It is without a doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed numerous areas of our lives, in particular the ways that we work and learn. Continue reading to learn more about how the pandemic has affected our education and work patterns.
Education and Online Learning
It is clear that education has faced many changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most prominent of those being the migration from in-person to online learning. With 1.53 billion students out of school worldwide and school closures in 188 countries across the globe, online methods of learning have been crucial to continuing education.
Although online learning has many benefits, some students reported that they struggled to adapt to new methods of learning. For example, over half of students in higher education in the UK reported that the lack of face-to-face learning had a major or moderate impact on their academic performance.
Therefore, it is increasingly important to choose online learning that is engaging and effective. Learning 247’s wide range of online courses have all been designed with the learner’s experience in mind. Our online learning service is also more effective as you can choose to learn when you are at your most focused and motivated.
Take a look at our range of courses here.
The Impact on Educational Technology
The need for new methods of online learning led to the increase in use of educational technology. Technology has been a key way in which students and teachers have been able to adapt to the new normal. One piece of technology that saw a huge rise in usage was Zoom. As a result of the pandemic, Zoom sales increased by 370% from the end of 2019 to the end of 2020.
The increase in educational technology will have lasting effects even after face-to-face learning has been fully reintroduced. Many educators and teachers have found that online methods of communicating and learning have been useful and that they will adopt new learning schedules that incorporate both in-person and online methods of learning
The Impact on Work Routines
Working routines have also been impacted by the pandemic, with many professionals having to adapt to working from home. Almost 50% of workers were working from home during the first few months of the pandemic, compared to just 5% in 2019. As with education, this migration meant an increase in the usage of technology like Zoom for work colleagues to keep in touch with each other and hold meetings and briefs.
Is More Flexible Working the Future?
Working from home has had a positive impact for many businesses, aside from preventing from the spread of COVID-19. For a start, working from home has saved businesses money on funding physical office spaces. Employees have also felt benefits such as saving on transport and childcare costs, more flexible working hours and increased comfort.
However, these benefits also come with some downsides. For example, some employees found it difficult to adjust to balancing home and work life. Many felt disconnected from their work colleagues and found it difficult to find motivation. Moving forwards, many organisations are already offering more ‘hybrid’ ways of working to give employees the benefits of both types of work.
How do you work best? Do you prefer working from home, the office, or a combination of both?
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