What are the education trends that are being seen in the COVID era?

COVID - 19 pandemic affected every sector that one can think about. Education had been one of them. The outbreak of the contagious disease resulted in the closure of schools and colleges. Students and teachers were confined to their homes. However, as the adage goes, 'necessity is the mother of invention;' soon the traditional chalk-talk model gave way to digital learning. Despite hurdles, educational institutions and educators adopted the new ways to connect and teach students.

Even after the pandemic dies down, schools and students will continue to latch on to the new learning platforms and methodologies. Although online learning was making its presence felt in India even before the corona struck us, the pandemic made it an absolute necessity for millions of students who earlier would favour only the brick-and-mortar classrooms for their education.

a) Blended learning will be the new normal

In India, we are going to see a new form of learning post COVID - 19 era. Blended learning approach - a mix of face to face and online teaching - will become a 'new normal.' 

b) Personalized learning

With online learning platforms, students are now experiencing a new kind of learning wherein they can learn at their pace and at a time of their choice. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) is empowering ed-tech companies to create learning programs around the exact learning needs of the student.

c) Teachers' roles will be redefined

Teachers' roles and responsibilities are also bound to change to cope up with the challenges of the pandemic. Unlike before, they now have to assume the role of a 'facilitator' more than a 'knowledge provider.' They will be required to be more familiar and comfortable with their smartphones and other technology gadgets and platforms. Along with this, they must be able to switch between online and offline modes of teaching their students. At Bright Tutee, we conduct a lot of webinars for the teacher community so they can face the challenges head on and continue to play their roles of nation builders.

Apart from studies, parents can also indulge in some indoor games and exercises to encourage their children to take care of their health. 

• According to you, how easy and tough it was for students and teachers to fit well in the digital switch?

There are many schools in our country that faced no major issues while switching to the digital realm of learning. However, there are plenty of educational institutions that are still struggling to get into online learning. Students and teachers experienced similar fates. Whereas some teachers and students made the digital switch quite easily and in time, others found the transition rather difficult. However, with the passage of time, everyone seems to be making progress and adopting the 'new normal.'

• COVID-19 has forced universities across India, and the world indeed, to suspend physical classrooms and shift to online classes. Do you think that e-learning will replace traditional classrooms?

E-learning will not replace the traditional classrooms. However, it will likely change the way our traditional classrooms would function. Blending learning approach, a mix of face-to-face and online teaching, will emerge more prominently paving way for dramatic changes in the roles of the teachers. Students, too, will have to act more seamlessly while shifting between online and offline modes of learning.

• Talking of virtual teaching, we cannot ignore the fact that many students might not have access to the Internet. How are the authorities addressing this issue? 

Poor internet connectivity and lack of gadgets, especially in the economically backward families, is an issue that must be tackled, if we are to make 'online learning' the future of education in India. The government and other concerned authorities must be taking adequate steps to curb this issue from the root. At Bright Tutee, we are tackling this challenge with a unique approach of ours in which we let our students download their video lessons when they are online, so they can access these lessons even when the internet speed is down. Apart from this, we also provide our courses in offline modes. Students can upload our courses on their favourite devices such as smartphones and continue their studies.

• Students were planning to study abroad but had to defer the program till the situation gets better. How are the students taking the whole thing? Are they still willing to study abroad? 

The COVID - 19 pandemic was a big blow for the entire education sector, including the students who were planning to study abroad. Though the pandemic hasn't still died down, life seems to be getting back to normal in a gradual manner. The way students took the whole pandemic thing is commendable and they still haven't given up on their dreams. Once the authorities resume international flights and institutions in other countries open their doors to Indian students, we will definitely see a large number of students willing to move out and study abroad.

• Say something motivational to the students and teachers of this generation.

No matter what, just don't give up on your dreams to learn, to teach, and to grow. As a nation, we are very strong people, and will overcome these challenging times for sure. But till things turn normal, stay safe and stay healthy.

• What pieces of technology or programs do you think would be most beneficial to teachers dealing with this situation? 

Teachers must become a little tech-savvy. To begin with, they can train themselves on using their smartphones to conduct online classes and teach their students from home. Gradually, they can learn about new emerging learning platforms like Bright Tutee that help passionate teachers connect with students from all over India. From our side, we conduct highly informative and detailed webinars to train teachers to get into online learning with minimum hassles.

• Most teachers can no longer fill up the whole school day with virtual instruction. What do you think parents can or should be doing to help fill the void?

Every child is different, so is their learning needs. So, parents have to come up with different plans to help their children cope with the challenges of the pandemic and having more time every day, since the schools are still closed due to the pandemic. But generally speaking, parents have to be more responsive these days. To help fill the void, they can revamp their family routine and spend more quality time with their children. They can also help their kids with their home works, projects, and doubts. Parents must also not miss out on the online parents-teachers meeting and converse regularly with the teachers. When they know what's happening in the virtual classrooms, they can help their children to get more out of their classes and also prepare them to stay safe once they resume their schools. Apart from studies, parents can also indulge in some indoor games and exercises to encourage their children to take care of their health.