Coronavirus: 5 Ways Learning Will Change In Post-Crisis Era In the post-Covid era, while schools will still be around, education technology companies in India will collaborate with schools, teachers, parents and students to improve the overall learning experience of students and the efficacy of the education system.
By Sumeet Mehta
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After the initial shock of the Coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown, schools across India are slowly coming to terms with a new system of education in the post-COVID-19 era. School administrators, teachers, children and parents are preparing for an academic life both within the classroom and at home, one that will be driven equally by traditional and disruptive learning.
Pre-schools and K-12 schools — the time-honoured pillars of learning — are here to stay. Brick-and-mortar schools are a necessity in a social milieu where students can thrive, perform, excel and forge peer relationships. These institutions, which have stood the test of time, provide our young generation with the benefits of peer learning, physical activities through kinesthetics or tactile learning, teacher guidance and mentorship, and shared experiences. Unlike schools, online or digital learning offers only audio and visual tools without face-to-face interaction that is so critical to the holistic growth of the students.
In the post-Covid era, while schools will still be around, education technology companies in India will collaborate with schools, teachers, parents and students to improve the overall learning experience of students and the efficacy of the education system. I foresee five ways in which education in our country will change in the aftermath of this crisis.
Schools Will Be Forced To Accept And Adopt Technology
Schools will have no alternative but to give up the notion that they can run without technology. Schools that refuse to yield to technology will be left behind, leaving a question mark on their purpose. Their best bet will be to use technology to improve their processes, make education more student-centric and empower their teachers.
Teachers Will Be Empowered Through Technology
Going forward, teachers will embrace technology to not only learn themselves but also engage with their students. Teacher training will move to a blended model that combines the power of online, on-demand learning with a few in-person practice sessions. This will be a significant departure from the current on-schedule, annual training calendars that most schools follow and that no one is missing during the Covid-19 era. In another trend, teachers have been utilising the lockdown period to coach their students, provide lesson plans and homework, and solve difficulties through smartphones, text messages, emails and WhatsApp. This trend will continue with higher engagement online between students and teachers.
Tuitions Will Be Disrupted
Tuitions have prospered in our country as a parallel stream to schools. They deliver homework help, doubt clearing, advanced learning and test preparation. A lot of these supplemental efforts have stalled during Covid-19. Parents have realised that because of the personalisation power that technology can bring into play, students can revise, clarify doubts and do advanced learning from the comfort of their home. So, tuition will largely move online. The analog world of tuitions and schools, physically existing in parallel worlds and delivering mass education will be gone and be replaced with more integrated solutions.
Data-Based Personalisation Will Make Teaching More Student-Centric
Every child learns at their own pace, in their own way and from their current level. Schools are inherently mass education based models. We will see data and technology play a larger role in personalising learning for students. Covid has forced this speed of adoption to accelerate and I see this trend continue even post Covid-19. This will impact all forms of learning.
Living In Harmony With Nature
The corona outbreak, on a scale never seen before, has given all of humanity a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand the natural world and the importance of preserving the ecological balance, and at the same time reassess our lifestyles and priorities. The COVID-19 crisis is an opportune time to make our young children and students value nature and how they can — and must — learn to live in harmony with it. What is nature telling us through this pandemic? The answer to this critical question will be an important part of future school curriculums.
We will still have physical schools but how they run will be fundamentally transformed towards a blended model empowered by technology. Learning will continue but students will have more personalised, technology-enabled options to supplement their school learning.
