How the COVID-19 pandemic drove innovation in Education
Posted by Editor | 3 years ago | 1,901 times
By Ahmed Iyanda, Shina Owolabi
The COVID-19 pandemic tempered many aspects of our lives, including the nation's economy, personal engagements, among others. One of the sectors affected by the pandemic is education; while educational institutions went into full lockdown, home-schooling became the new normal, as children began to rely on their parents for learning assistance.
During the total lockdown where people had no options other than thinking of ways to survive. Many could find their way out of the challenges posed by the pandemic. With face-to-face learning slowly falling into disuse due to numerous restrictions, online learning became the new norm, serving as a more accessible and flexible education model.
Another main problem COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns have revealed is the amounts of specialists unwilling to adapt to the new conditions, preferring working from the office to working from the home etc.
In the quest for offering people the opportunity to receive professional training outside the traditional institutions; Lectera was the only new platform that managed to go global.
The COVID-19 also caused an upsurge in the utilization of software applications such as Google Classroom, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, Google Meets to take online courses and training. Interestingly, Google Classroom has features which permits collaboration between teachers and students in online classes as well as enhances communications in forums with face-to-face connections if activated.
In addition, research shows that Google Classroom is a multimedia learning platform with an average validation result of 82.5% multimedia experts and 87% of expert material which had a reasonable impact on teaching and learning process. It has other special features such as uploading materials, videos, assignments, practices, and even discussion forums. Google Classroom is a learning management system (LMS) which aids in the online creation, allocation, and grading of assignments.
Despite many setbacks and overall mental pressure ravaged by the pandemic, the Google Classroom helped in calming the burden attached to the utilization of other online tools like the Zoom, Microsoft Teams and others. Considering the downturn in the economy, this enables individuals to have more interests in learning opportunities.
Among many opportunities, Google Classroom allows learners to benefit from the experience and skills of their peers while allowing teachers to design digital team based learning activities. It has a quick set-up and easy log-in to receive and submit assignments. Its accessibility cuts across all computers, mobile phones, and tablets.
As we know, unusual times call for unusual measures; so the only way we can tackle the problem is by adopting an entirely new work format. For instance, many companies that were on lockdown were forced to adopt working from home, an alternative to working directly from the office. For efficiency, it was pertinent for many, especially Nigerians, to acquire certain skills, such as basic computer skills, basic knowledge of messaging apps and online platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, among others. So it’s safe to say that people who avoid technology are at a great disadvantage here, as we live in a digital age, and devices are definitely here to stay.
Many philosophers today agree that living in a constant state of information overload, we eventually start to feel time passing faster. And while some of us continue to ponder on the issue, others use that time to try and learn something new, most importantly skills that could stand them out in a job market that has been becoming increasingly more competitive due to mass layoffs.
One of the most accessible solutions was online learning as it allows people to improve their professional skills and career journey, learn more about their work field, or even change their career path entirely. According to experts, it is inevitable that about ten years from now certain professions will be replaced by machines, so it’s especially important that we plan the career change in advance. However, for those who didn’t manage to do so, signing up for an online course providing concise information and fast results could be the answer.
Nowadays, there are many online learning platforms offering such an opportunity. One of them is Lectera.com, a leading international online learning platform that allows its users to take short practice-oriented courses. With standard courses lasting around 8 hours, the platform also offers unique 30-day career training allowing students to develop personalized career roadmaps designed to help them plan their future careers. Stepping away from the traditional ‘job for life’ model, Lectera offers users of all ages the chance to start on a new career in a matter of only a few months, helping them to find their true calling while also staying competitive in the job market.
As it stands, traditional education is starting to look rather outdated as it requires a lot of time, energy and money. If there's one thing to be grateful for, it would be the fact that COVID-19 opened our eyes to technology. One way or the other, people are now embracing technology.
Undoubtedly, traditional university education might serve as a great platform for acquiring basic skills and identifying one’s main priorities in life. Nevertheless, online learning still remains the only effective way of honing those skills and becoming a valuable specialist in one’s field of choice.
