Technical and Business Writing

Distance education during covid-19

Group Members:

• Faizan Azeem 70109332

• M.Mujtaba 70109415

• Arslan Khan 70109399

Date:20thMay,2022
 Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
Distance learning strategies ................................. 1
The challenges of online
learning ....................................................... 5
Strategic Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on
education .................................... 0
Distance learning before
covid-19 .............................................................................................. 1
Distance learning after covid-19 .................................. 1
Effect of online learning ................................................................... 5
Scope of online education ..................................... 0
Conclusion ..................................... 5
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a global public health concern
but also a political, economic, cultural, religious and educational one.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused most disturbances in education
systems of history and has affected almost 1.6 billion students across
the continents in more than 190 countries.
Distance learning, also called distance education, e-learning, and online
learning, form of education in which the main elements include physical
separation of teachers and students during instruction and the use of
various technologies to facilitate student-teacher and student-student
communication but on the other hand it becomes basic need for almost
every person during the pandemic which was named as COVID-19 (an
infectious disease caused by the SARS-Co-2 virus). Due to this ongoing
virus million of people suffers death and by this DISTANCE LEARNING
was recommended by every department wether it was of any type so
during covid-19 , online application was used widely all over the world in
order to stay in touch and teach others.This report aims to inform on the
status of distance education during covid-19.

➔ Distance learning:
Distance learning as “form of education in which the main elements
include physical separation of teachers and students during instruction
and the use of various technologies to facilitate student-teacher and
student-student communication”. In a broad sense, distance learning is a
term often used synonymously with online learning, e-learning, distance
education, correspondence education, external studies, flexible learning,
and massive open online courses (MOOCs). Common features of any
form of distance learning are: the teacher-learner separation by space or
time, or both, and the use of media and technology to enable
communication and exchange during the learning process despite this
separation.

➔ Distance learning strategies:

Distance learning strategies in response to COVID-19 school closures
are a set of sector-wide measures taken by government agencies and
partners to continue students curriculum based studies and other regular
educational activities when schools and other physical educational
institutions are closed. For this to succeed, learning activities should be
reviewed, and alternative solutions to providing learning programmes
remotely should be planned and delivered with the support of teachers,
the education community and in collaboration with students and their
families.

Types of Distance learning

● Video conferencing.
● Hybrid distance education.
● Open schedule online courses.
● Fixed-time online courses.

The challenges of online learning:

Some students without reliable internet access and/or technology
struggle to participate in digital learning; this gap is seen across
countries and between income brackets within countries.

● No internet access
● Low income
● Time issue
● In rural areas electricity or internet problem
➢ Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education:
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems
worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, early
childhood education and care services, universities and colleges.
Most governments decided to temporarily close educational
institutions in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. More
than 1 billion children are at risk of falling behind due to school
closures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.
 ❏ How is the education sector responding to COVID-19?
In response to significant demand, many online learning platforms
are offering free access to their services, including platforms like
BYJU’S, a Bangalore-based educational technology and online
tutoring firm founded in 2011, which is now the world’s most highly
valued edtech company. Since announcing free live classes on its
Think and Learn app, BYJU’s has seen a 200% increase in the
number of new students using its product, according to Mrinal
Mohit, the company's Chief Operating Officer.

➢ Distance learning before covid-19 :

Before the COVID-19, only a few educational institutions were

implementing online or blended learning methods. Little by little, more
schools, universities and ministries of education started enforcing them,
but at a very slow rate. Only early adopters, the enthusiasts and
visionaries, were willing to give it a try.

➢ Distance learning after covid-19 :

When the pandemic hit, everyone had to switch from offline to online
classes; in fact, according to UNESCO, 191 countries in the world (98%
of the global student population) switched to online lessons. Some
popular sites used were Google Classrooms, Zoom and Microsoft
Teams. This time, even the pragmatists and conservatives decided to
switch to online learning methods, as they were unable to offer on-site
lessons.

➢ Manage the distance of new learning settings and

provide remote supervision:
Delivering education remotely changes the learning settings, which
leads to a physical and psychological separation and distance between
teachers and learners, and among peer learners. In the new learning
settings,learners also gain more autonomy and teachers lose some
opportunities for direct control and supervision. Supporting and engaging
teachers and parents or caregivers to provide regular supervision can
help reduce the sense of distance and disengagement, and manage the
rules or disciplines needed for home-based learning.

➢ Effect of online learning:

For those who do have access to the right technology, there is evidence
that learning online can be more effective in a number of ways. Some
research shows that on average, students retain 25-60% more material
when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom. This is
mostly due to the students being able to learn faster online; e-learning
requires 40-60% less time to learn than in a traditional classroom setting
because students can learn at their own pace, going back and
re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose.

➢ Scope of online education in Pakistan:

According to the Human Development Report 2019, Pakistan ranks 152
out of 189 nations in the Human Development Index (HDI).
Unfortunately, as opposed to regional countries, Pakistan has not
seen an increase in main education metrics, such as the literacy rate,
the total enrolment ratio and education spending.
It also includes competitive test courses and courses, improved technical
skills and other non-academic subjects. Online education in Pakistan is
developing at a fast pace.

Conclusion
To sum up, students’ opinions and levels of satisfaction vary significantly,
ranging from positive to negative. Distance learning for the reason any
time and everywhere learning. Distance learning has a positive effect on
achievement and learning. Staying at home is safe during pandemics
and less stressful for students. Distance education prompts some
physical and psychological health problems such as fear, anxiety, stress,
and losing concentration. Due to the pandemic’s quick move to online
education, many schools have an insufficient infrastructure. Future
researchers can investigate what distance education models can be that
will eliminate the complaints of students. Students’ positive attitudes and
levels of satisfaction with their distant education programs have an
impact on their ability to profit from the program. Consequently, schools
wishing to implement distant education should begin by developing a
structure, content, and pedagogical approach that would improve the
satisfaction of their students. According to the findings of the study, there
is no universally applicable magic formula since student satisfaction
differs depending on the country, course content, and external factors.
……………………………………………….

References:

l. Pelikan ER, Korlat S, Reiter J, Holzer J, Mayerhofer M, Schober B, et

al. (2021) Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19:
The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for
persistence and procrastination–a multi-country study. PLoS ONE
16(10): e0257346. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0257346

ll. Rebecca Winthrop. 2020. COVID-19 and school closures: What can
countries learn from past emergencies?Available
at:https://www.brookings.edu/research/covid-19-and-school-closures-wh
at-can-countries-learn-from-past-emergencies

lll. UNESCO. 2019. Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence and

Education. Available
at:https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000368303iv. UNESCO.
2019. Guidelines on the development of open educational resources
policies. Available
at:https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000371129

lV. Adnan, M., and Anwar, K. (2020). Online learning amid the COVID-19
pandemic: students perspectives. J. Pedagog. Soc. Psychol. 1, 45–51.
doi: 10.33902/JPSP.2020261309