COVID-19 crossed every border in the world and was declared a pandemic by WHO. It altered the lives of almost every single individual living on the planet. It brought many changes in the world; it shook the world economy and changed how people communicated, worked and travelled and, education is no exception.
With the onset of the pandemic, schools and colleges across the world were shut down. But is it wiser to keep the learning of students on hold until the pandemic is finally over? No. Even though online education is not a new discovery, this is where the sector picked up its pace as schools and colleges opted to teach online. E-learning is the panacea to such a crisis.
Institutions that were reluctant to teach online started adopting online teaching methods. For teachers and institutions, shifting from the offline mode of teaching to the online mode demanded a separate online pedagogy. China, for example, called for an overnight shift from traditional classrooms to e-classrooms and slowly every country in the world walked on the same path. The use of online classroom apps that make the e-learning process smooth have been in higher use since then. These applications not only make the teaching and learning process hassle-free but also assist in keeping records of attendance, assignments and much more.
Online learning gives you the freedom to learn anytime, anywhere and at your own pace. It has become the need of an hour after the world got hit by the virus. Resistance to such changes will create a negative impact on the institutions. They will be put under scrutiny as to why they are reluctant to adopt such technological changes. And, the biggest impact it creates is on the students. Their future is at the stalk.
Teachers perception
From a teacher’s point of view, online classes are very different from traditional classes and demand a change in the pedagogy yet are the same. Now, what we mean by this is, the process of knowledge sharing is different but the knowledge shared is the same. It gives them the flexibility that traditional classes do not allow. However, it also demands proper training and development in the teaching process; in other words, a teacher has to first learn to use software or an online platform and then explain it to their students so that the teaching and learning process becomes easy. Many teachers find the shift to online learning helpful to their course as they can use various technological devices to teach and explain a topic to their students. Teachers use various tools available in the online market to connect and teach their students.
Students perception
Online classes cannot be carried out if the learners oppose them. Therefore, it is necessary to look for comfortability, accessibility, support from the teachers and the impact that online studies have made on their studies.
Students feel that their learning style has changed and they enjoy using online learning tools. A few might find it difficult to adjust to such changes but it is just a matter of time. You will be comfortable with it just in a few days. They feel that it gives them space and time to learn at their own pace.
Conclusion
Online education has a way to go but the change and development with the help of technology have already begun. It is the future in a tech-savvy world. Online education was being carried out from the 1980s but the pandemic has made a great impact on it and it will be carried out in the post-pandemic situation for sure.
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