As the world slowly recovers from the pandemic, various sectors of the economy and our society have been left permanently impacted, with one notably being the teaching and learning system. Due to government regulations and other societal influences as a response to the pandemic, schools have had to adjust. In this article, we explore both the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic on our educational system, so sit back and enjoy.
4 Effects The Pandemic Had On Teaching And Learning
The pandemic will likely go down in modern history at the point where so much had to be put on hold or disrupted. Businesses and organizations are still recovering, but for the teaching and learning system, these are 4 changes that the pandemic brought:
- Blended learning
- Increase in the reliance on IoT devices
- Learning digital skills
- Emphasis on mental health challenges
- Blended learning
As remote learning has slowly been phased out by many schools, it has been replaced with blended learning. This enables students to learn in person and reduces their chances of getting sick from personal contact. Most schools implement blended learning as it allows students to learn remotely and in person through a schedule that determines when they should come to school and when they shouldn’t. This way, there aren’t too many people in a class simultaneously.
- Increase in the reliance on IoT devices
For online learning to be possible, students need the right devices. Just having a smartphone isn’t enough, as the screen might not be the best for learning. To ensure their kids aren’t left behind, parents have had to increase spending on electronic gadgets such as webcams, reading lamps, electronic reading tables, and other related tools for students. While these purchases have positively impacted students’ learning experience, it has also meant a lot of money has been spent.
- Learning digital skills
Aside from attending classes, students have increased their interest in learning digital skills such as digital marketing, freelancing, web development, and much more. The reason is that the pandemic forced many traditional businesses to adapt to a more digital approach or close. Students, as leaders of tomorrow, have also recognized this. You’re more likely to see college students learning to program in their free time than ever before. If you’re a student but don’t seem to have the time to develop yourself because of essay assignments, you can use GrabMyEssay online writing services to connect you with the most reliable, talented, and affordable writers on the internet. However, if you decide to create your free time, you need to use it best.
- Emphasis on mental health challenges
During the early stages of the pandemic and even until now in some countries, students have had to learn remotely. This meant that physical contact was limited if any occurred at all. For some students, this was challenging to adjust to. The feeling of isolation made many people experience mental breakdowns, so schools had to devise ways to monitor and help students that are going through mental health challenges. Some schools, aside from sending teachers to check up on students, also worked with mental health clinics to have someone on standby that would be able to provide therapy. This practice has remained even today as many schools understand the benefit of having students in their best mental state.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/JiOFFI3W7IA
In Conclusion
As we move on from the pandemic, we must also learn to adapt to the changes it has brought. While many of the effects of the pandemic have been negative such as increased spending on IoT devices, there have also been some positives, like increased awareness of mental health issues. Recognizing the impact of a pandemic on the education system, the world is moving toward more personalized and inclusive education.
Author’s Bio
Christian Duke is a freelance writer and tutor. After the pandemic, he experienced a shift in how his job operates, and over time, he has had to adjust. Currently, Christian is still involved in working with students, but in his spare time, he enjoys writing programming code and sees a future in software development on the horizon.
