DUBAI: Distance learning, where students and teachers are not physically present in a traditional classroom environment, has become the norm in most parts of the world that are hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020.
Information is disseminated through discussion boards, video conferencing and online assessments. Educational activities have assumed a variety of formats and methods, most of which use computer technology over the Internet.
Now, with new forms of anxiety emerging such as the Omicron strain, and re-infections on the rise in many parts of the world, it seems that distance learning, rather than being a stopgap, is here to stay.
Iraqi students wearing face masks attend a class on the first day of the new academic year in Mosul. (AFP)
The pandemic has accelerated a current trend toward digitization, disrupting the school year for more than 1.7 billion students worldwide, changing the way people study, work and interact.
What started as a temporary solution to allow schools and universities to complete the academic year in line with stringent social-distancing rules has become a fixture of the education system.
Online education is now tightly woven into the schooling model, reversing the past reliance on traditional classroom teaching. As a result, a new hybrid model of education has emerged that combines both online and in-person learning.
Many educators in Gulf Cooperation Council countries say the combination is a more “practical” and “affordable” approach to learning in the 21st century. Jeffrey Smith, Director of School Partnerships at iAcademy Middle East, believes that blended learning, or hybrid learning, is the way forward.
“Today’s students and families are demanding more flexibility than traditional education models,” Smith told Arab News, highlighting the emerging demands of the modern workplace as one of the main factors driving this change.
“They need quick and affordable access to information and classes to acquire the skills.”
Developments in the education technology sector, known as edtech, also reflect the new trend. The demand for online learning solutions has skyrocketed during the pandemic. The edtech sector, which was valued at $227 billion in 2020, is projected to grow to $404 billion by 2025.
Even before the pandemic, there was a growing demand for online and hybrid courses at GCC universities. “Online learning leads to better retention rates, which means higher graduation rates and more revenue for universities,” said Smith.
Teachers and lecturers have also had to adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. (AFP)
In Saudi Arabia, the GCC’s largest education market, about 77 percent of teaching was conducted remotely during the pandemic, according to a study by cloud computing company Citrix Systems published in June.
The study, which surveyed a sample of C-level executives, IT managers, teachers and administrators at Saudi universities, showed that the majority (81 percent) believe the hybrid learning model will enhance the learning experience in the next academic year. The new method will significantly improve learning, with half the consensus.
Leading educational institutions in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait have also committed to digitizing their education sectors.
Unsurprisingly, the Middle East and Africa edtech and smart-classroom market is projected to grow to $7.1 billion by 2027, according to a study by The Insight Partners.
Europe currently has the largest edtech community, with more than half of the continent’s top 20 edtech companies based in the UK – one of the largest suppliers of smart-education solutions in the Gulf region.
One example is Firefly, a portal used by over one million students, teachers and parents, available in over 600 schools in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The edtech and smart-classroom market in the Middle East and Africa is projected to grow to $7.1 billion by 2027. (AFP file photo)
The growing popularity of online learning is evident at the University of Applied Science in Bahrain, where students were given the option of either returning to campus or continuing their studies remotely for the 2021 academic year following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
“We had 25 percent of our students who chose to study on campus and 75 percent decided to study from home,” ASU president Ghassan Oud told Arab News.
While the negative “psychological” impact of the pandemic on students is a major concern, Oud says, there are major advantages to online learning.
“We have given our students the highest quality learning outcomes and in fact, having all the lectures recorded for them can be beneficial,” he said.
He said that the online transition has also increased IT skills, better time management and independent learning among students.
Innumbers
1.7 billion – students whose education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
460 million – worldwide youth who cannot access remote-learning programs.
$404 billion – the global value of the edtech sector by 2025, up from $227 billion in 2020.
Certainly, the hybrid model is not without its drawbacks, given that almost half of the world’s population does not have access to the Internet. For institutions that lack the right online infrastructure, problems with technology, accessibility and communication between teachers, students and parents are quite common.
A large number of schools and universities were unprepared for the transition when the pandemic struck, but were forced to adopt the distance learning model as a way to stay afloat.
In fact, according to a recent UNICEF report, at least 460 million students worldwide cannot access distance learning programs because they lack the necessary equipment or infrastructure.
In the interest of inclusivity, schools and universities are working hard to get students back to learning in the classroom. In the UAE, the recently announced safety protocols are designed to facilitate 100 percent in-person learning from January 2022.
Similarly, the Saudi government has spent more than SR1 billion on upgrading facilities in accordance with safety protocols to ensure the smooth return of students and staff to schools and universities.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has also approved the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 years, which will allow students in that age group to return to class.
Although the online model of learning has provided a practical solution to meet the needs of the pandemic, some believe that the heyday of traditional classroom learning is over.
Almost half of the world’s population does not have internet. (AFP)
“I can’t imagine the hybrid model being 50-50,” Oud said. “On-campus, traditional education will be dominant with an element of online learning. It will become ideal especially for General Studies type courses. However, for practical courses, students will have to stay on campus.
Furthermore, according to him, the interpersonal, analytical and critical-thinking skills that students need to be successful in many professions cannot be taught over webcams.
Parents are naturally divided on the benefits of individual and distance learning. A recent UAE government survey of 28,171 participants found that 59 percent of parents want their children to learn remotely, while 41 percent were in favor of individual classes.
George Thurkan, whose 10-year-old child attends Apple International Community School in Dubai, believes that learning from home has improved family interactions, ended school bullying and helped parents learn more about assignments and activities. allowed to help.
The interpersonal, analytical, and critical-thinking skills that students need to be successful in many professions cannot be taught over a webcam. (supplied)
On the other hand, he admits that his child is missing out on constructive interactions with other students, neglecting their writing skills in favor of typing and verbal communication, and facing disruptions caused by technical issues .
Alia Khan, a mother of two, was impressed by the rapid and smooth transition to online learning during the pandemic, but remains an advocate of traditional classroom learning.
“Learning online should be out of necessity, not by choice. I am also not a big fan of the hybrid model, as it involves exposure to screen time, which I do not support,” Khan told Arab News.
“With face-to-face learning, students socialize and form healthy relationships. That’s why we humans are called social beings. In addition to social skills, children can focus better and participate more actively in classroom learning can take.”
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