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To kick off the new year: Will 2021 be a year of good intentions or fear for academia?

With the outburst of the pandemic in March 2020 the world entered into a new phase where “normal life’’ is put on hold for quite some time. Along with the many sectors and industries that have been affected by the response measures taken to battle the virus, the world of academia has been significantly impacted and suffered consequences that could change entirely the traditional concept of education forever. This article aims to explore the changes within the education system since the outburst of the pandemic and the potential outcomes for academia in 2021.

29.03.2024
To kick off the new year: Will 2021 be a year of good intentions or fear for academia?

A retrospective look back into 2020

 

With the New Year finally here we are taking the opportunity to look back at what happened during 2020 and evaluate the outcome of the response measures taken to combat COVID-19. There is no question that 2020 was a tough year for the entire humanity, considering that people’s lives have changed tremendously in the past twelve months. Since the announcement of the pandemic in March 2020 a new reality was introduced which has cancelled “normal life” for quite some time. Aside from the health aspect the unprecedented reach of the pandemic around the globe led to serious damages also within the global economy, causing many people to live in fear for their livelihoods due to layoffs, business closures, and loss of income. Among the many industries and sectors that have faced some serious challenges, education has been one of the ones most significantly impacted. Students and teachers have become some of the most vulnerable communities due to the closure of schools, colleges, and universities and the introduction of emergency remote learning methods. Below, we will look at some of the major consequences that followed as a result of the response measures on education in 2020, while trying to estimate what the new year holds for higher education.

 

Interrupted learning: COVID-19 measures and its impact on the education system

 

One of the major breakthroughs within the world of academia over the past year has been undoubtedly the shift to digitalization. Educational systems all over the world have been forced to implement new methods through online learning while maintaining the quality of education as it had been before. Although this goal might seem quite easy to achieve due to the new tools and possibilities that come along with digitalization, some people have faced significant difficulties with a task of such kind. Students and teachers are placed in a paradoxical situation where educational tools that are supposed to enhance the educational experience actually have in some respects turned out to be depriving for both ends by introducing new threats and risks. The self-isolation requirements along with online learning have introduced new challenges for students who were otherwise used to the traditional learning environment. Many have started experiencing mental health crisis, lack of self-confidence, lack of motivation, and depression. Below we will look in more detail at these and other critical issues that have occurred as a result to the so-called response measures against the virus.

 

  • Unequal access to learning materials

 

In the attempt to battle effectively the spread of the virus, many schools, colleges, and universities have closed their doors one by one all over the world. This action immediately has led to distance learning that at the time of the outburst of the pandemic was seen as the ultimate solution that could prevent the crash of the educational system and so educational institutions implemented it into their study approaches. Yet, this approach has come with a price. Among the first downsides has been the unequal access to learning that more than a billion learners experienced across the globe. This has in most cases been due to the inability for students from low- and middle-income countries, in particular, to access the Internet to take part in online classes and courses. They had been deprived of equality long before the outburst of the pandemic, which puts them in even a worse position as opposed to students that are generally better equipped with digital tools. Other reports from learners with a better social background also suggest that despite the presence of such technologies in their household, their access was limited since other members of the family are already using them.

 

  • Decrease in students’ performance

 

Aside from the unequal access to study materials comes another important issue that influences the overall achievement of students during the COVID-19 crisis. The sudden changes that followed after the transition from traditional to e-learning have also affected significantly students’ performance and ability to learn. One of the key differences between the two types of education is that with traditional learning students were required to stick to a regular schedule, pay more attention during classes and lectures, and participate actively in discussions where they could get mutual improvement through sharing their thoughts and ideas with each other. With online learning, however, these aspects are not or at least not completely present. The result: the loss of important skills such as concentration, critical-thinking, and interpersonal and practical skills. What is more some disciplines such as clinical medicine, engineering or even the creative areas require practical performance, which is absent with online learning. As a result, students who are used to traditional learning often tend to lack motivation, which leads to decrease in productivity, higher rates of procrastination, and low achievements.

 

  • Psychological stress

 

Another aspect that has disrupted normal learning for students is the psychological stress that many have experienced over the past months. Leaving campus in the middle of the semester came as a shock for the majority of learners as it was also accompanied with self-isolation and weeks of quarantine. What is more, although some students might be taking courses in their home countries and thus are at home with their families, others such as international students did not have the chance to return back to their homes for quite some time and were left alone in a foreign country far away from relatives and friends. The sense of being disconnected from their usual environment and lack of social support are perfect conditions for a mental health crisis among many students. While shifting to e-learning might be easy for some, others have suffered the worst negative sides of it, affecting their emotional well-being. Studying in a normal environment allows students to physically interact with each other or with their teachers for most of the time, which involves more social activities, real-time feedback, and a personal approach from tutors that can motivate students and eliminate their fear of failure on exams. Unfortunately, online learning does not fully provide this opportunity. As a result, students have also reported mental health exhaust, frustration, sadness or the development of anxiety disorders and depression due to loneliness and lack of social interaction.

 

  • Financial burden for students

 

The economic shock and steep financial costs are another aspect that has influenced negatively students’ academic progression, leaving many learners and their families with enormous financial burdens and uncertainty. Although low-income students were expected to be among the main victims of the financial crisis, students and their parents from other socio-economic backgrounds have also faced more or less the same challenges. Paying a certain tuition fee and getting a low-quality online education in return is an issue for many students, especially those who are enrolled in prestigious, private universities.

 

  • The downsides for teachers

 

Students and parents were not the only ones affected by the changes in the education system over the past year. To fully understand the seriousness of the impact of the response measures taken to battle the so-called pandemic we must also look at the challenges that teachers have been facing with online learning. Digital competence is probably the first issue that appeared with those tutors and lecturers who had to learn how to operate with new tools and technologies. In different parts of the world teachers are less able to fully take advantage of digital technologies, which in turn contributes to the unequal access for students to learning materials. What is more even those tutors who have a basic knowledge on how to work with digital technologies experience the issue with adapting the content meant for traditional learning to online learning. Another drawback is the requirement for teachers to constantly monitor all students for their productivity, possible cheating on exams or even mental health problems that might have developed due to the stress caused by the sudden change of the learning environment and self-isolation. In addition to all of this many tutors have also experienced the negative effects on their emotional well-being with concerns that they might not have been as productive and helpful to students as during traditional learning.

 

Despite the downsides of online education, proponents believe that it actually has the potential to be a great revolution into the world of contemporary studies. Yet, how is this possible given the abovementioned disadvantages? Could e-learning really be a game changer? Below we will explore what 2021 has in store for the world of academia.

 

Recover and rebuild: What to expect this year

 

It is evident from the above-mentioned that the sudden outburst of the pandemic has changed a lot of aspects in the world of education. Over the course of the past months many discussions have emerged about the efficiency of online education and whether or not it is a good or bad thing that it is likely to continue in this year as well. Despite the downsides and challenges that education has faced so far, educational institutions are working hard to transform the system in the best way possible so that it is equally efficient even in times of crisis. Yet, it is hard to find one definite answer to the question of the efficiency of e-learning since the factors that influence the situation as a whole are very unpredictable and sudden change of events could occur at any time. Below, we have gathered some of the estimations of experts in an attempt to find out what can be expected in 2021 for the world of academia.

 

 

 

Biggest risks for education in 2021

From a digital point of view, experts believe that one of the primary issues in 2021 will be privacy. With teachers using more and more social media tools, paid video services or even games in the educational process rises the issue of personal data theft, spam spreading, and students’ exposure to malicious content such as inappropriate videos, violence, offensive comments and cyberbullying. Even though the younger generation seems to be composed of mostly tech-savvy individuals, it is always a good idea to take additional precautions against phishing campaigns, ransomware, and DDoS attacks.

 

Despite the presence of cyber vulnerability of learners and tutors, online learning will continue to exist as a method of education, which means that students will spend more and more time in their homes studying and participating in courses from their laptops. This alone hides another risk that must be somehow addressed by educational officers, namely the lack of physical participation and real interaction in lectures, group discussions, seminars, and workshops. Learning along with other people and sharing ideas with each other is crucial for the well-being of students and their academic progress.

 

Innovative future for students in 2021

 

Distance learning and digital education in general will most certainly continue throughout 2021 and even further. The European Commission has even come up with a plan that outlines the integration of digital technology in education for the next 26 years. Governments around the world are yet to follow this model and come up with similar strategies in order to provide high-quality, accessible digital education for students all over the globe. With the world adapting to the new changes that occur constantly as a result of the implementation of new security measures, the world of academia must be always ready to react in the best way possible in order to provide inclusive training systems to learners. Digital technologies and e-learning can contribute in such exceptional situation, which is why schools and universities across the world must strongly consider transferring their teaching methods towards this.

With the establishment of the new norms within academia, more and more changes are about to occur. Some experts predict for higher education on a global scale a reform of totally new learning methods and curriculum structure. The old classrooms will be reshaped along with the traditional educational models. Digital tools will perhaps take over and decrease face-to-face teaching with the attempt to create a safer environment for students and teachers.

 

As a result of the ongoing spread of e-learning more and more universities around the world are planning to implement blended learning into their curriculums. This new hybrid method combines e-learning with traditional education, giving learners the opportunity to have more control over their individual learning experiences. Such an approach will introduce a lot of benefits such as lower tuition fees and flexible learning schedules. What is more, students will have a much bigger access to global resources and materials that will help them expand their knowledge and skills. Blended learning is said to provide many individual benefits for students as well, as its self-pacing nature is ideal for both quick and slow learners who would like to reduce their stress levels and increase satisfaction from learning. With the rise of technological use, some also believe that this will lead to the emergence of more and more new higher education providers that will dominate over traditional colleges and universities.

 

The digital world of academia is here to stay

The world of academia is about to experience some serious changes and will most probably forever change the perception of learning and training. Although the transition from the traditional classroom to e-learning has already started, schools, colleges, and universities are yet to make even bigger changes to their curriculums and training methods as the world adapts to this exceptional situation. Students and teachers will learn to adapt step by step to the new study approaches and methods until they gradually transition into an entirely new world of education where new and exciting opportunities await for young adults. In any case, as a society we must learn from this exceptional situation, explore all of its advantages and disadvantages, and use them in our favor and towards our personal growth as individuals.