COVID-19 on Education: What Experts Think!!!
The impacts of COVID-19 on education of humans have been very severe. This is true, right from the beginning of COVID-19 attacks. Schools, colleges and universities were closed. Students were asked to go for online classes. Online assessments, assignments and graduations were introduced. The aim was to keep studies continuous. However, there were many drawbacks too. Students suffered physically, emotionally and academically.
Developing countries of the world have only limited excess to internet. Such countries are still struggling to provide education to every student. Health conditions of such countries are also still disturbing. Regaining the previous education standards will need a lot of time. The education sectors of the developed countries have also experienced downfall. All this is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About impacts of COVID-19 on education, students have to face many challenges. This aspect has been proved by different researches. Since students do not show same coping, different problems arise. Some of the major issues have been discussed here. Related people can learn from here.
Social Seclusion
It is true that educational institutes are places for learning. However, it is also inevitably true that these institutes are social centers for students. When kids go to school, they meet with other kids of their ages. This leads to the development of friendships. Students also develop peer relations. Most of the time, such bonds tend to have life-long longevities. Students learn to express themselves and their feelings through such connections. They learn to communicate with others around them.
Impact on Grades
However, the impacts of COVID-19 on education have sternly changed this aspect. Due to virtual classes, students can no longer meet each other. Their chances of social interaction have ended. As a result, students do not feel at ease with their studies. Before COVID-19 students used to interact with each other. They performed academic tasks together. Spending times with friends let them feel happy. COVID-19 has taken all these positive aspects away.
All this has caused increased social anxiety in students. Many research studies have reported such results. Children now feel insecure about their friendships. They think that virtual classes will take their friends away. Students think they cannot do things alone. They have become pressurized. Students are now experiencing social imbalances in their lives. And their grades are also impacted badly.
Anxieties for Academic Performance
Students also go through academics-related anxieties under the umbrella of the impacts of COVID-19 on education. This type of anxiety affects the adolescents and young adults.
COVID-19 Shook Confidence of Students
There are many students who feel shy to interact through video conferencing. They also feel less confident in presenting themselves online. They tend to remain silent in virtual classes. Resultantly, their inputs in classes decline. Teachers can tackle with this issue in face-to-face classes. However, it is difficult to maintain this balance in virtual classes.
Unable to Meet Deadlines
Many students also feel difficulty in meeting the deadlines for submission of different academic tasks. This leads to increased levels of anxieties. This increased pressure affects the academic performance of a vast majority of students.
Lack of Concentration
When students study from their homes, they can face issues. They can easily get distracted by different environmental factors. Consequently, students cannot concentrate on their studies. Concentration is easy within the structured environment of an institute.
Effect on Teacher Student Relationship
Teachers and students share a specific relation. In conventional classes, teachers are personally available for students. Students can go to the teachers at any time during the school hours. However, this facility is absent in virtual classrooms. Even teachers cannot solve problems of students online. This gravely affects the overall academic performance of the students.
Physical fatigue
Brains of the students have been wired for the conventional learning. When they learn through virtual means their brains need more time to process it. This leads to the fatigue of the brain activities. Of all the impacts of COVID-19 on education, this one lies at the core.
Eyes of the students also become tired due to continuous exposure to screens. In the present times, the involvement of screens has already increased. Students of all ages indulge in screens like watching TV, playing the video games and internet surfing. The virtual classes have become an additional burden on the eyes of students. Similarly, pain occurs in the ears due to prolonged wearing of headphones.
These situations become more troublesome when students continuously think about being online. They become pressurized because other people are watching them online. They have to focus on different aspects at the same time. In this way, their concertation on studies is severely distracted.
Lack of Extracurricular Activities
In conventional institutes, there is balance between curricular and extracurricular activities. There are no extracurricular activities in virtual classrooms. Some of such activities are unattractive for majority of the students. For example, not everyone likes to participate in an online speech contest. Resultantly, continuous studies bore the students easily. Researches have shown that students have shown increased disinterest in studies post the pandemic. This is true on a global level.
In a nutshell, education is a very important part of every individual’s life. COVID-19 has destroyed this building block of students’ lives. The future of our society depends on educated people. Therefore it is necessary to take steps to solve these issues. Some steps are already in operations. But we are still far away from best results. Read our next article to find ways of overcoming the impacts of COVID-19 on education.
COVID 19 has Affected Examination and Assessments
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional examination and assessment systems across the world. With lockdowns and social distancing measures in place, many schools, universities, and professional testing bodies were forced to cancel or postpone scheduled exams. In response, education institutions rapidly shifted towards online learning platforms, which brought with them new challenges for assessments.
Impact on Examinations
One of the most notable impacts was the shift from traditional in-person exams to online assessments. This transition introduced technical challenges such as unreliable internet connections, lack of access to proper devices, and concerns about academic integrity. In many cases, institutions had to rely on open-book exams, project-based assessments, and alternative formats like essays or take-home assignments, which posed their own challenges in ensuring fairness and consistency.
Furthermore, the shift to remote learning and testing raised concerns about equity. Students from underprivileged backgrounds, who lacked access to stable internet or learning tools, faced greater difficulties, deepening educational disparities. Additionally, teachers and institutions had to quickly adapt to unfamiliar digital tools for proctoring and grading, which required training and adjustments to ensure that assessments maintained their validity and rigor.
Impact on Assessments
In many regions, standardized testing, such as school-leaving exams and university entrance exams, was either delayed, cancelled, or modified. This led to uncertainty for students, especially those planning to transition into higher education or the workforce. In some cases, admission processes shifted to a more holistic review, relying less on test scores and more on continuous assessment, personal statements, and interviews.
In sum, COVID-19 forced a dramatic reconsideration of traditional assessment methods, pushing educational institutions to explore new, often digital, avenues for evaluating student performance. These changes may have long-term implications, as many institutions have since recognized the potential for hybrid models that combine both in-person and remote assessments.
Education System Post-COVID-19
The education system post-COVID-19 has undergone a significant transformation, with many of the emergency measures adopted during the pandemic becoming permanent features. Hybrid learning models, combining both in-person and online instruction, have become more common, offering greater flexibility for students and educators. Schools and universities have increasingly integrated digital tools and platforms, allowing for more personalized learning experiences.
Assessment methods have also evolved, with a shift toward continuous evaluation and a broader acceptance of project-based and open-book exams. However, the pandemic also exposed and, in some cases, widened educational inequalities, leading to renewed emphasis on equitable access to technology and resources. Moving forward, education systems worldwide are focused on building resilience, ensuring that they are better prepared for future disruptions while embracing the innovations brought about by the COVID-19 era.
Conclusion
In conclusion, COVID-19 has profoundly reshaped the education landscape, accelerating the adoption of digital learning, transforming assessment methods, and highlighting existing inequalities. While these changes brought challenges, they also paved the way for more flexible, resilient, and innovative education systems, which are likely to endure in the post-pandemic world.
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