How has Covid-19 impacted on learning?

There is no denying that Corona has greatly impacted on the way we teach and learn. More and more schools, colleges and universities are turning to online learning in order to ensure that their classes receive the education they deserve, but within a safe environment.

Yet, how else has it changed? And is it working?

Below, we shall review all the changes Corona has triggered in education:

• Blend of in-person and remote learning – colleges and universities in particular have adopted this form of learning so students don’t entirely lose out on social interactions. Instead, any classes/lectures that would normally consist of a large number of people are being taught via Zoom and Microsoft Teams, while their smaller seminars can either be attended in person or on Teams.

This technique is less apparent in schools because their classes are generally smaller. However, teachers are still having to prepare online work/sessions in case anyone in their class presents with symptoms (resulting in the class bubble having to close and isolate).

• Social distancing – this has presented the biggest problem for educational establishments as enforcing it isn’t always possible – even with mature students. Instead, many have had to create class bubbles where students are encouraged to distance as much as they can, but may have to sit closer than is recommended because of space, etc. This has meant that any time anyone shows symptoms, the whole class has to isolate.

• Increasing gap in education – this have been a big concern as Corona has already impacted on their ability to host exams and assess students. 2020 saw the cancellation of GCSE’s and A Levels, while many universities chose to their assess students via online exams and additional written assignments.

There has also been concerns about the growing gap in education where students are not at the academic level they would have been if they’d been taught in school, etc. This has risen for a variety of reasons – lack of electronic resources/devices to do the work at home; parents unable to teach their kids because they’ve had to continue working, etc.

Hopefully, this gap can be bridged and reduced with time; however, the continuing situation with Corona is not helping.

Now, before you panic about yours and your loved ones education, just remember that we are all in the same boat and that there are other learning avenues you can explore that can help you to keep your skills up.

For children there are a tonne of free resources that can be readily accessed from their school and online which can help support their learning should they have to isolate. Similarly, there are a range of online courses and distance learning opportunities available that can allow you to learn safely from the comfort of your own home. This means you can still develop your skills on your own terms and not let Corona get you down.

To learn more about our breadth of online courses and how they work, visit our website today.