There’s no denying that the pandemic has caused disruption in our usual routines.
Holidays are cancelled, the office is closed, the kids are home, and almost everything has moved online.
Whilst it is tempting to reminisce about the old days, let’s take a minute to look at the positive effects of this disruption, and how it may lead to a shift in the future of school and workplaces, toward a more accessible experience for all.
Online Learning
With schools, colleges and universities moving online, it has become easier for people to access their education, and balance it with their personal needs.
Distance learning is not new, and institutions have been offering online courses for years. Some transitional nursing courses are even available online, click here for some great options if you’re interested in this field.
Now that things have to be done online, a whole new world of training and education has become available to those it may not have been easy for before.
Location
Commuting can be an incredibly stressful part of the day.
Not everyone has access to their own car or bike, and public transport can be crowded, loud and very inaccessible.
On top of this, it’s also expensive; the average American adult can spend $2,000-$5,000 per year!
Working from home allows those stressors to be eliminated from the day, meaning you don’t come into work flustered (or late!) and are better able to concentrate on your work or study.
Your level of comfort may also affect your productivity.
A more relaxed working environment can help you get more done, and this can look different for everyone.
By being at home, your essentials such as medication, water, and specialist equipment are also right with you, with no chance of being forgotten, which is one less thing to worry about!
Captioning
There has also been a huge shift towards captioning online content like lectures and meetings.
Companies like A I Media provide live captions and audio description to online content.
This results in a better understanding and a feeling of inclusion.
It also speeds up the consumption and overall learning process, as there may be less of a need to ask for things to be clarified, but the information was presented in the correct, accessible way to begin with.
There is still a way to go before this becomes the norm, but this is a big move in the right direction!
Time
Working and learning from home also allows you to work more at your own pace.
There’s no end of class bell to beat, bosses, breathing down your next, or the rush to get the last bus home.
By managing your own time, you are often able to feel more in control and confident.
This, in turn, can have a positive impact on productivity and mental health.
For some, it can take that little bit longer to absorb and understand new information.
In a classroom or office environment, this time may not be available.
This could result in gaps in knowledge, and an unwillingness to ask clarifying questions.
Not only does working closer to your own pace and in your own environment make you feel more comfortable, but it also allows you to take breaks when you need.
These breaks may be for a variety of reasons: comfort, medication, physio, a snack, all of which help to manage stress, and maintain a work/life balance.
Recording
The ability to access recorded content to at a later date takes the stress and urgency out of notetaking and reduces the tendency to believe you are the only one who’s not totally getting it.
Lectures are being uploaded to college websites, and talks are on YouTube and Zoom meetings can be recorded, all so that they can be accessed later at our leisure.
This is great for fact-checking and clarification.
How many times have you left a meeting wishing you could back over that one section again?
Recorded content is also essential if you have to miss something for any reason.
It’s always good to take part live, but sometimes it’s just not possible.
There can also be a huge amount of guilt involved in missing something or being late, but if it’s recorded, you can still cover the content and not miss out.
Divide
Have you ever heard of something called the Digital Divide?
This is the gap between those who have access to technological devices such as the internet, laptops and phones, and those who do not.
When everything went online, this divide was made incredibly clear.
The truth is, it is not viable for everyone to work from home because 1 in 4 Americans don’t have internet access in their homes.
Furthermore, inappropriate working environments, lack of space and resources and a loss of in-classroom support has made home learning incredibly difficult for many people.
Whilst there are positives to distance learning, the negatives have been brought into even sharper contrast.
This has forced companies and schools to try and better cater to their employees and students so that everyone can get the most out of the education.
There are plenty of companies that you can donate your old laptops to, who will then refurbish them and distribute them to a low-income family.
Despite these difficulties, the pandemic has brought to light the disparities between students’ potential home working situations, and will hopefully lead to a more equal, inclusive, and considerate future of education.
Overall, there’s plenty of pros and cons to the pandemic, and searching out those positives can put a little hopeful spin on your day.
It’s interesting to wonder what effect it will have on education and work in the future, and how the technologies and methods that are being adapted now may integrate into everyday life.
The current climate is still fluctuating and unpredictable, and we are all just finding ways to cope and make the most of our situations.
Whether it’s taking advantage of online courses, or donating your electronics to families who need them, there are ways out there of helping others and enriching your own life.