In modern realities, for a successful and influential professional activity, art educators should utilize all the opportunities provided by information technology. Significantly, the COVID-19 pandemic is a fundamental challenge to educational methods; however, it demonstrated that education works in digital format and quite effectively (Daniel, 2020). Online platforms are ideal for artistic expression as they can reach a large audience.
Moreover, some students feel comfortable expressing themselves visually, as they do not have to spend time traveling to and from the educational institution or university. It is essential to add that students can work on course assignments almost anywhere they have access to a computer. Some forms of art, such as literature and cinema, are easier to teach online than painting and sculpture, which require an educator’s presence, progress guidance, and personal evaluation.
Additionally, online platforms make it possible to concentrate at work, learn art at your own pace, conduct virtual discussions, and have time to think about your ideas before discussing with fellow students and a teacher. Online platforms also provide unlimited access to resources. Furthermore, learning online makes it easy to connect experts or students from other educational institutions and access resources and information worldwide.
Despite all the advantages, online learning also has the backside of the coin. First, it is difficult for students to develop relationships with faculty and other classmates. In turn, the teacher may have complexities in assessing students due to limited interaction. Besides, educators do not have an individual approach to the student. Notably, another disadvantage is the lack of a student atmosphere. There is practically no social interaction during online learning, and most of the communication takes place via e-mail, discussion groups, and chats. Some educators who are used to traditional offline lectures find it challenging to master the software. Therefore, as software becomes more and more advanced, educators need to keep informed of technological innovations.
To conclude, the pandemic has shown that online learning is an effective tool and offers excellent opportunities to the community of learners. In addition, online lectures provide a chance to get acquainted with new technologies. Despite this, people, especially in the field of art, need communication and interaction offline. Thus, it is crucial to combine both educational methods in the foreseeable future; for instance, educators can conduct lectures and seminars online and offline.
Reference
Daniel, J. (2020). Education and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prospects, 49(1), 91-96. Web.