Write an essay about the impacts of COVID in teaching and learning.
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The global outbreak of COVID-19 affected all parts of the world. According to Pokhrel et al. (2021), the COVID-19 pandemic was first discovered in 2019 in Wuhan, China. According to Toquero (2020), “COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease and is even referred to as the 2019 novel coronavirus or ‘2019-nCoV’, and it is linked to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV) that similarly can be as fatal” (p.1). The virus was transmitted droplets or touches on the infected surfaces. Pokhrel et al. (2021) stated that the public care strategies included wearing face masks, handwashing, physical distancing, and also avoiding mass gatherings. People were also encouraged to stay at home in lockdown in order to control the transmission of the pandemic. Daniel, 2020 stated that “the COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge to education systems” (. p.1). “Most governments played catch-up to the exponential spread of COVID-19, so institutions had very little time to prepare for a remote-teaching regime” (Daniel, 2020. p.1). Thus, the education system was one of the sectors that were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19, there was the largest disruption of the education system in human history. According to Pokhrel et al. (2021), “the COVID-19 pandemic affected 1.6 billion learners in more than 200 countries in closures of schools, institutions and other learning spaces have impacted more than 94% of the world’s student population; This brought far-reaching changes in all aspects of our lives” (p.1). Pokhrel et al. (2021) also stated that the schools were first declared closed during the second week of the month of March 2020. According to Daniel, (2020) “the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of students in different ways, depending not only on their level and course of study but also on the point they have reached in their education” (p.1). The students were not able to complete their schooling on time they were expected to. The traditional educational practices were disturbed by restrictive movements policies and social distancing. After the pandemic, the reopening of schools after the relaxation of restriction and due to this, several learning institutions, i.e., colleges, and schools, have still discontinued face-to-face teachings. Due to the pandemic, digital learning was introduced and the classes resumed online. Toquero (2020) stated that because of the pandemic, “there was a greater need for educational institutions to strengthen the practices in the curriculum and make it more responsive to the learning needs of the students even beyond the conventional classrooms” (p.1). E-learning was the pedagogy for continuing with education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
E-learning played an essential role in education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The teachers shifted to teaching their students from the classrooms to the comfort of their homes through online platforms. According to Pokhrel et al. (2021), “lockdown and social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to closures of schools, training institutes and higher education facilities in most countries” (p.2). The learners were expected to adapt and adjust to E-learning as a means of learning during the pandemic. Pokhrel et al. (2021) stated that “the learners with a fixed mindset find it difficult to adapt and adjust, whereas the learners with a growth mindset quickly adapt to a new learning environment” (P.3). Examples of online platforms that were used are Google Classroom, Canvas and Blackboard, and Microsoft. Pokhrel et al. (2021) stated that “the use of suitable and relevant pedagogy for online education may depend on the expertise and exposure to information and communications technology (ICT) for both educators and the learners” (p.3). The classes were organized and made easy by PDF, Excel file, Word and videos. People in different ages and learning different subjects required different approaches to online learning. E-learning enabled the schools to educate their students, and the students were monitored through using quizzes and rubric-based assessment to deliver their assignments (Pokhrel et al., 2021). Thus, when schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the education system adopted E-learning to continue education.
Digital difficulties and lack of knowledge to operate the digital tools were some of the challenges encountered during E-learning. According to Tadesse et al. (2020), “School closure brings difficulties for students, teachers, and parents” (p.1). One of the challenges faced by teachers and students when using E-learning is technical difficulties; This is because some of the apps may crash during the online class lesson. Pokhrel et al. (2021) stated that “student assessments are carried out online, with a lot of trial and error, uncertainty and confusion among the teachers, students and parents” (p.4). Another challenge that was faced was lack of knowledge to use the tools. Pokhrel et al. (2021) also stated that “school closures and strict containment measures mean more families have been relying on technology and digital solutions to keep children engaged in learning, entertained and connected to the outside world, but not all children have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to keep themselves safe online” (p.5). Thus, digital difficulties and lack of knowledge to operate the digital tools were some of the challenges encountered during E-learning.
In conclusion, COVID-19 disrupted the education system, and the teachers and learners had to adopt new ways of learning. One way they did this was through E-learning. students who are weak in face-to-face learning were motivated by E-learning. However, there emerged different challenges in E-learning; for example, when the students participate in E-learning, there may be lack of parental guidance and supervisor, and therefore, it is not guaranteed that the students are learning. During E-learning, students did not get an opportunity to socially interact with peers. E-learning enabled the teachers educate their students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Daniel, S. J. (2020). Education and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prospects, 49(1), 91-96.
Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher education for the future, 8(1), 133-141.
Tadesse, S., & Muluye, W. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on education system in developing countries: a review. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 8(10), 159-170.
Toquero, C. M. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for higher education amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The Philippine context. Pedagogical Research, 5(4).
Vershitskaya, E. R., Mikhaylova, A. V., Gilmanshina, S. I., Dorozhkin, E. M., & Epaneshnikov, V. V. (2020). Present-day management of universities in Russia: Prospects and challenges of e-learning. Education and Information Technologies, 25, 611-621.