Day 28: What does virtual education mean?

The coronavirus is impacting the world’s education systems. Schools are being forced to go virtual, bringing into question the preparedness of not only educators, but also students, and school administrators. The pandemic not only reinforces the digital divide, but exacerbates the impact.

For example, some low-income students may not have steady access to computers and a stable internet connection, making doing any online work difficult. Acquiring devices and means of connectivity can be too costly for these populations, and thus they fall even farther behind their peers who do have connectivity and access.

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing schools and educators to rethink education — what does education mean in a world that is constantly changing? What role can ICT play in education? How do we prepare the world to go virtual?