The story so far

In recent times, educational institutions have not known week-to-week or month-to-month whether lectures and seminars would take place on campus or online. And despite the cautious optimism of the present, they still cannot be certain whether the immediate or long-term future will see a return to completely on-campus teaching or periods of full-remote teaching again. One of the many lessons of 2020 is the importance of being prepared for dramatically, suddenly changing situations – both on global and local scales.

The future could also require a ‘hybrid’ model of education that mixes both on-campus and online sessions, or even a mixture of both in-person and remote attendees in individual seminars or lectures. Students who are COVID-shielding, quarantining, or have other health-related concerns may still need to learn remotely when many of their peers have returned to campus. Their ability to access education is an important consideration for institutions everywhere.

New possibilities for long-distance learning

Even when the concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic are far behind us, remote learning will remain. In the same way that employees and businesses everywhere are embracing the flexibility and new possibilities of remote working, many students and universities are keen to explore new learning options that are now possible.

Overseas students are particularly relevant to this topic. Instead of facing the upheaval and expense of relocating themselves and their lives to another country, they may now be able to attend prestigious institutions overseas without being apart from their homes, friends and families.

This is good news for students all over the world, and for universities wishing to make the most of this new long-distance demographic. But it adds another element to what is already a complex situation for education. 

Covering all the bases and unifying sessions

So, as we’ve illustrated, there are now a range of scenarios that educational institutions may have to cater for in future:

• Sessions held solely for students on campus, the ‘traditional’ way
• Seminars and lectures where all students are attending remotely
• Mixed, hybrid sessions with both on-campus and remote students

The challenge educational institutions now face is to unify these sessions. That means using their technology to ‘bring together’ all the students as if they were learning in the same place. Equally, lecturers must feel as much as possible as if they’re teaching a unified group of students.

Okay, so that’s all much easier said than done. But these are aims that educational institutions must keep at the top of their minds if they’re to succeed with new learning modes. The kinds and quality of experiences that universities offer will be paramount.