LEC052043 SNEHA SUNNY Essay on online education

 

ONLINE EDUCATION: A NOSTRUM IN HARD TIMES

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has crumbled the life head over heels, forcing the populace to brainstorm successful strategies to pass over the economic loss within minimal time constraints. The tremors of pandemic hit hard on all major sectors of livelihood; one of the epicenters being education, alarming us to turn a new leaf to online education. Students irrespective of their age are accessing education through various modes of online education ranging from blended learning to e-learning globally.

 

The technical advancements in education has gushed forth unmasking the preconceived limitations to new-norms, landing us to threshold of online learning, declaring it necessary rather than an option. Though the global markets had rich investments in the sector, the pandemic has resulted in the rise of its demand several times than before. This also has led to tight competition in the field giving access to quality education within affordable rates. “online learning platforms are offering free access to their services, including platforms like BYJU’S, a Bangalore-based educational technology and online tutoring firm founded in 2011, which is now the world’s most highly valued edtech company. Since announcing free live classes on its Think and Learn app, BYJU’s has seen a 200% increase in the number of new students using its product, according to Mrinal Mohit, the company's Chief Operating Officer.”(weforum). The online e-learning platform MOOC (Massive open online course) too acquired momentum since last year with a remarkable number of students enrolling to get educated from the leading universities of the world.

 

A couple of years back, our students and parents could hardly imagine a day with complete reliance on gadgets and digital media platforms to seek the daily lessons. The flexibility in spatial and temporal dimensions are prevalent reasons for its increased preference amidst educators, teachers and learners. It ensures our safety by providing quality education, room for face-to-face live interaction, recording of classes, system generated attendance, live presentations etc. Learning definitions have gained new meanings with platforms and apps such as Google classroom, Google docs, Google meet, blogger, Google drive have turned pivotal, improving the efficient use of these have opened both students and educators to acquire knowledge of the technical know-how, the onset of availing coding platforms to teenagers is an offshoot of the same. It reverberate the need of tech-savvy education in future as uncertainty prevails in the full-fledged functioning of educational institutes.

 

Though online education has become an umbrella term for education, students’ mindset and accommodativeness vary as they come from various strata of society. The solitary option has posed concern in the minds of students especially when their areas of study demands practical learning and professional work experience. The technical issues of poor connectivity, absence of proper resources for access, lack of togetherness, unavailable campus/school environment, examinations etc have resulted in grabbing of their salad days of study; pushing them into utter disappointment and psychic imbalance ultimately deteriorate their performance and all-round development, losing the strength to withstand the future competition.

 

The pedagogy of the hard time varies from person to person. Eg: a six year old child who is supposed to be admitted to the first grade is denied of his/her bright days of academic foundation and physical development. Without friends, teachers, he/she is devoid of the colours of his/her day and it leaves one unknown of the school etiquettes. For a teenager, the days of utter confusion and distress are left untold for their physical interactions with peer groups are restricted. The engaging activities of sports and co-curricular are in bleak, their academic concerns leave them in gloomy as parents might not necessarily cope with all these issues. In case of an adult, his professional/non-professional course may demand practical sessions or access of books which may not be fulfilled through the online modes of education, as job prospects these days are mainly based on experience of an individual.

 

Taking care of these concerns, educational institutes can attempt to implement activities that may check students’ all-round development.eg: asking students to send the videos of physical activities at least once in a month, to conduct a parent-student-teachers meeting to have a trio discussion on the pros and cons of education, allot sessions for music and yoga to those interested once in a week. Conduct mentoring sessions, so that they may feel free open their minds to their friends and teachers and help the needy to acquire strength and will-power to pass the challenging scenario. Professional courses have resumed classes adhering to the policies of safety too adds hope to students.   

 

Therefore, it is evident that every mode of education imparts benefits of its own, but there are loopholes as well. No ideal solution can be implemented other than opting the best available. Hence, it is necessary to be in touch with the young minds virtually with a better understanding of their fragile psyche and help them surmount the hard times with endurance, persistence and will power. At take it as a new chapter and sail through the odds enjoying the online mode of education, prioritizing safety until the world gets back to normal.

 

WORKS CITED

Dhawan Shiwangi. “Online learning: A Panacea in the Time of Covid-19 Crisis”. Sage Journals.20 Jun 2020.

www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/