Opportunities and Challenges faced by the education sector
The growth of digital media and the internet has helped many organisations gain advantages, especially those in the education sector. Due to the pandemic, many schools are blocked which affected students’ studies that had a negative impact on their performance and knowledge base. This is the main driver of the sector’s growth. Therefore, in these difficult times, contemporary online education offers many more opportunities, but also some challenges appear.
Opportunity 1: Live online lesson & Video recording
Schools utilise online courses and video recordings when students cannot participate completely in offline learning because of Covid-19. Compared to on-site education, distance learning may cover more topic matter and get around time and geographic restrictions. For instance, over 730,000 students at a school in Wuhan participated in online classes during the outbreak. This method received a large usage and favourable reception from both students and teachers.
Also, video recordings encourage students to study and revise, as well as let them catch up on any knowledge they missed. However, some students purposefully do not attend classes since they have video recordings to view, such as classes at very early hours or in terrible weather.
Opportunity 2: Discussion Board
Online discussion platforms like Piazza and Padlet have proved very beneficial for studying online. I believe the best advantage brought to students is they can post anonymously which can safeguard their identity, and express questions without inhibition. Several students once had the opinion that asking straightforward questions in class would invite criticism or derision. Students may thus develop a lack of confidence and a fear of asking questions. This can be quite useful in this respect for resolving the academic concerns of students.
Opportunity 3: Self-learning mode
Students may adapt how they study new content that teachers put on the platform to their personal needs. For instance, some students may find it difficult to keep up if they are slow learners. For various pupils, the self-study mode is a highly helpful and self-satisfied technique that will encourage them to learn more successfully and quickly utilising their preferred study techniques. Most significantly, when students take responsibility for the entire learning process. They are able to engage in learning consciously and spontaneously, taking ownership of their own learning and exercising considerably more initiative.
Opportunity 4: Lower cost
As students do not need to spend time on the journey to school, which reduces the cost of time and allows for flexible study schedules. Moreover, the online model breaks down geographical barriers, giving kids in remote cities the chance to benefit from the teaching of qualified teachers from first-rate institutions, and the tuition for the lesson is not expensive for the family.
Nevertheless, a low cost does not guarantee effective and responsible instruction in my mind. As an illustration, China exists many deceptive low-quality educational institutions. To evaluate this, considerable research and practical experience are required.
Challenge 1: Reduction in interaction
The interaction between learners and teachers offline is diminishing as more and more education is delivered online. The article from 2011 emphasises the value of the teacher-student relationship and how it may help students grow. When students have a mental block or receive a poor grade, they can approach a teacher to talk to, calm themselves down, and communicate their requirements. Hence, when the number of offline lessons decreases, so does this teacher-student relationship, which will dramatically influence students’ growth.
Challenge 2: Dishonest
Schools need to administer online exams to students during the epidemic, which means there are no supervisors on site. Despite the ease of taking tests online, some candidates cheat on examinations, and the prevalence of dishonesty is rising. A figure reveals the disadvantage of using online tests: the percentage of students who cheat has risen from 75% to 98%. Students will also believe it is unfair that they received the same mark while completing the exam in various ways. The need for contemporary invigilation technology in exams is thus maybe the most crucial problem for schools.
Challenge 3: Internet issues
In comparison to online exam cheating, internet troubles are also a terrible disaster for the candidate. Some students receive zero scores as a result of an error, which is unacceptable and will have a significant negative effect on their mental health and academic performance. As a result, this is one of the main justifications given by schools for why exams must be administered on-site.
Challenge 4: Internet Distraction
The usage of online learning has an impact on students of all ages. Older students are readily tempted by the information on their mobile phones at work and occasionally go online for a few minutes, despite having more self-control than younger kids. Meanwhile, using technological gadgets while studying might negatively impact eyesight. A psychology essay claims that while college students find it convenient to study using technological devices, young children struggle to resist these temptations. Hence, the disruption caused by technological gadgets might adversely impact young pupils’ academic performance.
Conclusion
To sum up, while online learning offers students a lot of conveniences and helps them to learn in a more enjoyable and comfortable way, there are some problems that cannot be ignored due to the development of the internet. Online and offline content needs to be neutralised and can co-exist, but being completely online can have a negative reaction.
