In a few months, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) has adversely changed how students from all parts of the world learn. The changes have given us a picture of how education might change for the worse – or the better – in the long term. With COVID-19 spreading very fast across Europe, Asia, the United States and the Middle East, countries are taking swift decisive actions to lessen the extent and seriousness of the pandemic. Most governments have suspended attendance at the educational centers – schools and universities. This has affected millions of students in all parts of the globe.
Due to the employed risk-control strategies, millions of students are temporarily out of school, particularly in the heavily affected countries like South Korea, China, Iran and Italy. The changes caused inconvenience but they have also prompted new online educational innovations. COVID-19 might have lasting impacts on digitization and learning innovation trajectory. Here are some of the educational trends hinting future transformations.
Online education is influencing lifelong learning
With stay home directives, the demand for online education is increasing. Individuals who would want to change their job, retain their current ones or advance their careers are taking online courses. Even though they are taking short-term-focused programs, they are more likely to benefit in the long term. Online graphic design courses are among the online courses most people are taking in addition to other courses that can be done online. Online education is a perfect choice for people who need both short term and long-term programs.
Pushed need for online education may lead to many innovations
Education institutions in all parts of the globe have been changing very slowly. What people expect in the institutions is old lecture-based teaching approaches and the old-fashioned classrooms. However, the corona pandemic is acting as a catalyst for the educational institutions to search for fast solutions. In China, students have been relying on live television broadcasts to get learning materials and interactive apps.
A Nigerian school augmented online learning tools with face-to-face video instructions to educate the students. Students in Lebanon are already leveraging online learning, including for the physical education subjects. They send their sports and athletic training videos to teachers as homework, something that is helping them learn more digital skills.
Public-private education partnerships are more important today
Learning coalitions and consortiums are already taking shape. Education professionals, publishers, governmental organizations, telecom networks operators and technology providers are coming together to develop temporary solutions to the COVID-19 crisis. In countries where governments are the predominant education providers, that might turn out to be a consequential future education trend.
The Ministry of Education in China is developing cloud-based broadcasting and online learning platforms and upgrading the education infrastructure. In Hong Kong, entertainment industry professionals, publishers, educational organizations and media houses are offering book chapters, videos, counselling services and assessment tools free of charge. The organizations intend to continue helping students, including after the pandemic has ended. Many other technology companies are working hard to develop better online education platforms.
Non-degree credentials are on the rise
Many online courses platforms have cropped up recently. The platforms provide grouped online classes series for which learners can get a certificate upon completion. After getting a certificate, people will record it on their social media profiles, such as on LinkedIn. Universities also use the performance in short-term online courses as input into their processes.
After admissions, students can get credits towards their degrees for work they completed online. That is not all, online institutions offer Small Private Online Courses (SPOCS), which offer special training programs with deep dives into the content. That makes them a good choice for all professionals. Keep in mind that the entry barriers for online courses are very low.
The digital divide is expanding
The affected schools are relying on short-term solutions. The quality and level of digital access are affecting the quality of the offered educational materials. After all, only less than 60 percent of the world’s population can access the internet. Even though virtual classes in Hong Kong are the norm, students in the less developed countries heavenly rely on assignments and lessons sent through email or WhatsApp.
Kids in the less digitally savvy and less affluent families are likely to be left behind. The high cost of data plans and digital devices means that the students will lose out when schools transition online. Unless the access costs reduce and the quality increases in every country, not every student will benefit.
Conclusion
The fast spread of COVID-19 has proved that online education is beneficial. Students can still learn when facing threats such as extremist violence, climate insecurity, and pandemic diseases. Technology is changing rapidly but the pandemic is an opportunity that should remind us of the skills school going kids and adults need, such as creative problem solving, informed decision making and adaptability. In all cases, the learner will be the winner.
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