With more than a 1.5 billion youth to be affected by school and university closure, the world has globally faced online education – the possibilities that it offers, and challenges it put us through every day.
Although the list of educational applications, platforms and resources seem to be infinite, problems still appear, because there are an amazingly big amount of people involved in this process.
While good education is a must and we can’t afford the luxury of skipping it, we just have to stay focused and up-to-date with the new technologies the coronavirus has forced us to accept as a substantial change of our lives.
You know the saying that there are always at least two sides to each story. Well, in our case it looks like we’re having three of them and they’re all worth being heard.
Please pay attention that they’re seen through the eyes of young UNICEF reporters,
aged 16/17. They all submit to a volunteer initiative on giving young
people the space to share their own views on topics important to them.
The work of the Young Reporters during COVID-19 pandemic is partly
funded by USAID.
- Students Version
According to those, online education is not a valid substitute to the real school/university one at all. While virtual classes and breaks between them are not as the real classroom’ based, time is clearly neither for students to develop a knowledge that’s memorable, nor for teachers, who rash through the lessons, like it’s a rodeo.
In other words, it’s not a win situation although grades, got through online testing are quite convincing sometimes. Yet, the question of online cheating still remains.
It also appears that digital era didn’t come to all of them and some students are struggling with no connection or a bad one, plus they have only smartphone or no technical device at all. The latter look like the worse nightmare during the pandemic, because many people just got unemployed and can’t afford to buy such necessity tech.
And in online testing, when the Internet collapse, which is often, because the system is burning down and overcrowded, there are the answers recorded before the crush that matters. In that case it really isn’t fair, and it doesn’t correspond with the efforts and maybe mistakes, made afterwards.
- Parents Version
As a summary, we can say that here the problems emerge, due to the lack of 2 essential things – time and money. Both are never too enough, and there’s always more that you can add, if you could.
But since the coronavirus happened, parents with students of a lower class are just destined to be on the computer screen forever, if they want a proper educated offspring. They need to pay attention whether the kid’s distracted or have some troubles using online platforms and assembling knowledges.
And if they’re home office, it’s somehow OK, but if they still have to go to work outside the house, then it goes messy running through job and domestic duties.
Another thing is some parents are just not familiar with modern technologies. Though they are supportive and want to help, the only possibility is asking their relatives and friends, which is annoying and clearly slows the educational process.
Money are the issue that includes the 3 categories of people, part of the distance learning situation. From the parental side, they’re unable to buy a technical device to do the job successfully, or they can’t afford an Internet. Let’s face it, poverty comes in our way more than it’s been before and since COVID-19 thrives, economics bleed.
- Teachers Version
Believe it or not, teachers have a big burden to bear, because they have grades to fill, curriculum to pass and a school year to finish. They’re are mostly unprepared for what’s happening right now, because nobody trained them or gave them the necessary tools to deal with the existing circumstances. If we’re being true to ourselves, educational system is not ready for online purposes and is still not well adjusted to them.
While some of the teachers are digital freaks, others are just from a generation that has nothing in common with online activities. Trying to apply something it never mattered to him/her in someone’s life is actually disturbing. That explains why exactly online education during the pandemic outbreak leads to lots of mental issues and and there’s when psychological help comes in a deep need.
Homeworks assignment and online test grades are also under question, because noone can be sure if it’s a team effort or a personal one. Teachers just have to thrust and sometimes thrust is doubtful for a reason.
So, whats seem to be the big conclusion over here? No matter if you’re a K-12 student or a university one, a parent or a teacher, you’re certainly having a tough time in all this rotation from home to school vise versa. And it’s pretty normal, as the situation is neither stable, nor a short-term one.
While modern technologies and online communication is already a normal part of our lives, being in a virtual classroom is not the same as using your mobile as a source of entertainment. It’s not that there’s no fun in distance learning, like it’s supposed to be. Both reasons for being ‘on the web’ are just far too different.
But let’s be positive on it and try to find out some practical and easy to apply solutions to the most common problems we seem to meet during the online education:
- Accessability issues
Although the decisions about this are not entirely ours to make, there are still some things that can be achieved. Since a governmental policy, securing Internet access and devices needed for the purpose of online education, is not available, vulnerable families are having hard times.
What we can do, is search for low-cost Internet assistance, that’s suitable for us and presented in our country. With so many as local, as national Internet providers, there must be some good offers, just standing under our noses and waiting for anyone to grab them.
Even if that’s not exactly true for you, you can always attend to free wi-fi and ask for more downloadable content, like video lessons recorded or assignments and handouts.
Public and school libraries with a free wi-fi are also an option, if not closed for the pandemic. Just keep on trying, searching, asking for help and let other be familiar to your situation.
2.Time management skills
Now if the first one didn’t lie in you hand, the second is all up to you. You have to pull yourself together, no matter how. Following a routine can actually do an excellent job. It’s important for you to be in a schedule of your own and stick to it straight.
Regardless of the reason for difficulty, solutions such as removing every distraction object, creating a school space, and wisely using unstructured time can be miraculously helpful.
3.Isolation
This rather psychological issue is still highly affecting motivation and learning progress not only among all parties included in online education, but in every human being throughout the COVID-19 crisis. AS we’re a different person, facing the same problems, there is no universal advice here.
But if it’s one thing for sure that’s suitable for all of us, it’s called sharing. Virtual study groups, teaching communities and all places, where communication and feedback still exist, comes in hand.
Now as we assume this, it becomes crystal clear online education is hard either for teachers, parents and students rather equally. No matter of age in this situation, it’s vital for us to have plenty of social interactions which will help our mental and emotional health.
We
must join in our effort to learn, to help, to ask the right questions
and answer the right answers in the right places. Staying active is as
important, as staying safe and positive and we might be sure to end all
coronavirus issues.
JUST REMEMBER WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
MVS Pharma GmbH is an innovative pharmaceutical start-up company, which researches in the area of reducing viruses and bacteria with plant based aerosols. Their special formula ensures the purity and the stability of the used ingredients during storage.
Liliya Ganeva is an article writer, who explores all the actual, up-to-date COVID-19 information, and the possibilities for producing aerosols made out of plants against respiratory viruses and bacteria.
