Quality Education In A Pandemic: Making The Most Of The Situation
With the pandemic still looming over us, how can we guarantee the quality of education our students are getting now?
What are the challenges of learning in a pandemic?
COVID-19 brought about different types of challenges to everyone. The challenges presented are unique to people groups, but generally, everyone had to adapt to the present circumstances.
While most adults — professionals and business people — were greatly impacted by the pandemic due to its effects on their livelihood, students have also suffered in their own way. Aside from being disconnected from their friends and families, young people are struggling with their education. We’re talking about students of different ages and year levels, from preschool, elementary, middle school, senior high, university, and even fully-grown adult students.
Loneliness in isolation
We have all been raised in an environment where learning is done in a classroom along with other students. That is until the pandemic happened. Like all of us adults, kids were also sent home and were made to settle with learning in isolation. This is harder for kids who were used to being with their classmates and friends.
Immediate access to help and guidance
They’re missing human interaction and valuable input and assistance from their fellow students and teachers. While most classes held online still allow kids to ask questions and get help from classmates and teachers, it’s still a far cry from being in person.
Accurate student assessment
One of the main educational challenges during this time is the accuracy of student assessment. Compared to face-to-face classes before COVID hit, educators have very limited factors to use as a basis for assessing a student’s progress and overall performance.
Learning gaps during isolation
One of the main considerations that educational institutions need to factor in is the quality of education a student is getting before the pandemic. Because of the differences in educational standards held by each institution, coupled with a student’s competency, educators must address the different learning gaps in isolation.
What are some opportunities to improve learning conditions in a health crisis?
To keep students’ education on track and to help ensure they’re getting high educational standards despite the present global health crisis, certain things need to be done and put in place. Here are some practical tips parents can do at home to help.
Come up with a routine that will help students establish some regularity and normalcy
Some routines help students establish a sense of normalcy in their day. It helps them figure out how to manage their time and energy.
Parents should work with their children when they draw up their plans. Keep in mind that the activities you set should be age-appropriate. Do your best to maintain a regular schedule as much as possible and allow for some flexibility, especially at this time.
Have honest conversations with students and listen to the things they have to say
One of the things parents should be on the lookout for at this time is their children’s well-being. These are hard times for everyone, including the children. While they do their best to be troopers and stay strong at this time, parents should never overestimate children’s resiliency.
It is recommended that parents initiate honest conversations with their kids and promote open lines of communication at home. Children should feel safe to express their thoughts and feelings without being judged regardless of the topic.
Preparation and patience should go hand in hand at this time
Proper preparation for classes was already important before this global health crisis. It’s even more important now to ensure a higher success rate for students, given the abrupt changes made to the system. And since we’re all new to this, one should extend a little more patience as both teachers and students navigate this difficult time.
Parents should step in and help out as much as possible so that the student learns how to focus and work unsupervised. Easier said than done, we know. That’s why both preparation and patience are very crucial at this time.
Challenge students to be self-disciplined and help them establish helpful habits
If you have a student in your house, make it your goal to help them build good study habits and guide them to a more disciplined lifestyle. We understand that parents who work from home aren’t all equipped to multi-task, hence the need for the development of self-discipline. Of course, it should still be appropriate for the child’s age. You cannot expect a kindergartner to perform unsupervised as a college student is supposed to. The key lies in proper motivation and methodologies.
The pandemic has definitely changed the way we do things. It seems that even if we’re already past the COVID era, some of the changes brought about by the pandemic on our different educational systems will remain.