The majority of policy-makers around the world currently believe that social distancing rules, as well as new vaccines and treatments, have managed to defeat one of the most serious healthcare crises in modern history. Although it is now probably approaching its end, the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately managed to reshape multiple aspects of people’s daily lives during its two years reign—and education was no exception. Like most industries around the world, education had to adapt to the new social distancing rules, and it did by only using technologies that were, until 2019 rarely, if ever, used in schools.
Online and hybrid learning thrived during the pandemic and numerous new platforms and apps made their way into American schools as well as other educational institutions around the world. According to professors and students alike, the healthcare crisis has led many to rethink the future of education. It has become apparent that educational institutions could not, and will not, simply return to the traditional ways of learning after its end. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has also proved that learning remains a privilege for many, despite numerous past efforts, and that keeping equity at the center of education is a must in 2022 and beyond.
Challenges in higher education
According to a McKinsey study, most crises can build paralysis and fear, disrupting activities in unexpected ways. Accurate scenario planning could have helped leaders in education map the issues in higher learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop effective solutions to fix them. “Universities need to look beyond the immediate crisis to create effective long-term strategies, both to get through the present and to safeguard their futures in the new normal that will follow,” researchers warned. However, not all leaders were prepared to face the challenges—and with immediate safety on everyone’s mind, higher education may have been considered a less important matter.
Numerous issues plagued U.S. universities during the COVID-19 pandemic and many of them remain unsolved to this date. Many foreign students in the U.S. were unable to return to school due to travel restrictions, some students and teachers experienced difficulties adapting to remote environments, while the healthcare crisis has also urged academia to confront the declining mental health among students and faculty. Although recent studies show that nearly 80% of educators believe mental health is a “very” or “extremely” important factor in student success, important issues like systemic racism and lack of equity among students still make emotional wellbeing hard to achieve.
Overcoming the mistakes of the past
Students, professors and staff working in higher education have all faced various disruptions since the beginning of the healthcare crisis. Some of these exacerbated already existing problems like mental health, while others actually provided new solutions for teaching and learning. Some universities in the U.S. and abroad quickly discovered that there are also many advantages that come with online learning. One of these benefits is the fact that, with remote learning, universities are now able to expand their programs to new countries. Due to the fact that they are currently able to reach those countries, more and more students will ultimately gain access to higher education.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in several lessons education leaders and policy-makers would have probably learned anyway, like the importance of eradicating systemic racism and lack of equity in higher learning. Recently, President Joe Biden has approved the fiscal year 2022 federal budget that boosts multiple aid programs for low-income college students. Although this is the biggest increase in recent times, it remains below double what President Biden promised when he was running for office. According to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, however, the growth also represents an important step forward in both “making essential investments in our schools” and “keeping equity at the center of all we do.”
Building a better future
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that new digital technologies can be used to provide students with access to education even during a global crisis, but it has also highlighted a great number of vulnerabilities in higher learning. While leaders like Miguel Cardona promise to extend the foundation now provided by funding to support the success of all students, others may still ignore major problems that continue to plague the U.S. education system. Students and faculty in higher education have already faced diverse issues during this crisis, but they are also the most likely to change learning for the better.
