What lasting changes can we expect in post-pandemic learning?

It goes without saying that the world has changed forever, in countless ways, as a result of the global crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers, parents, students, and educational institutions as a whole have felt the direct impact of this pandemic firsthand. Throughout 2020, the challenges of social distancing, remote learning, and familiarization with new technology have been major obstacles that have required patience, focus, and fortitude to overcome. 

While countless schools and universities found themselves confronted with the reality of our collective “new normal”–one that demanded new, flexible, and adaptable learning models–those that already had an established investment in online education emerged as leading innovators amid the pandemic.

Student demand has long been the catalyst for the use of modern technologies in the classroom, especially as many have grown up as well-versed digital natives, and the current state of education has only solidified this call for new and improved options across the board. Academic institutions are now challenged with embracing the changes accelerated by COVID-19, using their experiences, available technology, and industry advancements to address students current and future needs.

Here are a few of the lasting changes we can expect to see in post-pandemic learning:

Further emergence of flexible educational models      

Whereas traditional, in-person instruction has long been held as the standard in education since its inception, the pandemic has led to an increased acceptance that this is no longer the singular option for effective and reliable learning. Distanced, remote, and online instruction are now seen as suitable alternatives by more people than ever before as a direct result of COVID-19. From young children to university students, the online model has been proven to work for those who embrace it and learn from it, and this proof-of-concept is huge for the future of education.