COVID-19 and Education: How the Pandemic is Moving Classrooms Online
The COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone’s minds these days. It’s forced millions of people all over the world to self-isolate, and has prompted thousands to move their work from the office to the relative safety of their homes. In many places, classes have been suspended or ended early as well, sending children and young adults to stay with family members.
But just as some businesses and companies are telecommuting, so are some children and young adults attending classes from the comfort of their homes through digital classrooms.
Logicbase Interactive takes a quick look into the situation in today’s article.
DIGITAL CLASSROOMS
Online classes have been around for some time, even before the pandemic chased students away from lecture halls and classrooms. However, they’ve been mostly relegated to short courses, usually electives and vocational training, such as VET classes in Australia. Generally speaking, four year course classes were rare in the digital classroom setting.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed this dynamic. With universities, colleges, and high schools facing pressure from government and local communities to suspend, stop, or move classes to a digital setting, the choices are few. Most are opting to close the school year earlier than planned; some are suspending classes. A considerable number of schools are electing to move classes online, however – for better or worse.
THE GAP BETWEEN TEACHER AND TECHNOLOGY
If you search through Twitter, you’ll find a lot of anecdotes from students and teachers alike lamenting their educators’ troubles with technology.
It may seem funny at first, but beneath the humor lies a sad truth. The sudden move from physical classrooms to digital ones means that many teachers and professors, who have until now relied on hard copy and face-to-face lectures, are left in the air with regards to navigating video calling apps. Students are stepping up to the plate and helping their educators work out how to set up programs like Skype and Zoom, but not all educators are so lucky.
There is also the concern that many students may not have the means to access online classes.
For example, inner city children who live in low-income households may not have the same access to laptops or tablets like middle-class suburban children might. Public libraries, which provide internet access for free, are not a viable option during the COVID-19 pandemic; they would either be closed to the public, or have limited hours during the day, restricting access to the general public, never mind the hundreds of students who may need to use library computers for their continued education.
THE PRESENT SITUATION
In China, over 180 million students have been sent home from their schools and mandated to continue their classes online. Meanwhile in the United States, printable remote teaching guides are being circulated to parents to help students in grades 6-12 keep up with their education. European and Central Asian schools, on the other hand, have opted for class suspension or early dismissal, with online learning optional.
As it stands, only 10% of all the countries in the world have the capacity and infrastructure to enact online learning practices. Of the 10%, only 50% of their population has access to mobile devices needed for online learning, and only less than 20% have access to stable internet connection.
What does this mean for online learning?
The pandemic may be speeding up the timetable by which academic institutions intend to move from physical classes to online ones. By forcing schools and educators to make the jump now – not tomorrow, not next term, not next year – the problems inherent in making such a bold move are coming to light, with schools and educators having to address these issues right away.
Schools in countries with stable infrastructure are better equipped to handle these changes with little to no hiccups. Other countries, however, may not be so lucky, and their responses post-pandemic may determine whether or not online classes will be viable or not in the coming future.
IN SUMMARY
Remote learning has been around for years, but has not been as prominently featured as an educational tool as it is now, thanks to the ongoing viral outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. With educators scrambling to update their teaching techniques, it may still be a while before online classes become the norm for learning, even after the pandemic has passed.
For now, though, online classrooms are providing a much-needed alternative for students who wish to continue their education while in self-isolation. Online classes are also obliging educators to learn new technologies to help deliver their curriculum, which may have the added benefit of updating academic tools in the long run.
Education is a right, and the ongoing pandemic is reminding us how important it can be. If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it’s that the resilience of human determination cannot be underestimated, and those seeking knowledge will find a way, even under self-isolation.
