The Impact of Covid on Educational Trends
Mike Tyson who once said, “Everyone has a plan until you are punched in the mouth”. Covid-19 was the punch in the mouth, and plans that had been laid out were now irrelevant to the current situation. Training and professional development that were designed to assist faculty moving online in the future and make that transition slowly, were now needed ASAP. Institutions were not prepared for this abrupt move, and faculty were called upon to assist their peers as well as assisting their students make the move to online instruction.
Lack of Preparation
Covid-19 forced a transition that many people were not prepared for. The move to full time remote learning was an eye-opening experience for instructors, students, and more importantly academic institutions. Personally, I remember being tasked with assisting my peers in moving to an online classroom when they had never taught online, being able to duplicate their face-to-face classes in the online environment. Many instructors had not gone through the not yet required training sessions for using our Learning Management System (LMS) - Canvas.
Students were also severely impacted when asked to move online, as many had never taken a class online, did not have the needed resources such as a computer at home, reliable internet access, or nowhere to attend a synchronous class while at home. As the pandemic has waned over the last year and a half, the plan to prepare faculty and students has changed dramatically.
Student Centered Learning
Plans have been revised for a new normal academic way of life, one that includes adding technology into classroom, preparing instructors for using technology appropriately, and teaching students how to utilize technology to express themselves. Based on the assigned video for this week’s discussion, Casey Cohen, students should be the driving force of technology decisions. What works best for them and their learning (Cohen, 2019)?
Based on the idea of more students centered learning using technology, the recognized challenge laid out by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in the revised long-term plans include using technology to personalize student learning and expand the impact of learning, and but many are unsure on how to implement it in a way that is scalable to any type of classroom (TEA, 2022).
With this goal in mind, the TEA has developed specific actions that would assist in overcoming the challenge stated above. These actions include creating a plan that addresses the shift in teaching methods, allowing all stakeholders to collaborate, utilizing existing models, and finally, providing the training necessary to all parties (TEA, 2022).
Institutional Changes
Structural improvements are necessary for any changes to be made permanent. The TEA has outlined changes that need to be made regarding technology support and a reliable infrastructure. Like the challenge to student centered learning, the challenge laid out to infrastructure is just as important with specific action items such as developing support teams, evaluate specific programs for their effectiveness, develop learning spaces that contain robust connectedness and power availability. Institutions need to invest in more robust professional development for faculty, and lastly, address salaries to be more competitive in their markets (TEA, 2022).
The push to add technology into the curriculum of any classroom has increased exponentially over the past 3 years. Technology can allow for more collaboration for teachers and students alike and allow for learning beyond the classroom (Office of Educational Technology, n.d.). According to the report published by the Office of Educational Technology (OET), colleges and universities should foster exploration and invention when discussing technology in the classroom. Schools need to encourage and support teachers with access and training to technology as well as the proper training (Office of Educational Technology, n.d.).
Works Referenced:
Cohen, C. (2019, November 5). Let students drive how we use technology, not IT directors. YouTube. https://youtu.be/3loo2WV3xZQ
Office of Educational Technology. (n.d.). Introduction: National Educational Technology Plan. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/netp/introduction/
Office of Educational Technology. (n.d.). Teaching: National Educational Technology Plan. Retrieved from https://tech.ed.gov/netp/teaching/
Office of Educational Technoloy. (2020, June 12). Teaching. Office of Educational Technology. https://tech.ed.gov/netp/teaching/
Texas Education Agency. (2022). Building a stronger Texas - Texas Education Agency. Long Range Plan for Technology. https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/revised-and-extended-long- range-plan-for-technology-2018-2025.pdf
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