Global education has taken an incredible hit since the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2019. Things took such a negative turn that students were unable to study through traditional means. UNICEF reported that more than a third of the world’s children had no access to education in the early months of the pandemic. This equates to about 463 million students across the globe, but primarily in developing nations. These developing nations didn’t have the facilities required for remote learning opportunities.
Global Education Response to Covid-19
Education was one of the first sectors to change dramatically right after the virus became a pandemic. The challenges in the sector led to a dramatic shift in how learning occurs. Online learning became the norm in most developed countries. Countries with high infection rates implemented these remote learning policies in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and other developed countries, the online learning policies that were put in place were followed effectively.
Online learning
Virtual classrooms have been set up by schools allowing students and teachers to have conversations like they would during in-person classes. Interactive tools have been developed by web developers and designers to ensure that online learning is a viable alternative to traditional schooling. Google, Microsoft, Zoom, and Skype are making a lot of progress in this regard. The online learning industry has seen a significant surge in demand over the last year. People who don’t have direct access to formal digital curriculums have joined online bootcamps to gain the knowledge they need. Computersciencehero.com and other similar websites have become increasingly popular during the pandemic.
These are other tools for effective online learning in the Covid-19 era:
Socrative
Socrative is an online tool that helps teachers create educational games and exercises for students. This application can be accessed through mobile devices as long as you have an Internet connection. It also allows teachers to make more personalized outlines to meet the needs of individual students. Signing up on Socrative is free, so even schools that don’t have high budgets can afford to use it for their online learning programs in the Covid-19 era.
EduClipper
Another app that has increased in popularity during the pandemic in eduClipper. This application allows learners to share information during and after classes. Resources students find online for their projects can be shared directly with their peers. It helps them to manage online content more effectively, thus improving their researching skills. eduClipper also keeps a digital record of everything students achieve throughout the online learning process. Teachers can also use the app to organize virtual classes for their students.
Edmodo
Edmodo is another great online educational tool for student-teacher interaction. Think about it as a social network for education. Educators use this app to create a collaborative learning program for all the students they teach. So far, more than 34 million people have signed up for Edmodo. They have access to educational materials, and students can get valuable feedback from students. The feedback helps these teachers to make subsequent classes more personalized. The social network also gives people access to upcoming trends in the education industry.
The Downside to Online Learning
Online learning has been an amazing substitute for conventional classes. While there are still some issues that need to be fixed, there is no doubt that children who had access to online classes during the pandemic made more progress than those who didn’t. As stated above, millions of people haven’t enjoyed the privilege of online learning. There are many reasons why students don’t have access to online learning in the Covid-19 era. The primary reason is a lack of resources. Not every student in developing nations has computers, Internet, or even constant access to electricity, which are all needed for successful online classes.
Impact of Covid 19 lockdown and Remote Teaching
Published January 2021, Ofsted’s in-depth study on remote education found that 86% of teachers said their work has increased since the implementation of remote education – with 45 percent saying it had “increased greatly”.
Ofsted’s in-depth study on remote education also found that in the UK 11 per cent of parents listed both access to an appropriate device and issues with tech. Data from Ofsted’s interim visits last term highlighted that “simply providing a device for all pupils is not necessarily a solution for access”. For instance, one in ten parents also said poor internet connection was a major challenge.
Final thoughts on Global Education trends
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global education has changed learning forever. Even when the pandemic is finally eliminated, things aren’t going to go back to what you remember as normal. Some parents might opt for their children to learn from home on a more permanent basis. With Ofsted reporting in the UK that over a third of teachers were not confident with Remote teaching, Blended learning and Digital literacy courses will take precedent in many areas of education .
Our Remote teaching and Blended learning Professional Development course is the perfect option for schools looking to improve online engagement and the digital literacy of their staff. Find out more here
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