How Covid Has Redefined The Future Of Education

The education industry has been slow in adopting new technologies and embracing change. But the Covid-19 pandemic redefined the future by making institutions around the world rely on technology because it was the only way to continue their operations. Here are some of the things we will see in the future of education. 

Online Learning Into the Mix

Online learning platforms were the salvation of the education industry this last year. The Covid-19 pandemic generated an unprecedented situation where 990 million learners were impacted by governments canceling in-person classes. The only way people continue their education was through the Internet from their homes. 

Online learning has been growing in the last few years, but thousands of companies came through to offer the best services they could during the pandemic. Teachers and students alike had to make the transition to online learning without any preparation. And EdTech businesses made an effort to improve their platforms to meet society’s needs.

After everything, online learning is probably here to stay. We will probably see an industry that embraces online learning as simply another tool to optimize the learning process. Schools and universities worldwide will probably start using blended learning methods that mix both in-person and online. Plus, the sector will start introducing new technologies like virtual reality and the Internet of Things sooner than we may expect.

Teacher’s Role is Changing

Many things have changed in our world since the first technological developments. Technology is changing the way we work, communicate, interact, and learn. But with the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of tech in our life grew in a matter of weeks. The new reality in the education industry meant online learning for all, from small children to Ph.D. students. 

Also, the increase of technology in the classroom includes artificial intelligence. AI is helping institutions around the world give a more personalized experience all around. It can help teachers identify the optimal learning methods, and it can help give individual attention, which was impossible before when one teacher is in charge of many students. 

With these new developments, which the industry is adopting faster thanks to the pandemic, the teacher’s role will change. Now, they will be there to be mentors and guides for the student, and while tech takes care of menial tasks like grading, they can focus on what really matters, the student. 

Curriculum to Teach Life Skills

Education evolves with society, but right now, it is overdue for an update. This happens because technology has grown exponentially, which goes far beyond what our minds can grasp. Thus, if it is hard for us to keep up with the pace of new developments; the education sector is barely registering the changes. One of the main things that need to change, and the Covid-19 pandemic only made it more apparent, is the curriculum. 

The things that kids still learn in school aren’t the skills they need in the society we live in today. They probably were perfectly right a few decades ago, but right now, that needs to change. For example, one of the main skills employers look for no matter the age, profession, or level of study is tech-savviness or digital literacy. 

To this day, some young people don’t know the right way to use tech devices or do a simple Internet search. Another example was the difficulties some teachers and students had to transition into online learning because they didn’t know how to use the digital tools needed. That’s why the curriculum, especially during early education, should teach life skills that will actually help people when they are older. 

More Interactivity

Another thing that the Covid-19 redefined in the education industry was interactivity in the classroom. Imagine being a pre-k teacher having to give online lessons to four-year-olds? It is a little easier for older kids, but it is still harder to keep the student’s attention through a screen. 

Newer online learning platforms are including more interactive features like gamification to keep the student’s attention longer. It will also increase in the classroom once we manage to go back to in-person classes with things like mixed reality and augmented reality. 

In Summary

The pandemic completely changed how we learn, and it opened the sector’s eyes to the need for change. We already saw a massive transition to online learning that will probably stay for a while. Also, it helps us realize that the teacher’s role is changing and that the curriculum needs to change to adapt to society’s new needs.

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