2020 Highlights of Events in Education (Part VI)

By Dr. Rex Casiple

 

In this period of COVID 19 pandemic and according to data compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 1 billion students around the world were affected by school closures. The opening of classes in the different countries in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic has no guarantee to be safe. Hence, for the safety of the returning students, Full Online Education was highly recommended under the new normal.

However, it was observed that almost all countries in the Southeast Asian region have allowed face-to-face learning despite the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost all followed the same criteria in the learning approach and in health protocol. Many ASEAN countries were using blended learning through information and communications technology (ICT) and through traditional broadcast modalities. Study from home was the most liked option. However, most of the ASEAN countries do not have the technology to support this learning approach. Majority of students from these countries have limited computer laboratory and equipment provided by schools. Many students cannot afford unlimited internet on their mobile devices. Many do not have access to fast internet. Internet penetration in some ASEAN countries is very low compared to other countries in Asia.

Studies showed that it will take two years to vaccinate people against COVID-19. As a developing country, we used this time to upgrade our internet to be able our students to go online rather than to wait for the vaccine. Schools worked with the new curriculum and syllabi to adjust their learning approach with the present situation. Self-study or home study with the assistance of the parents on the part of the elementary pupil and high school students was encouraged. As a country with a higher number of COVID-19 cases, we didn’t rush and sacrifice the health of our students.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world, confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, were studying how to move on with their classes. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a massive education experiment in several countries in the world including top universities. Almost all teaching and learning processes in higher education in America and in many countries in the world shifted online for an indefinite period of time. This is to continue the schooling of students at the tertiary level despite the pandemic. Full online education has been our stronghold in higher education against this pandemic.

So far there is no good substitute for it. Our top universities in the world stick in this kind of teaching-learning system. In Cambridge University, all lectures were online until the summer of 2021. It was the first British university to move all student lectures online. Examinations were being carried out virtually. Oxford University also used online teaching and assessment. Classes in California State University, the largest four-year public university system in the United States, were almost exclusively online with some possible exceptions for clinical classes in the nursing program or certain science laboratories. Also, McGill University in Montreal, Canada offered most of its courses online.

The University of Manchester has moved all lectures online. The University of Ottawa has announced to be the first university in Ontario, Canada to open its own on-campus COVID-19 assessment center.  The center was opened to students, staff and faculty members of the university. This on-campus testing facility supported people working and learning on campus and will ensure they have all the tools and resources they need to stay safe. The testing center is a collaboration between the University and the Ottawa Hospital. Trent University in Canada has provided 500 Chromebooks or laptops to students who may have no financial or technological resources to fully participate in remote learning. To be continued.