By Dr. Jowallah and Dr. Bennett
The current Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has shown the possible vulnerabilities of our educational systems, which could impact academic employees, students, and other workers. Notwithstanding, the Covid-19 crisis will lead to significant future investments by public and private investors. Below are five future predictions.
Increased Investments in Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Apps Integration Covid-19 has brought to light the need for all educational institutions to have online learning platforms that allow all teaching staff to have access to asynchronous and synchronous modes of delivery. These learning platforms will enable the management of teaching and learning activities using an array of integrated applications. Along with educational institutions, the business industry will now view the LMS as a significant space for their expansion. More advanced LMS systems could be created.
Increased Investment in Educational Technologies Based on the current Covid-19 crisis, many students have had limited access to laboratories to conduct their lab coursework or required simulations. The absence of these labs and simulations could limit students’ academic progress. However, with the emergence of extended reality (XR), these labs and simulations would be possible. This gap highlighted by Covid-19 will create opportunities for more significant investments and will lead to an enhanced model for designing, developing, and scaling XR technology. Furthermore, increased investments in educational technologies will also lead to the creation of more significant collaborative work with students in a global context and additional investment to close the digital divide.
Teacher Training and Professional Development The current coronavirus crisis has also highlighted the need for teachers, instructors, and education leaders to be experts both in face-to-face and online pedagogies. In summary, educators can no longer operate within one pedagogical framework but should be experts in both. Becoming an expert in both pedagogies will require changes to the teacher training curriculum and in-house professional development. Therefore, there will be significant changes in the future to ensure teachers are skilled in both face-to-face and online teaching.
Flexible Working Arrangements for Instructional and Support Staff While many institutions have not been advocates for flexible working arrangements, this crisis has showcased the need for these accommodations. In summary, Covid-19 is providing a long simulation that demonstrates that many workers could operate within a remote context. Based on this, in the future, more organizations will offer more opportunities for flexible working arrangements. Additionally, students with no previous online learning experience may find that they prefer the flexible experience that the online environment provides.
Reduction in the Cost of Education The cost for students aspiring to earn a degree continues to increase. However, this current crisis has provided resources, technological advances, and possible cost-sharing strategies, which could ultimately reduce tuition costs forever. For example, XR could be used to reduce the cost of real live simulation and overseas trips, and institutions could avoid some of the expenses associated with building and maintaining teaching rooms. The predictions mentioned above are just some of the ways that will create opportunities that will only advance the landscape of education. What are your thoughts?
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