The COVID-19 crisis has changed the face of education. Lockdowns and social distancing measures across the world have forced educational institutions to double down on technology. But despite stopgaps and provisional solutions, the transition to remote learning is here to stay. The good news: it offers exciting opportunities in terms of education. The problem is, distance learning is still grossly undervalued.
Digital versus live education
Distance learning has long been the stepchild in education. A reverse digital divide has been going on for a while: online classes were for the less fortunate, live classes were for the elite. Now, it turns out the idea is ingrained in the minds of consumers of education, spurring many to believe that digital education is inferior. And in the light of the pandemic, the reverse digital divide has gained new relevance — especially with students calling for tuition fee refunds.
Meanwhile, educational institutions make irreversible investments in digital education. Without time to reflect, it's difficult to implement solutions that will work in the long term. And yet it's ever important to offer top-quality distance learning, as it will be the foundation for what we really need right now: a value innovation in education. Digital and live education should be considered equals. If we don't bring about this change, the only solution will be to lower tuition fees — and with all current investments, that won't be a viable option for most educational institutions.
How to offer a truly valuable learning experience
It all starts with offering a truly valuable learning experience, which is a mix of face-to-face education and smart content.
So, educators require two things. First, the right means of communication (including videoconferencing tools), which allow them to incorporate live lectures and conversations into their classes. Second, personalised teaching materials that are truly aimed at the individual.
It's not necessarily difficult to meet these requirements. But educational institutions need to stop coming up with temporary solutions that lack quality and worsen the reverse digital divide. Only if they focus on top-notch communication tools and content — solutions that work in the long term — a value innovation in education can be achieved.
Want to know more about large-scale personalised education? Go straight to the next blog post!
