A sea of young faces glance at the board from their benches. Some of them hurry to jot down notes with the lulling voice of the teacher. Suddenly, ringing bells announce the end of their class. A rush takes over, and like bees buzzing, the hallway floods with students skipping through the walls of their institution.
The scene of a purely physical mode of classes may seem like a distant memory to some. The lengthy closure of educational institutions from March 2020 was a shock. Students and faculties had to take the time to comprehend the mechanisms of online teaching. Even more affected were students with financial problems as they accepted the tough decision of returning to their hometown, where access to online education was slim to none. Yet, in the last two years, online education has made raves. The comfort of home and the advantages of numerous student-friendly websites had made the transition moderately manageable to the mass of students.
While the debate of transitioning from offline to online mode had graced the media, the current scenario of switching back to offline from online has received numerous opinions. As educational institutions are opened once again in successions, problems might arise after the prolonged 2-year period of online classes.
- Socialization: Attending classes behind a screen did not demand a lot of students’ social skills. In fact, the lack of proper socialization was one of the woes of online classes. Thus, students have to grow their socio-emotional skills when returning to school. In this aspect, educational institutions could introduce counseling aid to their students to assist them to regenerate their social skills and spirit. Even ensuring that the teachers are more perceptive would go a long way.
- Adaptation: It was easy to get lost in online classes with the multiple distractions of one’s home. Thankfully, the saving grace of class recordings gave motivation to a lot of students. As this luxury wears off, they have to regain their focus and dig deep for their unparalleled concentration in classes. Even the task of writing swiftly on paper with a pen could be challenging.
- Routines: Because online classes provided the flexibility of attending classes from anywhere at any time, students encountered their classes at random times. Now, they need support from their teachers in preserving a steady routine to bring them a sense of ease in this change.
- Hybrid Mode: Through the upcoming adjustment, educational institutions should be careful to not disregard the online mode of education completely. From PDF books, which saved students’ costs to typing assignments and exams, e-learning has been and will remain of major assistance. Keeping this added mode of learning will ensure students some form of familiarity, and they will be less likely to face fear and anxiety about offline classes.
It would be appropriate to state that the life of physical classes has changed dramatically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years in Bangladesh. However, change must persist. So, with proper encouragement and guidance from authorities, students should be allowed to explore their reins of offline education to make the transition endurable, if not a success.