Future teaching and learning systems can open up a new horizon

Coronavirus has adversely affected the way students teach and evaluate interesting lessons. Now risk-free approaches to ensuring safe teaching in the future are being considered. In order to ensure a safe classroom in the event of an epidemic in the future, studies are also being conducted. Online education can become the alternative education method for the future. What the future education system will look like is anyone's guess.

The Corona effect has already revolutionised the education system in the developed world. The use of digital platforms in educational activities has increased. In the developed world, educational activities are being carried out using the social media 'Zoom' app. Teachers accustomed to white boards, markers and powerpoint presentations have to adapt to this.

In the coming days, future exams will not be based on memorisation. Questions in future exams will be analytical and students will need to be more creative. Coaching guide dependencies will automatically disappear. Instead of memorisation, new things or new ideas will be encouraged. Those who have skills in the subject will be made proficient in that subject.

Artificial intelligence will become very important for education in the future. A lot of the work that teachers do now will become automatic. Teachers need to adapt to this change as well.

The solution to our current problems could be an open field school system so that children can return to school safely. With light weight tables and chairs in the garden, teachers can sit in the field and take classes with the students in the open space being close to nature. Teaching can also take place on the roofs of tall buildings, in open spaces or even on abandoned boats. Singapore has had an open-air teaching method for many years. The country has succeeded in teaching children and adolescents in the open to strengthen them physically and mentally.

Now classes are being taken using Zoom, Web X, Skype, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Team or Google Meet. Through this video conferencing software, students get to see teachers and vice versa. By recording the lecture with the help of an online camera, important educational content for the future is created. Class activities can also run through Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, Google Meet, Messenger and WhatsApp.

PowerPoint presentations and PDF methods have come in place of lecture sheets or notes on handwritten paper. The biggest advantage of online media is the easy preservation of these. So even after the teaching periods, students are able to read or download online contents.

Google Spreadsheet and Google Classroom are now being used to record attendance and, in some cases, WhatsApp is also being used for this purpose. There is no room for fraud here either. What is happening is also being projected with the help of black and white documents. This document can also be used for administrative purposes.

In the post-Corona period, internet-based education may account for as much as 60% of all lessons which means the shift to giving more importance to online education is going to be lasting. Like other technology-based systems, online education may one day become a very normal activity making a mixed offline-online approach in education an important strategy for the post-pandemic world.

Today, the distance education system is revolutionising the educational structure by moving away from a campus-based education system to a non-campus one. Students now study at home, using a variety of innovative approaches. So, in the future there will be immense opportunity to continue both work and study. Memorisation will be replaced by true learning.

In the post-Corona period, internet-based education may account for as much as 60% of all lessons. PHOTO: REUTERS

There won't be a degree-system based education since without the development of qualifications and skills, education is worthless. Therefore, the 'paper education system' is coming to an end. Corona has taught people the value of skill-based education. Outside universities, people are taking online courses to increase experience and skills, and their number will continue to grow.

Corona will play a leading role in education through social media in the next world. Teachers and students will keep in touch with each other through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn slide sharing. Space and time will become secondary in the field of education in the future. When a person gets accustomed to a system, he does not want to get out of it easily.

Over time access to the internet will turn into a basic human right. Information like food, clothing and shelter will be among our basic needs. In the same way, the internet will become essential in education. Online discussions, meetings or webinars will become the primary way to acquire and disseminate knowledge. Nowadays all the renowned universities around the world are hosting multiple webinars. In the next world, the number of webinars will only increase.

The pandemic will help develop creativity among students in the next world. Non-Internet based education might be abolished. We have to adapt to this change and move forward. Components of online lesson activities include audio-video recording, slides, PDFs, word documents, scans and images. Students will be continuously assessed by creating regular homework or assignments, answering oral questions or taking quizzes, discussions or viva.  Online testing methods will be more popular. Studying has already reached a new level on the screens of desktops, laptops and smartphones.

The online classroom edX has been launched in collaboration with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the initiative of Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. The slogan of this non-profit platform is online education for the future, for everyone from any place to anytime. Stanford University has online classrooms. Khan Academy with its online classes is also moving forward. Such initiatives for online teaching and learning will only increase day by day. 

Online tutoring is now being done using Facebook and Zoom. YouTube channels can also be used for teaching. Students can easily get the content even if the content creators give it through personal YouTube channels. Daily classes can be uploaded on an organisation's Facebook or YouTube channel. Regular communication can be maintained by collecting the names, addresses and mobile numbers of all the students and parents in advance. Teachers can talk, take information and give instruction through parents.

The popularity of recorded classes has begun to increase as well. Educational video classes from platforms as Khan Academy are being used by students now. Several more online classroom platforms like Ten Minute School, Teacher Window, E-Teaching etc. have started activities. Students nowadays are able to learn from their home in their own time.

The government can take initiatives to teach through teachers by connecting FM and community radios. Through these, more students can be brought under the technical education program.

Internet access will increase, so too will the demand for learning new subjects through computers. Children will learn through a gradual and increasing number of games, pictures, cartoons and e-books. There will be no need to go to school for education. Online classrooms will be free. Every person will study as he pleases without any cost while sitting in front of the computer. There will be the opportunity to take the education of your choice from anywhere at any time.

There will also be useful software to take practical classes. The problem of students taking exams online and ensuring proper assessment will also be eliminated. Educational activities will be conducted online by preparing various types of quizzes, assignments and project papers through the evaluation of various written examinations including Defense, Oral Examination and Open Book Method.

Reliance Jio has invented a new world-class virtual classroom 'Embibe'. With the help of Embibe, teachers will be able to take classes online and students will be able to ask questions within the class. Many students will be able to take classes at the same time and students will also get books online. In future, by implementing scientific methods and modern equipment in the teaching and learning process, the world will get completely changed and hopefully have a more effective and prominent education system.

Anika Bushra is a student of History and Civilisation department in Khulna University

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.