Whether it's week 3 or 4 for you, the coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has irrevocably changed our daily lives. When we eventually return to everyday life or "the new normal", what will it look like, especially in the area of education and training?
School children around the world are still not in school, they are homeschooling with their parents and receiving daily lessons with their teachers online, if available. Universities are switching to virtual classrooms and lectures. Meetings and seminars are also in full swing as people strive for normality in extraordinary circumstances like these. Our streets may be empty, but internet traffic is stronger than ever. Technology has become the unsung hero (and of course our healthcare workers, but hopefully you applaud them regularly), and one technology has proven to be a great asset to the learning community - video conferencing.
The nationwide lockdown
March 13, 2020 - The Swiss federal government orders schools and universities across the country to close temporarily to slow the spread of the coronavirus. It also asks for solidarity from businesses so that parents can work from home where possible to avoid leaving children with their grandparents, who are among the high-risk groups.
Quick solution
School and university leaders are scrambling to find solutions to continue educational activities. Some already have contingency plans and are able to switch to full online teaching almost immediately, while most are forced to close for a week or two to find possible and workable solutions. Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and Zoom are pioneers in video conferencing technology, the quick solution to transition from traditional to virtual face-to-face teaching.
Sustainable changes with incredible potential
Zoom may offer one of the most robust and ideal video conferencing solutions that solves face-to-face teaching, but learning is much more than just a teacher or professor in front of you feeding you information like a one-way street. The early evidence is already in and shows that even the most dedicated and disciplined adult learner will struggle to focus and absorb eight hours of face-to-face instruction on a screen, whether the topic is leadership or accounting. Not to mention the professor who has to relay this information to multiple students, maintain the energy and engagement of users who are probably still in their pajama bottoms, asking questions and trying to make sure everything is running smoothly with the technology.
Important steps are already being taken to resume the business of teaching as soon as the crisis is over. Now is the right time to go back to the drawing board and evaluate how online and distance learning can be made even more effective. What works with face-to-face teaching that is not as effective in an online environment? How differently do secondary and vocational school students, high school students or university or college students learn, and how can we maximize their learning experience by enhancing their experience with educational technology that is already available? There are platforms that offer these holistic learning experiences for the different types of schools that not only include face-to-face teaching with Zoom, but also allow for more flexible and innovative teaching through the inclusion of videos, learning checks, live quizzes and e-learning. Doesn't it then make more sense to take a serious look and invest the time in building sustainable and effective courses? These are all essential questions to ask, because whether we like it or not, the pandemic has uprooted education as we know it and thrust us into a bold, new and enduring digital future of learning. We have had to react quickly to this sudden circumstance, but we can now act wisely and decide what that future should look like.
Digital learning will and should never completely replace physical learning in the classroom, and schools and universities will soon reopen and be full of curious students again. But blended learning will be the new norm, not the exception. All in all, a shift to digital learning as rapid and complete as the one we are experiencing today is bound to have lasting effects. All of these impacts will affect those who are already familiar with it, those who have just started, and those who have not yet had the opportunity to engage with it. We are talking about everyone involved, from the students to the teachers, professors, program managers, deans and board of directors who will take a step forward so suddenly and so drastically.
Back in 2003, SARS accelerated e-commerce in China to new heights. One day, we will look back at this exact moment in history when the coronavirus catapulted remote working and digital learning into an era that we would have had to wait another decade for without the outbreak of the pandemic.
We want to help
In these uncertain times, we are offering you a special support package to help you continue your courses and seminars on a platform that incorporates the best of digital learning and the most interactive video conferencing technology at a discounted price. Find out more here.
