The education sector has faced many challenges over the years. These challenges presented themselves in the form of students not being able to access enough educational resources. These challenges magnified during the pandemic of 2019 as schools and educational institutes had to close down, and alternative education methods had to be adapted.
One of these methods which became an immediate success was online education. While it was a brilliant idea in the face of unprecedented trials, it was also not easy to execute. This article will walk through ways for coping and improving education and what the future holds for prospective educational models. Here’s all you need to know:
- Teachers Had To Shift Towards Coping
Suppose there is an unprecedented event such as a natural disaster, power outage, and a recent addition to the list, the pandemic. In that case, teachers need to show adaptability and ability and turnover to a new method of education.
Although using the radio or getting a TV channel dedicated to the school may be brilliant prospects. However, while it may sound easy, navigating through these platforms is not easy. Numerous students don’t have access to many technological resources that introduce digital diversity. It also leads to the question of what is the digital divide in education and why is it still a prevalent issue? The digital divide is due to the inadequate division of resources between people and communities. Teachers can cope with this divide by supporting children and providing them resources through a courier service. They can also discuss with parents and caregivers how they can ensure children get the education and help they need through a collaborative effort.
- Supporting Teachers And Students From A Distance
Schools and many educational institutes also rolled out many smart devices such as laptops to help students catch up on education. Teachers began making videos and dispatching their online classes on platforms such as zoom and even google meet. It is one method to ensure that a classroom is in disarray despite the natural order of running, and education is not put on hold.
For college students, online education means online degrees. These degrees can easily be obtained online through a self-paced system that enables college students to study when it suits them and submit assignments while balancing their life outside of school, such as part-time jobs. Parents can also make sure students attend these classes and help them study their lessons in case children are facing difficulties in their lessons.
- Helping Teachers Maintain Continuity
Whether teachers are dispatching lectures online or offline, they need to maintain quality. Technological platforms alone aren’t enough to help students keep up with their lessons. Teachers have to change their teaching style. It means lectures had to be rewritten; if the school had resources, they could make animations to supplement examples. Teachers also need to be mindful that there is a greater time limit on an online platform than in a traditional classroom. Therefore, teachers need to make sure the lesson plan fits the new structure. Continuity also includes managing education once the schools reopen.
Schools need to open safely, which is only possible if the government pitches in and ensures the infrastructure is enough to support students making their way back to school. Suppose students cannot come back to school. In that case, teachers should make sure that online classes are still available to ensure fewer children drop out and the literacy rate is maintained.
- Reshaping The Process Of Education
Education no longer can follow a traditional model. There need to be alternative studying methods that go beyond waiting for a teacher to explain the lecture. Peer support systems are an excellent way for students to find their demographics and help them study. It also eases the burden off teachers since it makes it easier for them to mainstream lectures. Teachers can also set up an educational hotline if students have any technical questions. Students can also create WhatsApp groups to share and work on lesson plans and assignments to solve questions together. Teachers can also use their online platforms to connect with other teachers around the globe and exchange lesson resources and even tips on managing and running the classroom.
- Improvement Of Education
For improving education, the most crucial factor is to invest more into educational resources. It means making platforms containing many educational resources available in different languages to reach a diverse community. These plate forms should also be easy to interact with and engage with. Another essential aspect that helps improving education is providing teachers with resources and training to navigate online. There also needs to be regular follow-up programs on what subject needs improvement and how to make it work online. Educational institutes need to find a suitable platform that allows students to connect with the degree they want. These platforms should also be accessible and available across different smart devices with a student profile that helps students keep track of their credits.
- Accelerating Education
Education needs to be more accessible and more convenient to tap into. Students can help each other by reaching out and teaching in rural areas where education is not easily available. It also includes pushing the government to devise policies through which electricity and internet connections run deep around the city. No student is deprived of an online platform to leverage their education.
Those who prefer online classes can efficiently study according to their comfort. There also needs to control over the amount of work piled on students to prevent them from choosing to drop out with reasonable deadlines and enough gaps between each assignment and test. There should also be more subjects offered online that allow students to explore potential careers more deeply. One way to improve education is to push companies to become more forthcoming with students who hold online degrees without putting unfair bars or preferences on education.
Wrap Up
Education is constantly evolving. It started from being all about memorizing texts to practical demonstrations. Now we are at a point where virtual learning has taken over. Online learning poses many challenges for students and teachers alike; however, returning to a traditional model is also not feasible. So teachers and schools need to find a middle ground in which they can educate online and offline, modifying their lectures so that students reap the benefits from both. The introduction of peer group studying and even utilizing WhatsApp for academic groups can further leverage learning. Finally, companies can also play their part in mainstreaming education by not discriminating against students who learn online and pursuing traditional degrees.
