The Rise of E-Learning During the
COVID-19 Pandemic
E-learning: Boosted by the Pandemic
E-learning, or electronic learning, is the delivery of education and training
through digital resources. While it is not a brand-new method, its inclusion
across various sectors has been significantly accelerated due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The Shift to Blended Learning
At Dubai's GEMS International School, most of the children returned to
classes at the start of the new term, but the institution is actually delivering
a mix of distance and in-person teaching. Mike Kraher, the school's Head of
Mathematics, shared his experience:
"I faced social challenges, to be honest. I missed my students. I missed
teaching; I missed the classrooms."
"When I teach with the iPad, I try to embed all these technical things in
the classroom. There are good things and there are big advantages,"
Mr. Kraher added.
In many schools, the decision to continue with e-learning was made by
students and their parents. According to the UAE Ministry of Education, for
the Academic Year 2020 to 2021, 17% returned to classroom teaching, while
83% chose to continue distance learning.
Simon Herbert, Head of School at GEMS, believes there is a role for e-
learning but sounds a note of caution:
"It's not a panacea. In education quite often, (people claim) 'This is the
next best thing, this will solve it all!' And of course, it won't. It's just (a
question of) taking the best from it, the best platforms, the best
teaching and realizing that there is best practice, even (within) the
GEMS group - to take from each other and to share around the world."
The familiar classroom setting is how most of us experienced school. But
with the outbreak of the pandemic, teaching switched from the traditional
face-to-face model to online with students at home to accommodate social
distancing.
The Future of Education
Going forward, the question arises whether we will see e-learning form a
greater part of how education is delivered or if we will eventually see a
return to classrooms where we can have that face-to-face experience.
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