{"id":187,"date":"2020-04-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogit.metropolia.fi\/variousvariables\/2020\/04\/23\/now-everybodys-viral-how-we-made-it-to-the-new-decade-of-online-education-and-work\/"},"modified":"2024-10-01T12:43:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T09:43:11","slug":"now-everybodys-viral-how-we-made-it-to-the-new-decade-of-online-education-and-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogit.metropolia.fi\/variousvariables\/en\/2020\/04\/23\/now-everybodys-viral-how-we-made-it-to-the-new-decade-of-online-education-and-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Now everybody\u2019s viral \u2013 how we made it to the new decade of online education and work\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Homework, experiments, essays, even physical education, all<\/span><\/i> being done by children<\/span><\/i>, adolescents and adult learners<\/span><\/i> all over the world in front of their laptops, from their homes. <\/span><\/i>Never before<\/span><\/i> have parents<\/span><\/i>, spouses<\/span><\/i> and other significant others <\/span><\/i>been so close to the pedagogic<\/span><\/i>al<\/span><\/i> aspect of educational process. The coronavirus crisis has changed our daily life in <\/span><\/i>so <\/span><\/i>many ways, but e<\/span><\/i>ducation has been in the spotlight since the beginning of this uncertain new decade.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The world from home<\/h2>\n

By the end of March,\u202f<\/span>Unesco estimates<\/span><\/a> that almost 90% of the world\u2019s student population has been affected<\/span> by worldwide closures of schools<\/span>. In Finland, contact teaching has been suspended from 17th March <\/span>2020<\/span> \u2013 <\/span>except <\/span>for early childhood and pre-primary education (grades 1 to 3). Th<\/span>us, about<\/span> one million<\/span> learners from primary school pupils to higher education students<\/span><\/a> are<\/span> studying <\/span>online<\/span> at least until <\/span>mid-<\/span>May<\/span> this year<\/span>, without knowing exactly when they will return to school buildings <\/span>and university campuses <\/span>again.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote learning has become a reality on such a scale that not even the most optimistic Edutech executive could have predicted. <\/span>But<\/span> it came with many concerns<\/span>, <\/span>too, especiall<\/span>y for the vulnerable population <\/span>being them<\/span> in Finland or Somalia.<\/span> Firs<\/span>tly<\/span>, <\/span>nearly 60% <\/span>of the globe\u2019s population is online<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> so<\/span> a lack of access to the internet <\/span>is<\/span> still a barrier for many students. Second<\/span>ly<\/span>, specialists are concerned that remote learning could enlarge the gap of inequality. And last, but not least, many kids depend on the school to get a decent meal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the general feeling is that governments, companies, and NGOs are making a considerable effort to keep the learning going. Google, Microsoft<\/span> and Zoom, for example, are offering many of their video conference software for free since the beginning of the crisis<\/span>. <\/span>Finnish <\/span>Edutechs<\/span> partnered up<\/span><\/a> to provide free resources suited for d<\/span>istance learning. The Hongk<\/span>ong government, for example<\/span>,<\/span> announced that it should maintain a consortium providing more than 900 educational assets for free<\/span> even<\/span> after COVID-19 is under control.<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Will this crisis change the way we see and implement education?<\/h2>\n

Specialists of the<\/span> World Economic Forum<\/span><\/a> writes that this unique experience might also be an opportunity to remind ourselves of the skills students need in this unpredictable world.\u202fResilience is a value that must be woven into the educational system to make sure that those skills continue to be a priority for all students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chip Paucek<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> chief executive of the online<\/span> education company 2U Inc., expects that after schools try online tools during the outbreak, they\u2019ll be more inclined to opt for \u201cblended\u201d educational experiences that mix in-person classes with online tie-ins after the situation improves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As nobody is considering shutting down schools and universities forever, it seems that the task will be to retain the online learning aspects and integrate them with face-to-face learning. Hamish Coates, director of the Higher Education Division of the Institute of Education at Tsinghua University, told <\/span>The Times Higher Education<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a> that \u201cthere will almost certainly be a post-virus boom\u201d in online higher education.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SIMHE-Metropolia moved services swiftly to the virtual mode<\/h2>\n

The<\/span> guidance and counselling services<\/span> have now been implemented solely <\/span>online<\/span> since <\/span>mid-March<\/span> at <\/span>SIMHE-Metropolia<\/span>.<\/span><\/a> In normal times, <\/span>the majority<\/span> of<\/span> our<\/span> guidance and counselling customer<\/span>s<\/span> wish to m<\/span>eet face-to-face at the <\/span>Metropolia Myllypuro campus<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> However, p<\/span>roviding counselling via phone or over the internet<\/span> is not totally <\/span>alien to us<\/span> as meeting remotely has served some customers\u2019 needs the best<\/span> in the past<\/span>,<\/span> too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being available <\/span>online<\/span> gives a total new concept of <\/span>accessibility<\/span> and convenience<\/span><\/a> for the personal guidance <\/span>discussion<\/span> as there is no need to travel<\/span> anywhere on either <\/span>side<\/span>. There is also more flexibility in scheduling the meeting times and customers have been very up to the new mode of meeting <\/span>so <\/span>far<\/span>. The downside is a lack of <\/span>all cues of <\/span>non-verbal communicatio<\/span>n and the closeness<\/span> and togetherness<\/span> that can be <\/span>experienced<\/span> when<\/span> sharing the same physical space.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For now, <\/span>two<\/span> Guidance Generalia lecture<\/span>s<\/span><\/a> ha<\/span>ve<\/span> taken place <\/span>virtually<\/span> with<\/span> over<\/span> 30<\/span> partic<\/span>ipants<\/span>. <\/span>All <\/span>has gone<\/span> remarkably <\/span>well<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>elemen<\/span>ts of two-<\/span>way communication <\/span>were<\/span> established<\/span> via chat and <\/span>the<\/span> attendants <\/span>posed questions quite actively<\/span>. <\/span>The lecture series <\/span>will be carried out<\/span> as <\/span>a web-based format <\/span>f<\/span>or the rest of the spring-term<\/span>,<\/span> and perhaps <\/span>continue<\/span> to co-exist with <\/span>the <\/span>face-to-face<\/span> lectures<\/span> once we <\/span>are able to<\/span> be campus-based <\/span>again<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The digital future is already here<\/h2>\n

Even though the digital leap of the 2020<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s was somewhat forced<\/span> for many<\/span>, the elements of <\/span>web-based<\/span> learning have emerged prior to<\/span> the<\/span> crisis too.\u00a0 <\/span>At <\/span>Metropolia<\/span>, o<\/span>nline<\/span> teaching and<\/span> g<\/span>uidance and counselling <\/span>for <\/span>preparatory course for immigrants<\/span> was <\/span>tested out in 2019<\/span> as part of<\/span> the<\/span> Getting Ready – A higher education program for immigrants project<\/span><\/a>. As we are facing<\/span> a<\/span> somewhat<\/span> unpredictable future ahead, <\/span>Metropolia will offer <\/span><\/a>preparatory course<\/span>s<\/span> for immigrants online<\/span> also <\/span>in autumn 2020<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Teachers<\/span> now<\/span> have<\/span> needed<\/span> to adjust<\/span>, <\/span>not <\/span>only<\/span> the<\/span> methods<\/span>,<\/span> but<\/span> how<\/span> to <\/span>acquire<\/span> a <\/span>new<\/span> mindset<\/span> towards<\/span> teaching<\/span>. For <\/span>Anne-Mari Raivio, senior<\/span> l<\/span>ecturer of School of Business <\/span>at <\/span>Metropolia<\/span>, <\/span>t<\/span>he next step is to focus not on the tools but on the pedagogical side of online teaching and learning. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>After this mandatory digital <\/span>leap<\/span> we will have more brains thinking about <\/span>how we can add and create meaningful digital encounters to enhance learning<\/span>\u201d, she says<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Undebatably<\/span>, the societies around the globe will wake up to a different morning once the pandemic has surpassed. Millions, if not billions, of people have now learnt to work and study from home and this is not to be <\/span>regarded <\/span>only <\/span>as a <\/span>bad thing<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span> In Finland, <\/span>like <\/span>the students,<\/span> over a <\/span>million workers have confined themselves in a remote work-mode<\/span><\/a>, and about half of them are willing to continue this way<\/span> even after<\/span> they<\/span> are able <\/span>return <\/span>to the offices<\/span> one day<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We do not know how this all will end, but perhaps we c<\/span>ould <\/span>confide<\/span> in Alber<\/span>t<\/span> Einstein\u2019s wisdom in his quote <\/span>\u201cIn the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Writers<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Juliana Holanda <\/span><\/b>is a<\/span> Brazilian journalist who lives in Finland since 2019 and has used SIMHE-<\/span>Metropolia’s<\/span> guidance and counselling services as part of her integration process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Marianne <\/span><\/b>Autero<\/span><\/b> works as a career coach at SIMHE-Metropolia<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources<\/em><\/h3>\n