Blended Learning in the Age of COVID-19

For the longest time, people seldom encountered restrictions in their daily movements and the world continued to evolve and move on its own phase completely unbothered. That was until, the entire humanity faced its ultimate threat in the form of a deadly virus; Covid-19. We watched everything pause for a second, and the society as a whole was frantic over the diseases. Nothing seemed more salient than protecting ourselves and drawing out potential solutions to handle the pandemic. Every profiting sector in the world was impacted by the virus. This essay in particular discusses the influence of the illness on the education sector during the pandemic. The outbreak attracted in its fair share of benefits and affliction into said subdivision, which drastically altered people’s lives.

The emergence of blended learning was one of the major effects caused by the epidemic. As a result of the on-and-off lockout, online and classroom learning were combined. Students and teachers began to experiment with new applications and methods of study that would make their teaching more engaging. Blended learning approaches allow students to seek assistance online , while real classrooms enable them to build deeper relationships with teachers. According to a study conducted at Universitas Putra Indonesia, the average value before integrating blended learning with Edmodo (an online educational software) was 50.77, and after implementing it, the average value soared by 68.9. It was also corroborated by another evidence, which revealed that when online learning was incorporated, the percentage of students completing tasks increased to 70.5 percent. We are proven how the epidemic influenced the evolution of blended learning, which has been a divisive topic for years.

Furthermore, connection with students from all over the world was guaranteed to be possible and efficient in teaching during the outbreak. Various devices and applications that were designed to make studying smoother during these trying times provided the chance to improve contact with overseas students. This procedure is made viable by software such as the Digital Exchange Program. Weekly video conversations and activities are planned to support the course's objective of forming a strong network of friendship with worldwide scholars. This component contributes significantly to classroom diversity as well. Students' cross-cultural perspectives are heightened as a result of the curriculum, allowing them to comprehend variations in cultural, geographical, and ideological backgrounds. This unifies students of sundry nations, ethnicities, and cultures under the touch of a keyboard. Kids are equipped to prosper in an increasingly varied environment while also fostering tolerance for the existence of others.

However, the amount of time students were given to revise was, one perk of the pandemic that no one could ever dispute. The initial exam dates were repeatedly rescheduled multiples times leaving a generous number of days for them to prepare for the battle. The stress of physical class which regularly includes morning rush to school, extra-curricular activities and so on were spared during the pandemic. Their schedules mostly consisted of classes and revisions which fortunately resulted in an exceptional performance in the national examination. Based on the official statements released by the Education Ministry, 2020 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results accomplished a better National Average Grade (GPN) of 4.80 from 4.86 amid challenges engendered by the Covid-19. pandemic. Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin briefly disclosed that 88.68 per cent of 401,105 candidates nationwide were eligible to receive their certificate, a surge of 1.96 per cent from the previous year. With a lot less pressure and plenty of time to revise, pupils were able to produce an outstanding result.

Students, on the other hand, began to take advantage of the changing learning environment. Cheating on examinations has increased as a result of the convenience of learning from home. There was little oversight, and the extent to which school jurisdictions took efforts to prevent cheating was restricted. Instead of studying for examinations, students delved into a seemingly reasonable option. According to statistics published by the business ProctorU, which monitors examinations, 57,597 cheating occurrences were confirmed across most schools in the United States. Another piece of evidence came from Texas A&M University, which identified over 800 incidents of academic fraud. This was discovered when a faculty member observed pupils finishing lengthy tests in under a minute. This was a major setback for the academic community and the morality of students, since the likelihood of creating incompetent pupils increased.

Additionally, motivation have become a mission in the course of online learning. Waking up every day to sit in front of the computer for hours began to deplete the pupils. The exhilaration that physical classes introduced was gone. The surroundings were no longer lively, because it lacked off the sound of students chattering and teachers on foot circling and tracking pupils' progress. According to a survey, 76% of all undergraduates recognized the dearth of motivation for online learning as the largest impediment and 56% of graduate and expert college students felt the identical way. The hostile environment sapped their drive, causing a lot of students to underperform in class. Spite of the availability of devices and a multitude of educational software, a lack of motivation remained a major hurdle

When it comes to handicapped pupils, the difficulties of learning are sometimes neglected. During physical classes, they will unequivocally receive the utmost attention from educators. Their learning requirements and demands were given higher priority. The introduction of online programmes, on the other hand, posed a barrier to their education. They didn't get the extra attention they required from teachers, which had negative consequences, such as having trouble keeping up with syllabuses. Fewer than 20% of respondents to a poll conducted by the Disabled Students’ Commission to emphasize the experiences of disabled students in higher education and the impact of Covid-19 indicated, adjusting to remote assessment was "very difficult". Without adequate direction, their prospects of academically competing with non-disabled children diminishes. This isn't fair, given how effectively we've created some amazing disabled intellectuals throughout the years, but owing to this shift in learning, we may not be able to continue with that process.

To summarize, there is a favourable and unfavourable side to everything in life. Every thriving sector has seen its ups and downs during the pandemic. The educational sector, much like the rest of the economy, has undergone advances and drawbacks. Students, teachers, and other relevant authorities were confronted with a fresh new shift in their routine learning process, which came with its own set of pros and cons. The pandemic may be contained in the coming years, but the impact it leaves behind is very unlikely to be erased. As commoners, we are unable to deal with the negative repercussions, but as humans with sophisticated understanding, we must investigate the new aspects of education that the epidemic has presented and select the most appropriate strategies to cultivate these already existent perks into greater prospects.