COVID-19 has had an especially heartfelt impact on education, we’ve all felt it. Online classes. Cancelled exams. Axed ECAs. Today, we’re seeing things return back to ‘normal’. However, there are some effects of the pandemic that will linger on for longer, and will have a profound impact on the future course of education. In this article, we’ll discuss the long-term effects of COVID on education, and also discuss how we can best prepare ourselves for a new future.
The Paradigm Shift
As the coronavirus was developing in the early months of 2020, none of us students could have predicted what was to come. In Dubai, what started with two weeks of distance learning in March 2020, became a months-long imprisonment in our homes. Away from our friends and teachers. Getting used to new methods of learning. Education was in crisis. And this was all around the globe.
Over time, online learning has really built a place for itself. Phenomenal demand for it means that there’s all sorts of softwares continuously being developed and improved to support virtual learning – whether it’s Zoom, Meets, Google Classroom, the list goes on. And there are a lot of reasons to consider going virtual. Compared to in-person schools and universities, it offers more personalisation, flexibility, and more time to spend on hobbies and interests. Nowadays, this is becoming more and more valuable.
To top it off, access to top tutors has never been easier, there’s an abundance of online learning communities to engage with, and a lot of money is saved in the switch to online learning.
I’ve offered online lessons for quite some time, and I commend the ease of it all. It’s beneficial to unlearn some traditional methods of a classroom, and instead innovate new ways of using technology to deliver lessons, conduct activities, and learn all together. With that in place, virtual learning can have more to offer than in-person classrooms.
Particularly, I appreciate the greater emphasis on teachers facilitating learning in virtual lessons. It encourages independence, self-direction, and self-discipline. There’s been an undisputed growth in online learning – we’ve explored why. And this marks the beginning of a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift in the conduct of education globally. Our current education system is pillared on standardisation and memorization. The once-ideal pathway of doing good in school to studying at a prestigious university to securing a rewarding job appears so blurry in today’s time. Both, universities and future employment, require much more done outside of school than in school. The demands of the 21st century are extensive, and it becomes our role to adapt. It’s no longer recommended to just score top grades, build a long list of extracurriculars, and hoard a needless amount of certificates into a folder. Instead, there is a genuine focus on developing originality, life skills, a sense of self, and passionately pursuing whatever niche interests and hobbies you might be interested in. Schools are continually revising their offerings to adapt to the demands of the 21st century – but today, a lot is dependent on the student itself.
To make the most of your student experience, whether in school or not, it’s important to engage in all kinds of activities. Not for the purpose of building a list, but to find out what you like and don’t like. With that vital piece of information, you can focus and develop on your more niche interests.
Looking back, I would say “why not” quite often to any opportunity that came by. Science Fair? Why not.