Ways COVID-19 Could Change How We Educate Future Generations
Ways COVID-19 Could Change How We Educate Future Generations
COVID-19 has brought humanity on its knees. Affecting nearly 12.5 million people worldwide and global economies grappling with lockdowns, life as we know it will possibly be never the same again. In a bid to contain the virus there were introductions of lockdown measures and social distancing. This has an adverse effect on a regular day to day function across the world.
One of the worst impacted sectors due to the pandemic is the education sector. As per the World Economic Forum, over a billion are unable to attend classes in their respective institutions. According to UNESCO figures, nearly 1.3 billion students worldwide were not able to attend a school or University as of March 23, 2020. Despite temporary closure of schools and universities, many institutions have resorted to online classes. However, the future of education is headed towards a massive paradigm shift.
What could change in the future?
Technology will play a dominant role in making education accessible and safe for educators and students. The change is not merely restricted to virtual classes; the change will revolve around devising new effective teaching approaches and redefining the role of educators. Communication dynamics between teachers and students are bound to change. If online classes are to be the new norm, interaction between peers, between teachers and students will witness a remarkable change. This is an overwhelming challenge to teachers across the globe.
As per UNESCO official data, nearly 100 countries haven’t announced a reopening date for educational institutions, while 65 countries are contemplating either a partial or full reopening. 32 countries have confirmed to continue with the academic year online. With travel ban and restrictions, students aspiring to study abroad might be compelled to reconsider their plans or wait until further notification from concerned authorities.
Home schooling will be normalized along with parents working from home. Education will now be centered on enabling students to acquire life survival skills along with Professional Courses. Digital learning will be easier for future generations to adapt to. Ease of understanding and usage of technology will be a boon. Although the question of screen time and social interactions pose a concern, new innovations in academic learning will solve these problems.
Role of Educators
Since remote digital learning will pick up pace, the focus will remain on how the role of a teacher changes. To begin with, students have a plethora of options to access the internet and source for information. What does this mean for teachers? Minus the classroom experience and providing individual attention to students, teachers are now tasked with finding innovative ways to engage the interests of students. From traditional teaching, teachers will now assume the role of moderators. Students will be encouraged to embrace project-based learning through assignments and self-study.
Teachers must take on a more empathetic role as communicators who will take charge of creating a better bond with students. This will ensure the value addition of developing personal skills. Teachers are now the catalyst for change. With technology taking an unprecedented central role in education, teachers will now be at liberty to craft their own creative teaching techniques.
Social isolation can impact co-curricular activities such as sports, theatre, or annual celebrations. Educators must find a way to bridge the gap until their school or college can reopen with new safety guidelines.
Despite numerous challenges ahead, teaching community can proudly hold the mantle of heroes that shape the future of humanity. We at Explore Education offer Business Management course in UAE and are proud of our faculty in their efforts to reach out to our student community.