COVID-19 has changed many things around us, and education is the one that got severely affected due to the pandemic. In 2020 when COVID-19 started to spread, the schools were preparing to start the next education session. The first COVID-19 made it difficult for the students to resume their studies like before. Since then, the schools have adopted technology to teach their students. Now, students and teachers use online study option and connect with each others through smartphones and laptops. This latest version of classroom and studies helping young students to continue their studies in the present time but is it constructive? Students are promoting from the previous class to the next one but are they getting the education they deserve? Many parents and students must have these questions in mind.
Student’s life has changed drastically over past one year, and it has long term effects. Despite being in one class, students don’t have any social interaction. The online class set-up is acceptable to teach them what is written in textbooks but its not sufficient to educate the young students about making new friends and teamwork.
Online education and its effect in India
Due to the pandemic and 2020 lockdown, the schools administration had to close of the door of their institute a complete education session. Though online classes carry the burden of teaching students in India, online education is not an option for everyone. According to UNICEF, the 2020 lockdown has affected 247 million students of elementary and secondary schools. Only 24 percent of houses have access to an internet connection in India. So expecting that online classes are the alternative to regular classes is an immature thought. In rural areas, young students go to Aganbadi Kendra to get initial education, which has been stopped. So overall, it’s the education sector that suffered most in the pandemic. Let us have a sneak peek in the students’ lives during the pandemic;
How Student Life has changed over Past One Year
If you are an adult, then you must be having many good memories of school days. It was the time when students learned new things and started to develop a social circle. The pandemic has stopped the students from going to school. However, online classes are a savior for them, and they still can continue their studies, but what about their social life? Let’s evaluate how the student life has changed over the past one year and the pros and cons of new education set-up;
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New Way Of Study
In this new normal, the study room of a house has become the school. The smartphone has turned into a class. Schools should get credit for adopting the technology to conduct online courses. Almost all the private schools are teaching online courses. The students are now under the radar of parents. Hence, they have more pressure to be active and intelligent in class.
The online class set-up has increased the involvement of the students in the class. Now parents know about the performance of their ward in class. When we talk about the new way of study, online courses, we must think of students who don’t have a smartphone. The pandemic has snatched a chance from them to study and change their future.
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More involvement with technology
The concept of online classes could not be executed without technology. When the students interact with their teachers in online classes with the help of any app, they get involved more with technology. They learn new features of the app and soon become a pro in it. It may be possible that the online class concept will make kids addicted to smartphones as most of the students use it as a medium to join the online class. But it can also make them curious about how the app works and the concept of the internet.
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Less Social and Personal Interaction
The spread of COVID 19 gets all the blame to ruin people’s social and personal lives. India is a country where people shake hands when they are in office and informal meetings. The best way to greet friends and loves ones is to hug them. But the coronavirus stopped it, and now it has become challenging to identify a known person quickly as covering the face is still mandatory.
It badly affected the young students. Students from KG to 10th standard are in the process of making more friends and have a good social circle. It is the time when they learn to work and play together. In the present scenario, its difficult for them to interact with other students of their class. They could not establish a connection with their classmate on the screen.
Pros And Cons of New Normal for Students
The present online studies are going well as teachers, administration, and students don’t have any other options. But as everything has its pros and cons, so the online studies is. The governments of different Indian states announce reopening the school as soon as they control the corona cases in the area. When they have an online learning option, why the administration wants to open the schools? Let us check the pros and cons of online learning and understand it;
Pros of Online Learning
· Accessible
Online learning saves traveling time and the money spend to reach the school or learning center. Students can attend the class from any place of their choice. They can be comfortable at home while attending the course. Geographical boundaries cannot restrict online learning, and it can be an excellent platform for young minds from different countries and backgrounds to learn together.
· Modern Approach
In online learning, the teachers and students both have to use technology. So the concept is teaching technology to the teachers and students both in a practical way. The teachers are coming up with different ideas and modifying the teaching apps according to their students’ needs. For young students, it becomes easier to learn through informative videos and podcasts.
· Affordable
Online classes are affordable for students. Students from rural areas can attend the course from their homes, eliminating the need for money to travel and stay in a town. The study material is readily available online, so students can save money from buying books and other study material.
Cons Of Online Learning
· Too Much Screen time
For the online study, the students need to concentrate on the screen. The duration of online classes is also not short. Therefore, the increased screen time creates issues for the student’s and teachers’ eyes.
· Dependency on Technology
Unlike traditional classes, online classes depend on the stable internet connection and a working device. If the teacher or student doesn’t have a stable internet connection, the course will not be conducted. Hence, people in small towns are forced to get a stable internet connection or find the spot where the telephone operator has good connectivity.
· Isolation
Online study doesn’t get students to talk with each other as they used to before 2020. So the social interaction is getting low, and students cannot exchange their ideas with each other. It may also affect the team spirit in them.
Last Words
Many of us must be overwhelmed with this proactive approach of schools’ administration to introduce online classes but is it planned? The answer is negative. Online learning in India was initiated without planning, and as a result, students, their parents, and teachers suffered for the initial months. Eventually, things are better after a year. Though nothing can replace the traditional schooling, but yes online learning solution has opened new ways of learning. The new solution of getting an education has changed the future of learning.
