COVID-19 pandemic has been a traumatic experience that has brought various changes and effects in every sector. For instance, COVID-19 has led to an abrupt shift to online learning as a new methodology. The strategy allows education institutions to continue operating despite the physical distance guidelines. We can learn various lessons from the system that will be helpful even after the pandemic.
Here are five lessons from online teaching that should stick after the pandemic.
- Learning to learn online
Contrary to people’s beliefs, one approach cannot adequately address learners’ needs. For instance, kids will want physical space to promote socialization, and teacher-led content delivery will be appropriate. But as an adult, you’ll prefer online content that you can access at your convenient time and place.
However, online teaching faces drawbacks. These may include poor internet accessibility or digital incompetency among the learners. Fortunately, multi-modal distance education has helped cope with the issues. COVID-19 has enabled students to be prepared to learn online or in physical classrooms.
- Designing online teaching with purpose
Including an active learning approach and engaging learners is crucial in providing quality teaching. Regardless of the strategy, you must apply different techniques to achieve a meaningful education. Preferably, a learner-centered with higher interactions is better than a teacher-centered approach.
With online teaching, collaborative education has been attainable. Also, the pandemic has shifted from classroom education to technology delivery. The shift has enabled the importance of designing online teaching with purpose. The design helps instructors achieve a practical learner pedagogy approach.
- Focus on engaging content
Before the epidemic, teachers had the freedom to train students using various methodologies. But with the pandemic, online learning was the practical online approach. With online learning, teachers must be creative in delivering their content; otherwise, the system would fail.
With that in mind, teachers had to create engaging content. The approach was effective in ensuring students’ participation and presence. Interesting content has been a great lesson for both learning and online activities.
- Blending space and time online
You must have learned about “synchronous” and “asynchronous” learning vocabularies due to the pandemic. In synchronous, it involves physical classrooms in real-time digitally facilitated learning. And asynchronous involves independently working with materials designed for physical classrooms.
But in both, timing and attendance touch learning. Fortunately, synchronous and asynchronous online learning allows pupils to come together in time and space. Unlike traditional classrooms, the program enables learners to work independently and have active online discussions. The blending of space and time is a life lesson that will continue being impactful after the pandemic.
- Preparation for future pandemics.
Although we hope that COVID-19 was the last pandemic, another worldwide stressor can arise. Online learning was an innovative idea that helped the education sector adapt and thrive. Such invention and flexibility are crucial preparation for future disasters. Also, online learning is a problem-solving technique that facilitates world preparedness for pandemics.
Final thoughts
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the natural order of many activities, we have learned many valuable lessons. Online learning has been popularized in the education sector. With this mode of learning, you can learn lessons that will be helpful even after the pandemic.
