Distance learning is here to stay: Shall we reorganize ourselves for the post-covid-19 world?

Gauhar Afshan1, Aliya Ahmed2
1 - Professor and Consultant Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
2 - Professor and Consultant Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Correspondence: Prof. Gauhar Afshan, Professor and Consultant Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi, Pakistan; E-mail: gauhar.afshan@aku.edu

Abstract

Distance learning achieved academic recognition in 1892 when the first college level program was introduced. Later, due to rapid technological advancements in the late nineteenth century, the most prestigious institutions across the world introduced distance learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited distance learning in the education landscape following a sudden closure of academic institutions; and soon online delivery of courses was initiated at all levels of education. In the current scenario, distance learning is very likely to stay beyond the covid era, and authors envision a “hybrid” model of education with blended learning i.e. a combination of face-to-face and online teaching. The necessity to follow social distancing will force us to limit the class room activities as well as hands-on practical training sessions to a reduced number of students. It will require the void to be filled through distance learning education.
Key words: Distance learning, Covid -19 pandemic, online courses, hybrid model, blended learning
Citation: Afshan G, Ahmed A. Distance learning is here to stay: Shall we reorganize ourselves for the post-covid-19 world? Anaesth. pain intensive care 2020;24(5):__

Received: 27 September 2020, Reviewed: 30 September 2020, Accepted: 2 October 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35975/apic.v24i5.1353
“Distance learning” is the system of teaching and learning whereby there is geographical separation between the teacher and the learner and technology and media are used for communication between them.1-3 In England, Europe and Australia, distance learning originated in the nineteenth century.4,5 It achieved academic recognition in 1892 when the University of Chicago created the first college-level distance learning program,6 and then it flourished across the world due to rapid advancement of technology.  The idea of distance learning was also well accepted in Pakistan and the first Open University “Allama Iqbal University” was established in 1974.
The expanding role of technology in mass communication indicates that technology is the most compelling growing factor in distant learning and the internet is the most recent and most widely used technology for this purpose. These rapid technological advancements have provided enormous opportunities for academic institutions to incorporate distance learning and currently the most prestigious institutions across the world are offering online and blended (a combination of face-to-face and online) courses.
The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited distance learning in the education landscape following a sudden closure of schools, colleges and universities across the world. It accelerated the adoption of internet technology as a teaching medium. to ensure continuity of quality education and online delivery of courses was initiated overnight at all levels of academic institutions. Although the world may appear to be returning to its former self, we have entered a new normal era where online or virtual sessions and telemedicine are replacing face-to-face teaching and learning activities.7-10 Didactic teaching sessions have been converted into virtual classrooms through video-conferencing applications and online sessions are being conducted for teaching of procedural skills.9,10
It is understandable that at the beginning, most teachers and trainers were apprehensive and doubtful when they were suddenly forced to use web-based technology for their teaching sessions. However, after initial glitches, even the most traditional teachers have adapted to innovative virtual technology for their teaching sessions! This adaptation is the need of the hour, when we are dealing with a pandemic with significant barriers to education and training. This rapid shift towards distance learning has highlighted the value of telecommunication and online education and it is highly likely that it will become more integrated into routine education and be considered essential in the new normal world.
With increasing medical student numbers without a corresponding increase in clinical teaching opportunities, there has long been a need to develop alternative resources for teaching and learning. However, the teaching community has been somewhat slow in coming up with alternatives or in adopting the available resources. The sudden push into online teaching and distant learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic would go a long way in meeting this long-standing need which has been pushed around for years, mainly due to limited experience and fear of the unknown.
Robert Franek, editor in chief of The Princeton Review and author of ‘The Best 385 Colleges’ has stated, “We can never unlearn the things we’ve learned the last few months during Covid-19,”.11 Looking forward to post-COVID era, many educators have stated that they will incorporate aspects of virtual learning in their methods for teaching and learning.12,13
The authors’ experience with web-based teaching and learning during the pandemic has made them realize that online educational methods need to be incorporated in the current training programs. We believe it is the only way forward and distance learning strategies are very likely to stay beyond the covid era, especially with the current increased exposure to online learning offerings. Taking in the current scenario, we envision a “hybrid” model of education in the years ahead with application of blended learning. The problem of accessibility, especially in the remote areas of low-and-middle income countries is a limitation that needs to be addressed for successful implementation of such programs. The onus for successful incorporation of advanced virtual technology in future curricular models lies on institutions and faculty, with special input by the Information and Technology (IT) teams. We must all gear ourselves to face future realities.

Conflict of interests

None declared by the authors

Authors’ contribution

Both authors took equal part in the preparation of this manuscript.

References
  1. Bruder, I. Distance learning: What’s holding back this boundless delivery system? Electronic Learning 1989;8(6):30-35.
  2. Moore MG, Thompson MM. The effects of distance education. ACSDE Research Monograph, 15. 1997; The Pennsylvania State University, PA: American Center for the Study of Distance Education. [Free full text]
  3. Shachar M, Neumann Y. Differences Between Traditional and Distance Education Academic Performances: A Meta-Analytic Approach. IRRODL [Internet]. 2003 Oct.1 [cited 2020 Oct.12];4(2). Available from: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/153 DOI: https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v4i2.153
  4. Hansen, Brian. "Distance Learning." CQ Researcher, [Internet]. 7 Dec. 2001, pp. 993-1016, Available From: https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2001120700.
  5. Phipps R, Merisotis J. What’s the Difference? A review of Contemporary Research on the Effectiveness of Distance education in Higher Education. 1999; The Institute for Higher Education policy. Available from: http://www.ihep.org/research/publications/whats-difference-review-contemporary-research-effectiveness-distance-learning. [Free full text]
  6. Ponzurick T, Russo France K, Logar C. Delivering Graduate Marketing Education: An analysis of face-to-face versus distance education. Journal of Marketing Education 2000;22 (3):180–187.
  7. Kwon YS, Tabakin AL, Patel HV, Backstrand JR, Jang TL, Kim IY, Singer EA. Adapting Urology Residency Training in the COVID-19 Era. Urology 2020;141:15-19. [PubMed] [Free full text] doi: 1016/j.urology.2020.04.065
  8. Nassar AH, Zern NK, McIntyre LK, Lynge D, Smith CA, Petersen RP, et al. Emergency restructuring of a general surgery residency program during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: The University of Washington experience. JAMA Surg 2020;155(7):624–7. [PubMed] [Free full text] doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2020.1219
  9. Chang D, Park J, Baek GH, Kim HJ, Bosco A, Hwee Weng Dennis Hey HW, Lee CK. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic resident education: a nationwide survey study in South Korea. International Orthopaedics 2020 {Internet}; DOI: 1007/s00264-020-04714-7 (accessed 25 July 2020).
  10. Kanneganti A, Sia C, Ashokka B, Ooi SBS. Continuing medical education during a pandemic: an academic institution’s experience. Postgrad Med J2020;96:384-6. [PubMed] [Free full text] DOI: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-137840
  11. Dickler J. Post-pandemic, remote learning could be here to stay. published May 20 2020 updated May 26 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/20/post-pandemic-remote-learning-could-be-here-to-stay.html
  12. Cahn JA. Why online learning is here to stay. eCampus News [Internet] May 28, 2020; Accessed on; 25 September 2020. Available from: https://www.ecampusnews.com/2020/05/28/why-online-learning-is-here-to-stay/2/.
  13. Furqan Z, Fatima SN, Awan GA. Tele-education in the post-COVID period; a new normal. Anaesth. pain & intensive care 2020;24(3):255-258 [Free full text] DOI: 35975/apic.v24i3.1274