The disruption caused by Coronavirus has allowed the educators and its administrators time to rethink the sector. This pandemic has had enormous economic consequences. Education markets like all other markets have been disrupted, straining the public sector. Course corrections are necessary, for some changes that we are seeing now may be permanent in the post covid times. The breach caused by the virus has been filled to some extent by technology which will continue to play an important role in educating the future generations. It has taught us is that the teaching learning pedagogies too must change as educators turn Mentors and Guides. So many countries around the world have never seen schools and educational institutions being locked-down around the same time and for the same reason. The last it happened was in World War II. We know that the impact of this virus will be far-reaching and long lasting. UNESCO estimates a billion people still out of schools as the World is in a virtual standstill mode.
What must the rethink for education be then? What must we teach our children, and what should they be prepared for? Online delivery would stay for a long time. How must the pedagogies change? How do we communicate with our students? How do we bridge the digital divide and narrow the equality gaps? A campus does not only provide a learning environment. The interaction with peers and people from other walks of life helps build overall personality. How do we replace such experience? While we seek answers to some of those questions, it is a good time to reflect on how this disruptive crisis can help us define what learning should look like for future generations.
Majority of the children today have grown up in a truly globalized world, the oldest of whom is now 25 years old. They have faced closed class rooms, cancelled exams, sporting events, fun of a campus and even graduation days. However, they are technology savvy. Fear of Being Alone (FOBA) and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), does not bother them. In many cases, the parents have been affected more than the children. In a way apps like Instant Messenger, Snapchat and WhatsApp filled the void. Today, technology is an extension of their consciousness and identity. Social media is a way of life for them.
We are all in an interconnected world. There are no isolated issues and actions. Successful people in the coming decades must understand the interrelatedness, must collaborate and navigate across boundaries to be successful. Resilience and adaptability is crucial. Cognitive flexibility, adaptability, emotional intelligence, empathy, entrepreneurial skills, creativity and critical thinking are all necessary. Life-long learning will be the key.
An opportunity lies in the fact that today’s generation appreciates the power of working collaboratively to address challenges and are reasonably mature. Even as most live, in non-traditional family structures, we have seen their collective responsibility to self-isolate and protect older members of the family. The parents on their part, move obstacles out of the way to create a clear path for their children. While the children today may not appreciate the impact of the global pandemic on their education, its imprint will be difficult to erase. If the pandemic has had a profound effect on education, it has impacted employment markets even more.
Dell Technologies report, 85% of the jobs in 2030, that future Generations will enter into have not been invented yet. The World Economic Forum reports, 65% of primary-school children today will be working in job types that do not exist yet. Add Covid to the distress and we have a real challenge at hand. What must we do in future so we live well?
The role of the educator must be redefined. An educator cannot be merely a knowledge giver and impart wisdom since the students can access knowledge, and even learn a technical skill, through their phones, tablets and computers. Educators must become facilitators, mentors and guides. COVID-19 pandemic has compelled our schools/teachers and institutions/faculty to suddenly adopt the suite of available technological tools to create content for online learning for which they were never trained.
Technology apart, we must ensure that education reaches all. Digital divide cannot derail our efforts of reaching the unreached. In future, there’s going to be a lot less money. Millions of children may not return to school and the learning loss will exacerbate the inequality. There are several technology-based solutions available but, EdTech alone will not be the great equalizer. In spite of technology, we have seen that the high-stakes exams were unfair last year, this year and may be so for several years to come.
Public-private educational partnerships must grow in importance. Many learning consortiums and coalitions have been born in the last year and half. Diverse stakeholders, including governments, publishers, education professionals, technology providers, and telecom network operators have come together to use digital platforms as a temporary solution to the crisis. Trends are that, post Covid they will remain.
We must embrace 5G technology as early as possible. This has enormous potential in realising ‘learning anywhere, anytime’ concept of digital education in multiple formats. In-person classroom learning that we know of can be augmented with new learning methodologies from live broadcasts to ‘educational influencers’ to virtual reality experiences. 5G could make learning a habit integrated as it is into our daily routines creating an enabling lifestyle.
Access costs must decrease and quality of access must increase if the socioeconomic equality is not to be further exacerbated. Technology offers solutions. However, the digital divide could become complex if educational access is determined by access to devices and latest technologies.
Some of us may believe that this unplanned growth and quick adoption of online learning, with no training, insufficient bandwidth, and little preparation will create poor user experience. However, there are others who believe that a new hybrid model of education will emerge, with significant benefits. These are challenging times. Innovative approaches must emerge. Can our schools and colleges form unique partnerships, with local broadcasting stations to offer educational broadcasts, with separate channels focused on different ages, and a range of digital options? Can Media channels like Times Now or Star News not power virtual learning? Can we not have curriculum-based learning for children and youth across the country with celebrities endorsing and also teaching some of the content?