Though they’ve only been using E-Learning platforms for a few months, many US school districts have reportedly decided to pull the plug on online learning for the remainder of the school year. Working parents across the country have also expressed concerns with their inability to guide their children through the E-Learning transition.
But schools and households are not entirely at fault for these issues. Many E-Learning platforms were not adequately structured to suit their needs and challenges. Most of these platforms have had years, even decades, to perfect their products. They were not, however, prepared for such a massive increase in users. Thus, their systems were not optimized to accommodate students and teachers with no experience in online learning.
For example, many students are having trouble focusing and staying motivated within a home setting. This is partially due to the fact that their teachers have never learned how to command attention through an E-Learning platform.
We probably won’t know the true impact these past few months have had on students until the start of the next school year. Still, there will most likely be a delay in the curriculum and a significant catch-up period.
Educators and platforms need to learn from this experience. The most popular platforms will likely see a spike in demand moving forward. Many of them have already offered schools and universities free access to their systems in order to ensure a smooth transition into the fall.
Also, it’s important to account for this lack of preparation when reviewing data on online learning’s popularity and nationwide adoption. Imagine what these numbers would look like if schools, households, and platforms were actually prepared for this transition?
In summary, E-Learning is still a growing industry. The world is yet to take full advantage of its unparalleled accessibility. We are going to see adoption increase and more innovations in the space in the coming years.
