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Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Higher Education and Research

Authors:
  • Amity Institute of Biotechnology/Indian Institute of Toxicology Research

Abstract

COVID-19 outbreak has caused a downward spiral in the world economy and caused a huge impact on the higher education system. The sudden closure of campuses as a social distancing measure to prevent community transmission has shifted face-to-face classes to online learning systems. This has thrown the focus on utilising eLearning tools and platforms for effective student engagement which may have limitations of accessibility and affordability for many students. The pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of the current higher education system and the need for more training of educators in digital technology to adapt to the rapidly changing education climate of the world. In the post-pandemic situation, the use of eLearning and virtual education may become an integral part of the higher education system. The higher education institutions and universities need to plan the post-pandemic education and research strategies to ensure student learning outcomes and standards of educational quality.
Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on
Higher Education and Research
Shazia Rashid1 and Sunishtha Singh Yadav1
Abstract
COVID-19 outbreak has caused a downward spiral in the world economy and caused a huge impact on
the higher education system. The sudden closure of campuses as a social distancing measure to prevent
community transmission has shifted face-to-face classes to online learning systems. This has thrown the
focus on utilising eLearning tools and platforms for effective student engagement which may have limita-
tions of accessibility and affordability for many students. The pandemic has exposed the shortcomings
of the current higher education system and the need for more training of educators in digital technol-
ogy to adapt to the rapidly changing education climate of the world. In the post-pandemic situation, the
use of eLearning and virtual education may become an integral part of the higher education system. The
higher education institutions and universities need to plan the post-pandemic education and research
strategies to ensure student learning outcomes and standards of educational quality.
Keywords
COVID-19, higher education, eLearning, virtual education, teaching-learning
Introduction
COVID-19 infection was reported originally from Wuhan, China in late December 2019 and quickly
spread throughout the world and was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 11th March 2020 (WHO,
2020). The COVID-19 outbreak had a devastating impact on human life and shattered economies around
the world (Xiang et al., 2020) with a massive jolt to the education systems both in developed and
developing countries. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly led to the closure of universities and colleges
around the world with government instructions to follow social distancing that could help to flatten the
infection curve and reduce total fatalities from the disease. The most important pandemic precaution
called “social distancing” or “physical distancing” has attempted to reduce interpersonal contact and
thereby minimise the kind of community transmission that could develop quickly in dense social
networks like the university campus (Weeden & Cornwell, 2020).
Commentary
Indian Journal of Human Development
1–4
© 2020 Institute for
Human Development
Reprints and permissions:
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DOI: 10.1177/0973703020946700
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1 Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India.
Corresponding author:
Shazia Rashid, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida Campus, Sector-125,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India.
E-mails: shaziarashid123@gmail.com; srashid@amity.edu
2 Indian Journal of Human Development
Rise of Digital Technology for eLearning and Virtual Education
The impact on higher education has been dramatic and transformative and a common trend in education
systems around the world has been to respond to the pandemic with “emergency eLearning” protocols,
marking the rapid transition from face-to-face classes to online learning systems. The educational
institutions are facing a challenge to adapt to this change and trying to choose the right technologies and
approaches for educating and engaging their students. The campus closure and sudden switch from
in-person face to face education to remote instructions is just a baby step experiment in the long journey
to offering online education which including effective student engagement tools and teacher training.
This may pave for stronger bonds between universities, online education companies, and technology
providers post-pandemic. The universities will need to pay serious attention to having educators trained
and equipped with digital technology for a smooth teaching-learning process. The government will have
to step up and commit to sustained programs for professional development to boost educators teaching
capabilities. The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities and shortcomings of the current education
systems and has also emphasised the need for digital literacy development, particularly in times like
these, for both developed and developing countries. The greater digitalisation of educational services
and communication may become a norm post-pandemic. The current situation has challenged deep-
rooted notions about the role of higher education institutions in providing quality education, mode of
delivery, accessibility, the importance of lifelong learning, and educator’s perceptions about the type of
learners. This may provide insight to the educators and policymakers for the overall improvement of the
education systems around the world.
Relying on and adapting to eLearning during a pandemic may cause a shift in adopting more online
elements in the teaching by the educators. This, however, has many practical problems and limitations,
in terms of availability of digital technologies for education. There is a vast “digital inequality” that
exists in society. One cannot assume that all students, as well as educators, would have access to internet
connectivity and associated powerful devices outside of their university, to be able to communicate.
Affordability is another factor to limit the access to eLearning with students from economically
weaker sections facing a greater burden. The impact of accessibility and affordability can have serious
implications on students in higher education system unless student-friendly government policies are in
place which can ensure affordability and accessibility of the internet to students.
The students face major hurdles with remote learning as face-to-face communication is more
conducive to the learning process, presenting a better opportunity to sharing knowledge and asking for
help, “easier” and more interactive (Miliszewska, 2007). The camaraderie and sense of belonging are
limited in a virtual class. The students who have less ability to self-regulate or study autonomously
struggle with no teacher providing in-person support. The online videos, digital content, and discussion
forums may not provide a holistic teaching-learning outcome.
Many civil liberties groups and activists have increasingly raised apprehensions over the privacy and
surveillance implications of hundreds of millions of students being forced onto commercial software that
has not been properly tested and vetted for educational uses.
The sudden shift to adapt and implement online learning has led to over-work, stress among the
teaching faculty. The educators need to re-imagine modes of curriculum planning, development of
e-content, assessment, and reporting which may have been developed without proper planning and
forethought. To achieve more focussed learning outcomes and develop effective eLearning methods,
educators should be provided with professional autonomy and trusted with their judgment; and ensure
clear and compassionate communication with all the stakeholders of the higher education.
Rashid and Yadav 3
One might argue that remote learning may offer an advantage for individuals who are unable to attend
a traditional full-time face-to-face university due to personal or financial circumstances. Also, the
flexibility of asynchronous remote learning may provide wider access. And even within traditional
higher education institutions, hybrid or blended forms may help improve the quality of face-to-face
teaching by moving content delivery online and focusing in-person sessions on active learning (Bowen,
2012; Riffee, 2003).
These diverse reactions highlight that there are always wider connotations and unintended con-
sequences of any adoption of technology in education. So, COVID-19 post-pandemic, all universities
and higher education institutions need to introspect about the implications of their choices and decisions
on the lifelong learning of students, which will ultimately shape the future of this generation.
Post-Pandemic Focus on Specific Research Areas and
Their Implications
The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education institutions and universities to adapt to the rapidly
changing situation in a way that was unimaginable a few months ago. Research institutions are facing
huge challenges in managing research operations. The mandatory social distancing requirements are
difficult to meet in a research setting particularly in the areas requiring bench work and human subjects,
as well as fieldwork, are causing significant losses to research studies. Most of this has affected scientists,
faculty, research scholars, and graduate students. The career plans of many research students and
postdoctoral researchers are at risk due to this sudden interruption in their research plan by the pandemic.
The universities and funding bodies will be under financial strain in the coming months and the non-
COVID projects may lose importance and focus from these agencies. The recruitment of international
staff and the exchange of skilled researchers is a huge challenge which may continue to exist for the
coming months due to travel restrictions.
The research institutions and universities need to carefully design and implement the research
management guidelines that adhere to social distancing protocols and ensure low student density on
campuses while steering the research activity towards normalcy. The research areas that require physical
laboratories may need to re-think their working models and carefully plan and prioritise their experiments.
The universities will have to invest more in health and safety measures and infrastructure on their
campuses to ensure the safety of students and staff which may add to the financial strain on the university.
The government may support and partly fund the safety initiations of the educational institutions to
prevent the comprise of the educational and research needs of the students.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is progressing rapidly, particularly now in the developing economies,
the research laboratories and corporate houses around the world are racing against each other to find
a treatment modality for the virus. This has led researchers to focus on certain key issues associated
with the COVID-19 virus infection that could help in the understanding of the disease and assessing
the psychological implications of this pandemic. Some of the major areas of research which may see
a surge in funding post-pandemic include vaccine development, antiviral therapies, development of
health care equipment, mHealth devices, remote learning tools, Artificial intelligence (AI) based
technologies, use of AR, VR, and Holography for training, and capacity building and public health
policy (Haleem et al., 2020). Also, research areas that do not require the physical presence of the
researcher may see more growth as students may prefer these programs to enhance their skills for post-
study job placements.
4 Indian Journal of Human Development
Conclusion
There are no best practices for universities and higher educational institutions to mimic and no known
models to follow. Post-pandemic educational institutions may need to identify the issues that they may
face and prepare to take tough decisions in the coming months. The university communities will need to
reflect on their educational vision and mission to ensure student learning outcomes and standards of
educational quality are not compromised. The universities will have to engage and consult all their
stakeholders in the nuanced balancing of financial costs and public health that are intertwined with
missions of education, knowledge creation, and service to society. The higher educational institutions
must be ready for a tough road ahead post-pandemic where their decisions will shape and steer the future
of their students.
Declaration of Conflicting Interest
The authors declare no potential conicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.
Funding
The authors received no nancial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
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Putting a face on distance education programs
  • W R Riffee
Riffee, W. R. (2003). Putting a face on distance education programs. Syllabus, 16(7), 10-13.
WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19-11
WHO. (2020, March 11). WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19-11 March 2020. World Health Organization, March 11, 2020. https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/whodirector-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-mediabriefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020.