.
The sudden shift of the education system from on-site classroom to the virtual one now makes many people wonder whether it is a short-term coping mechanism or online exam and education is the future to persist post-pandemic and, most significantly, how will it impact the world education market.

Surprisingly, education technology devices were on surge long before the COVID-19 pandemic. The global investment count on the Edu-tech devices, including language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or online learning software, was US$18.66 billion in 2019, and with pandemic changing the form of education, investors project the numbers to rise to $350 billion by 2025

• Academic sector’s response to COVID-19

Using the demand for education technologies, most online platforms now offer free services. For example, BYJU’S, the world’s most loved edu-tech company that started its journey in 2011 from Bangalore, began offering free access to their Think and Learn services. Expectedly, the product use has increased by 200% since its announcement, informed Mrinal Mohit, the Chief Operating Officer of BYJU’S.

\
Similarly, Tencent Classroom has observed significant changes. When the Chinese government advised its nearly 250,000 students to begin education through online platforms in mid-February 2020, Tencent became a familiar name. In fact, it became a part of the most significant online movement, with 81% of the Wuhan K-12 students using “Tencent K-12 Online School” to attend their virtual classes.

Some unique partnerships surface now. For example, The Los Angeles Unified School District and PBS SoCal/KCET are working together to broadcast education to its local students with separate television channels focusing on different age groups and catering to other digital options. In India, West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary education tied up with ABP Ananda, a local news channel, to conduct its virtual classes for K-9 to K-12 standard students in April 2020.

• The future of learning

While some essay writers think that the unplanned and rapid transit to online learning without training, low bandwidth, and little arrangement will lead to a substandard user experience, it is unfavourable for sustained growth. Others presume that the emerging new progeny of education will yield significant benefits. Wang Tao, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Vice President of Tencent Education, expects the amalgamation of information technology with education to increase further in the coming days. It can be an integral part of school education.

You can see that Wang Tao’a prediction was not wholly vague; some successful transitions is already taking place, especially in the epicentre of the Covid -19 pandemic. Proving the statement, Zhejiang University now uses “DingTalk ZJU” to offer more than 5,000 courses online. Likewise, the Imperial College of London’s course on Coronavirus science is the most enrolled class in Coursera since its launch in 2020.

Many are already advertising the advantages. Dr Amjad, The University of Jordan Professor who has used Lark to teach his students, opines that online classes have changed the method of teaching. It enables teachers to reach out to students more competently and effectively through chat groups, video meetings, voting, and document sharing, especially during this pandemic. From his point of view, both on school education must run hand in hand.

• The challenges

However, there are some roadblocks to overcome. Some students without reliable internet access and technology stumble to take part in digital learning. This divide is more evident across low-income countries and between income brackets within countries. For example, as per OCED reports, while 95% of students in Switzerland, Norway, and Austria have a computer to use for their schoolwork, only 34% in Indonesia do.

The USA has a visible gap between those from privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, while almost all 15-year-olds from wealthy homes had computer access, nearly 25% of those from disadvantaged backgrounds did not. In Australia’s New South Wales, some government schools offered digital equipment to students; many were lying in the dark and worried that the pandemic would widen the digital gap.

• Is learning online effective?

Those who have got the right technology have noticed learning online can be more effective in several ways. Some research suggests that by and large, students remember 25-60% more information when learning online compared with only 8-10% in a classroom. It is because students can learn faster online; e-learning is 40-60% less arduous to learn than in a traditional classroom setting because students can set their own pace to learn, go back and re-read, skip, or accelerate through concepts as they choose.

Nevertheless, the impact of online learning varies amongst age groups. The general sense on children, especially younger ones, is that they need a structured environment since kids are more prone to distraction.

Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and President of its Cloud and Smart Industries Group, feels that more substantial effort to offer structure through video conferencing classes is needed apart from replicating the classrooms. It must include a range of allied tools that offer inclusion, personalisation and intelligence.

Final Thoughts

This pandemic has completely disrupted an education system that many feel have lost its relevance. Could the step towards online learning catalyse a new, effective method of education? While some worry that the quick transition may have hindered this goal, others plan to absorb e-learning as a part of their new everyday life.

Are you worried about what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has on education? Did the shift to online learning bring any positive changes? Click here to get more details.

Author Bio: Patrick Bate is a teacher of a reputed international school in London. He also supervises the global assignment help solutions offered by MyAssignmenthelp.co.uk If you need any assistance. you may contact him at MyAssignmenthelp.co.uk