Learning in the era of COVID

Uncertainty has become the new norm in the era of COVID-19. Scientists still debate how COVID-19 originated and how it possibly affects human health. Retail companies with robust e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Walmart have made huge profits during the pandemic.

Other retail businesses that mainly rely on in-store sales are struggling with running their businesses. The human race has a long history of fighting infectious disease pandemics, starting with the plague of Justinian (541-542) and ending with COVID-19. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, many of us mistakenly thought that the era of pandemics was over, considering the advancements in medicine and biology. Nevertheless, humans have inherited the ability to adapt to various adverse conditions and fight off unknown diseases. Adaptation has allowed humans to foster their immune systems to fight numerous infections that were considered deadly in the past.

Learning in the era of COVID19 is one of the most challenging problems. In the age of artificial intelligence, quality education is a cornerstone of an individual’s successful life. Education has been the primary means that allows low-income generations to climb up the socioeconomic ladder. Quality education in the US has attracted numerous brilliant students worldwide to study in U.S. universities. Many of these students end up working in high tech companies and research institutions in the U.S. That what helped America maintain the leadership of the worldwide scientific community. There are already many challenges that face today’s students pursuing their academic degrees. The cost of education and college readiness are the main reasons that deter students from pursuing a college degree. In the era of COVID-19, these challenges are intensified. Most educational programs become heavily reliant on the use of technology for remote learning, which is considered an added cost to academic institutions and students.

Moreover, the amount of time needed to learn different new learning technologies is overwhelming. These challenges can be more evident for engineering and applied science disciplines that rely heavily on hands-on skills. While there are many successful online engineering and applied science programs at some U.S. universities, remote hands-on labs are cost-prohibitive for small colleges. Moreover, the effectiveness of remotely learning hands-on skills is significantly questionable by some employers. Needless to say that students learn from their peers in a face-to-face environment as much as they learn from their teachers in a classroom setting. For children, teenagers, and young adults, interpersonal and communication skills are mainly gained from everyday interactions with classmates and teachers. Virtual educational environments can negatively affect children’s and young adults’ interpersonal skills. However, safety always comes first. Students with a compromised immune system should not have

to choose between their life and education. Remote learning should be readily available with no added cost, especially for students with underlying health conditions.

Now, it is time for the U.S. government and local communities to invest more in higher education. Investment in higher education is the safest possible investment. This investment’s return is generations of educated and successful citizens who can better serve their local community and country. Supporting education does not only include scholarships; it extends to include the infrastructure of academic institutions, extracurricular activities, technology support, and training for educators. Experienced educators understand that scholarships are not the only way to improve student retention. Co-curricular and extracurricular actives are as much as necessary. In short, student engagement is critical for student retention. Investing in extracurricular activities such as academic clubs, academic competitions, sports, and recreation is as important as direct curriculum spending.