Not having to go to school every day and studying in one’s pajamas is the dream of every student. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant shift in the organization of work and studies through the integration of social distancing, which had both positive and negative results. In their opinion piece for The Toronto Star, Uzma Jalaluddin explored some of the ways in which pandemic life changed schooling and, despite disruptive influences, accelerated interesting shifts in education. The article illustrates that online learning brought more structure to learning while teachers have become more understanding of the needs of their students. This paper will respond to Jalaluddin’s opinion piece by evaluating her arguments and making conclusions as to whether the pandemic indeed had a positive impact on students’ learning.
The main argument that the author makes in the article is that the transformation in education was much needed, and the pandemic became the force that pushed educators in the right direction. Specifically, lessons have become more accessible and flexible, which can be seen in teachers giving their students more material so that they can study at their own pace without the pressures that come with in-class work (Jalaluddin, 2022). Indeed, flexibility is something that many students used to lack in the traditional educational context because each person has unique learning tendencies (Darling-Hammond et al., 2020). While some students learn best from visual materials, others’ memory is facilitated with the help of listening. Moreover, as students have access to an abundance of materials that instructors give them, they can go through everything as many times as they like. Therefore, when they have flexibility, students will be more effective in learning at their own pace, which is likely to guarantee improved knowledge acquisition and academic success.
Increased autonomy is another essential aspect that has changed as a result of the pandemic. Students no longer had to fight for information because they were given all the supplementary materials. Autonomy encouraged students to establish their own habits and do this as they wanted them to be done. Besides, health has become an essential concern of students and educators, which is a crucial denominator of change. Learning can be mentally draining to students, and some may start experiencing mental health issues, which is why taking it slowly can be beneficial. Students’ mental health should become the focus of the educational process because learners’ well-being has a direct impact on their academic success (Hernández-Torrano et al., 2020). Since Jalaluddin (2022) noted that not all teachers have become accepting of students’ mental health concerns, it is important that educators reflect on the issue further and make positive changes for the sake of students’ well-being.
To conclude, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted changes in society that could not have been predicted initially. Education, which represents one of the fundamental aspects of human development, also had to transform in order to respond to the challenges experienced by the population. As a result of social distancing practices, learning became more flexible and independent, giving students the autonomy they need to study at their own pace for maximum effectiveness. However, issues regarding mental health should be addressed more systematically because not all teachers show consideration for their students’ emotional well-being, which is important for their academic achievement and overall development as individuals.
References
Darling-Hammong, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97-140. Web.
Hernández-Torrano, D., Ibrayeva, L., Sparks, J., Lim, N., Clementi, A., Almukhambetova, A., …Muratkyzy, A. (2020) ‘Mental health and well-being of university students: A Bibliometric mapping of the literature’, Frontiers in Psychology, Web.
Jalaluddin, U. (2022). Online learning isn’t all bad — the pandemic has forced university profs to give students more of the resources they need, without the judgment. Toronto Star. Web.