The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. But then it did other things, too. It brought the world together. It united the world in one common struggle, and brought people closer. The pandemic also gave the world the chance to understand that virtual relationships could work as well, or better, than physical relationships. For workplaces and schools, it made employers/employees, and lecturers alike, understand that virtual meetings and/or classes could be a great alternative to erstwhile physical ones.
For students and entrepreneurs in Ireland, this realisation honed closer home. Students who were accustomed to learning in classes, with the break out of the Coronavirus pandemic, saw that learning from home could be more of an advantage than going to classes. This was substantiated by the fact that sick people could infect those who were not if they came together. Universities all over the world also adopted this style, relying solely on virtual classes through video and audio meetings on Zoom, Skype, and institution-based virtual learning platforms. Examinations, tests, term papers, etc, were also held, assessed and graded online.
Online as well as offline education present their own peculiarities. For many people, online or virtual education provides a safer, more convenient and cheaper medium of learning in school. For others, physical education provides the much needed directness and immediacy that online classes do not have. Especially in the pandemic era, online classes now provide a cheaper and safer way to learn. However, it comes with its distractions such as inability to focus, epileptic data or electricity supply, data expenses, etc.
However, physical classes have the much-touted advantage of being more intimate and effective than online classes. In physical classes, with physical tutors and books, students can be able to relate better with the teachings. With the advantage of more physical books, many students can learn better.
Regardless of the convergences and divergencies replete in the argument for or against online and physical education, it must be noted that they have proven to be both effective ways of learning. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be safe to say that the world has finally found newer ways to live.
