SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ACCELERATION IN EDTECH GROWTH POST COVID- 19

InternationalJournalofHumanities andSocialSciences(IJHSS)

ISSN(P):2319–393X;ISSN(E):2319–3948

Vol.11,Issue2,Jul–Dec2022;175–188 ©IASET

SUSTAINABILITYOFTHEACCELERATIONINEDTECHGROWTHPOSTCOVID-19

Dr.AmarNathPandey1&Dr.ShaktiPandey2

1ChiefCoordinator(SchoolofComputerEducation&IT),NalandaOpenUniversity,Patna,Bihar,India

2AssistantProfessor,DepartmentofMCA,JDWomensCollege,Patna,Bihar,India

ABSTRACT

Schools,colleges,anduniversitiesinIndiaallusethesameoutdatedmodelofclassroominstruction.Evenwhilemany schoolshavebegunusingblendedlearning,manyremainreliantonantiquatedpractices.In2019,theglobewasrockedby anunexpectedanddevastatingpandemicofadiseasecalledCovid-19,whichwascausedbytheSARS-CoV-2Corona Virus.Becauseofthis,theWHOhasclassifieditasapandemic.Becauseofthis,instructorsallaroundtheglobewere immediatelythrustintoteachingthroughtheInternet.Manyuniversitieswereforcedtocompletelytransitiontoonline educationandlearningdespiteinitialresistancetotheidea.Inthispost,we'lllookattheSWOCexaminationofe-learning modalitiesandhowtheystackupagainstoneanother,aswellasthevalueofonlineeducationduringtimesofcrisis.The essayalsoprovidesinsightintotheriseofEdTechstartupsduringtimesofepidemicandnaturalcatastrophesandoffers advicetoeducationalinstitutionsonhowtoaddressissuesspecifictodistanceeducation.Theaimofthepresentstudy wouldbetocriticallyevaluatethechangesinthemodeofdisseminationofeducationalcontentatthetimeoftheCOVID19pandemicandtheroleplayedbyinformationtechnologyinthesame.Thestudywouldalsofocusonthecontemporary developmentsinthefieldofEdTechandhowthesamewashelpfulinensuringthatlearningremainsunhinderedatthe timeofthepandemic.

KEYWORDS:RiseofEdTechStartups,EvaluatetheChangesintheModeofDisseminationofEducational

ArticleHistory

Received:01Nov2022|Revised:05Nov2022|Accepted:15Nov2022

INTRODUCTION AIMSOFTHERESEARCH

 ToinvestigatetheemergenceofnewEdTechcompaniesandtheriseofonlineeducation.

 Goal:toundertakeaSWOCstudyofonlineeducationinthefaceoftheCoronavirusepidemicandothernatural calamities.

 Assistonlineeducationintimesofcrisisbyprovidingadviceandguidelinesforitsuse.

RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY

Theresearchisdescriptiveandseekstocomprehendthesignificanceofonlineeducationintimesofcrisesandpandemics likeCovid-19.Previousresearchwasusedtoidentifytheissueswithonlineeducationandproposedremedies.Inlightof theurgencyoftheissue,aSWOCanalysiswasperformedtobettercomprehendthemanyadvantagesanddisadvantagesof thisparticularlearningstrategy.Thedataforthisstudywasgatheredfromavarietyofsources,andacontentanalysiswas

www.iaset.us

editor@iaset.us

usedastheresearchmethodologyforassessingthatdata.Wehavethoughtaboutthestudy'squalitativecomponents.Allof theinformationinthisanalysiscomesfrompreviouslypublishedsources.Theaccumulatedliteraturewassubjectedtoa thoroughsystematicevaluation.

Informationisgatheredthrough(a)periodicals,(b)reports,(c)searchengines,(d)businesswebsitesandscholarly articles,(e)researchpapers,and(f)otheracademicpublications.

INTRODUCTION

Allofushavefondmemoriesofrushingtothefrontoftheclasstohavethebestviewwhilesimultaneouslydreadingbeing reprimandedbytheinstructorfornothavingdoneourhomework.Webelievethatclassrooms,instructors,students,desks, chairs,andblackboardsareessentialcomponentsofasuccessfuleducationalsystem.Theepidemic,however,hasaltered ourperspectiveandledustoconsiderthatlearningmayoccurinsettingsotherthantraditionalclassroomsstudentsand instructorsarenowengaginginclassroomactivitiesthroughcomputerscreens.Let'sexaminehowthespreadofCOVID19hasaffectedclassroominstructioninthispandemiceducationessay.

Avirus-likeCovid-19,whichaffectseveryoneequally,wascompletelyunexpected.Covid-19broughtaboutalot ofadjustmentstoourenvironment,andittooksomegettingusedto.BecauseofthewidespreadeffectsofCovid-19,all schoolswereforcedtoclose.TolessentheeffectofCovid-19,mostauthoritieshadoptedtotemporarilyshutdown campuses.Itwaslaterreopenedforasmallnumberofgrades,whichledtoaspikeininfectionratesbeforebeingshut downpermanently.1

Despitetheclosureofschools,studentscontinuetheireducationviaothermeans,suchasonlinecoursesandradio programs.Thoughonthewhole,thisisapositivedevelopment,ithashadadevastatingimpactonthelivesofmanyindividuals wholackedthefinancialmeanstoparticipateinonlineeducation.Manystudentslacktheresourcesnecessarytoparticipatein onlinecourses.Teachers,usedtousingBlackboards,chalkboards,books,andtraditionalclassroomprocedures,arelearningnew digitalteachingtechniques,buttheyareadaptingquicklyandeffectivelytohelptheirstudents.

Educatedparentsarehelpingtheirchildrenthroughtheepidemic,butweneedtobesensitivetotheplightofthe manyparentswhoareunabletoreadandwriteandwhofeelpowerlesstoassisttheirchildren'seducationbecauseofthe virus.SomeIndianstudentsattendclassesjustbecauseit'stheonlywaytheycanaffordtoeat.Manykidswhosefamilies couldn'taffordtosendthemwithlunchwereabletoacquirethenourishmenttheyneededthankstothewonderfulmidday mealplan.Manychildrenweregoinghungryasaresultoftheschoolsbeingclosed.Examsareconstantlybeingpostponed orcancelled,leavingstudentsconfusedandteacherswithlittletimetoteachthematerial.2

Mostchildrenwhoareofschoolageworktohelpsupporttheirfamilies.Atatimewhenthereisuncertainty regardingsurvivalandavailablefoodforthenextday,educationdoesn’tremainthetopprioritiesforthehouseholdsto whichthesechildrenbelong.Asaresult,manypeopleintheruralareasthinktwicebeforemakinganinvestmentinthe educationoftheirchildren.Consideringthegendergap,femalesandtransgendersaremorelikelytobedeprivedof educationascomparedtotheirmalecounterparts.Low-incomeinstitutionsandschoolshavealsobeenhithardbythe epidemic,leadingtotheirclosure.AmidCovid-19,bothgoodandbadeventsareoccurring.Onlinelectures,webinars,

1Alexander,S.(2001).E-learningdevelopmentsandexperiences,MCBUniversityPress,Volume43,No.4/5.

2Boumedyen,Kaneez,RafaelVictor,Birkut-ul-Mauz,Nizwa(2011).E-Learning:Aneffectivepedagogicaltool forlearning.Internationaljournalofinnovativetechnology&creativeengineering,vol.1no.4

digitaltests,aswellasotherformsofvirtualinteractionbetweenstudentsandprofessorsaremadepossibleby technologicaladvancementsinthefieldofeducation.Unfortunately,however,thisoptionisnotopentonearlyasmany studentsasitshouldbe

Everythingbeingdoneisforthepupils'safetysothattheymayavoidexposuretothedeadlyviruswhile remainingathome.Weweren'texpectingit,butit'sherenow,andwe'llhavetorideitouttogether.Ifasimilarpandemic weretostrikeinthefuture,however,itwouldbehoveustoprepareforitbymodernizingourinfrastructureanddevising strategiesfordealingwiththecrisis,aswellasbyensuringthateverychildcontinuestoreceiveaneducation.

It'ssafetosaythatonlineeducationwillcontinuetogrowinpopularityandprominenceforsometimetocome. Studentsespeciallybenefitfromonlinelearningsincetheydon'thavetowakeupasearlyinthemorningtobereadyfor school.Wherevertheymaybe,studentsmayhaveaccesstoawealthofeducationalresources.Asitisdifficulttokeepa youngchild'sattentionforanextendedperiod,interactiveworksheetsandactivitiesfoundinonlinelearningenvironments areidealforthisagegroup.Childrenarenevertoowearytostudyorplaysincethetwoactivitiesbalanceeachotherout perfectly.3

Duringtheepidemic,childrenareseldomabletocommunicatewiththeirpeersandinstructorsbecauseofthisunique methodofinstruction.Giventhatchildrenoftengainthemostfromspontaneoussocialinteractions,thismightmakethem uninteresting.Moreover,theymaybeadverselyaffectedbytheirexcessiveusageofmobiledevicesorcomputersowingtoonline study.E-learning,however,isthemostviableoptionforstudentsinthisdayandage.Eveniftheepidemichasthrownoffthe usualeducationalschedule,thereisstillanopportunityforafreshstartwithonlinecourses.

CHAPTER1:COVID19ANDEDUCATION SpecialEducationandtheCOVID-19Pandemic

ChildrenwithspecialneedshavebeenhitharderthantheirtypicallydevelopingpeersbythespreadofCOVID-19.The IndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationActandSection504oftheRehabilitationActof1973providelegalprotectionfor childrenwithspecialneedsintheUnitedStatestoensuretheygetasuitableeducation.Together,thesepiecesoflaware supposedtomakeitpossibleforstudentswithspecialneedstoobtain"afreeadequatepubliceducation...intheleast restrictivesetting."

Childrenwithautismfrequentlygetappliedbehaviouralanalysis(ABA)aspartoftheirtailorededucationalplan. Inappliedbehaviouranalysis(ABA),therapistsmouldandrewardlittlestepstowarddesirablenewbehaviours.Training usingdiscretetrialsischunkingabehaviourintomanageablechunksandrewardingincrementalprogresstowardthat behaviouroverandagain.Itisakindofintenseone-on-onetreatmentinwhichthetherapistworkscloselywiththekidfor aconsiderableamountoftime(20-40hourseachweek).Thistreatmentworksbestwhenbeganatayoungageinchildren withautismandisfrequentlyinitiatedinthefamily.

OrganizationsofferingABAserviceshadtheobligationandflexibilitytoimplementsafetystandardsin partnershipwithcertificationboardssinceABAemployeesweredesignatedcriticalworkersfromthebeginningofthe epidemic.

3Bonk,C.(2002).Researchrelatedtotheeffectivenessofelearningandcollaborativetools.

http://www.trainingshare.com/download/australia/TAFE_sydney/tools.ppt(accessed17thFebruary2018

Inthewakeoftheepidemic,highschoolstudentshavesufferedsignificantlosses.Shelter-in-placeadvicehas impededwhatshouldhavebeenamomentofmoreautonomy.Proms,graduations,sportsgames,andcollegetourshaveall beenrescheduledorscrapped,andthesememoriescanneverberecovered.4

Alargerpercentageofadolescentsexhibitedsymptomsofdepressionandanxietyasaresultofthepandemic;one researchfoundthat14.4percentofadolescentshadPTSDand40.4percentfeltbothmelancholyandanxiety.Anotherpoll foundthatwhereas92%ofteenageguysweresatisfiedwithlifebeforeCOVID,afterlockdowncircumstancesthatnumber droppedsignificantlyto72%ofrespondents.Lifesatisfactionamongteenagefemalesdecreasedfrom81%beforethe COVIDpandemicto62%duringit,withthelowestvaluesreportedbytheoldestteenagegirlsduringtheCOVID-19 limitations.27GirlsweremorelikelythanmalestoreportariseinfamilydisputesduringtheschoolclosureforCOVID19(27%vs.21%).

Theeffectsofthepandemiconteenagers'socialandemotionaldevelopmentwereinvestigatedinaresearchdone inNorway.Respondentswereaskedtoassesshowoftenstatementslike"Icomfortedafriendyesterday,""YesterdayI triedmybesttocareforafriend,"and"YesterdayIsentamessagetoafriend"appliedtothemonascalefrom1(notat all)to6(verylot).Inaddition,theyassessedhowobjectsrepresentedtheirmoodbygivingthemanumberfrom1(notat all)to5(verywell).Theydiscoveredthatteenageestimatesoftheirownemotionalstate,aswellastheirempathyfor othersandwillingnesstotakepartinsocialaction,droppedprecipitouslyduringtheepidemic.5

“

Apollof24,155inhabitantsofMichiganpredictedanescalationofsuicideriskforlesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgenderkidsaswellasthoseyouthquestioningtheirsexualorientation(LGBTQ)connectedwithrisingsocial isolation.DomesticabuseagainstLGBTQadolescentsincreasedby66%whiletheywereinshelters.30LGBTQkidsare anotherexampleofindividualsalreadyatheightenedriskofsufferingdisproportionateconsequencesoftheepidemic.”

Nowmorethanever,doctorsneedtoasktheirpatientsabouttheiremotionalwell-being,includinghowtheyare doinginschool,howtheyarestayingintouchwiththeirfriends,andhowtheyfeelabouttheimpactofrecentactsof violenceontheircommunities.Duringthispublicemergency,itisimportanttoaskfamilieswhethertheyneedhelpwith issueslikefoodinsecurity,housinginstability,andlackofaccesstomentalhealthcare.

Althoughmedicalschoolisanadulteducationalexperience,itisincludedbecauseofitsimpactonthemedical fieldandouryoungercolleagues,andbyextension,allexperientiallearningprogrammes.

“InthenewCOVID-19era,medicalschoolshavebeenobligedtomakesubstantialandswiftadjustmentstoseverallevels oftheircurriculumtoprotectbothstudentandpatientsafetythroughoutthepandemic.Studentsstartingtheirclinical rotationshaveundergonethemostsubstantialmodificationtotheirexperience.COVID-19hasledtosomeofthesame changeshighschoolsandcollegeshavetaken,particularly,thesubstitutionofbigin-personlectureswithsmallgroup activitiessmallgroupdiscussions,andvirtuallectures.”

“Thechangetoanonlineapproachformedicaleducationhasbeenswiftandaffectedbothstudentsand instructors.InapollbySinghandcolleagues,ofthe192studentsresponding43.9%ratedonlinecoursestobeinferiorthan realclassesduringtheepidemic.InanotherinvestigationbyShahrviniandcolleagues,35of104studentsquestioned, 74.5%studentsfeltseparatedfromtheirmedicalschoolandtheirfriendsand43.3%thoughtthattheywereunpreparedfor

4Barron,Tom(2000).e-learning-AReviewofLiterature.Thefutureofdigitallearning.e-learning,Vol.1,No.2.

5Barker,P.(2000).DesigningTeachingWebs:Advantages,ProblemsandPitfalls.EducationalMultimedia.

theirclerkships.DespitethelackofevidencefrombeforeCOVID-19,itisanticipatedthatthemodificationsmadein responsetoCOVID-19mayexacerbatefeelingsofuneasinessandunder-readinessforclinicalpractise.”

Studiesingrossanatomyhavelongbeenastapleofthemedicaleducationcurriculum,andthesestudieshave traditionallybeenperformednearlyexclusivelyinperson,incloseproximitytoacorpse.Accordingtoastudyconducted byHarmonetal.36of67grossanatomyinstructors,just8%ofthosepolledwerestillteachingtheirclassesinperson, while34%–43%hadswitchedtoonlineresourceslikecorpsephotosanddissectionrecordings.

“Manythird-andfourth-yearmedicalstudentshaveencounteredperiodsofcancellationforclinicalrotationsand augmentationwithonlinelearning,telemedicine,orvirtualroundsbecausetotheCOVID-19epidemic.Sincetheonsetof theepidemic,medicalschoolshavehadtodevelopnewandimaginativemethodstocontinueteachingandexposing studentstoclinicalsituations.Theusageofinternetconferencingserviceshasprovedcrucialtocontinuingeducation. GoogleHangoutsisoneexampleofaweb-basedservicethatmaybeusedtofacilitateacollaborativelearningsetting withoutbreakingthebank.”

Schoolshavealsoembracedahybridapproachofinstruction,inwhichstudentswatchrecordedlectures asynchronously,ontheirowntime,andthenparticipateinlive,virtuallectures,duringwhichfacultymembersanswer students'questionsonthecoursesubject.Byintroducingthisnewstructure,studentshavebeengivenmorechoiceinterms ofconstructingatimetablethatmeetstheirrequirementsandmaylessenstress.6

Pandemicdevelopmentshaveprofoundlyalteredtheprocessofcollegeadmissions,medicalschoolapplications,and residencyapplications.ForUSmedicalresidencies,72%ofcandidateswill,assumingthetendencyfrom2016to2019 continues,travelacrossstatesorcountries.ThisdegreeoftravelismoreperilousgiventheproliferationofCOVID-19and theunavailabilityofgenerallyacknowledgedwaystocarryoutsuchahugemigrationsecurely.It'sthesamewith universitiesandmedicalschools.

Recognizingandplanningforthepossibilitythatstudentsgraduatingfrommedicalschooloranyother programmethatrequiresin-personinstructionwouldentertheworkforceunderpreparedisessential.Thesecompetencies willbetaughtatalaterstageofeducation.It'spossiblethatourhospitals,alongwiththerestoftheclinicalfields,mayhire less-qualifiedentry-levelresidentsintheformofdoctorsandnurses.

CHAPTER2-THEGROWTHOFEDTECH

TheRiseofEdtechStartupsduringtheCoronaPeriod

Asanexampleofeducationaltechnologythathasevolvedthroughtime,considertheusageofwritingslatesinIndian classroomsaroundtheyear1100.In1440,JohannesGuttenbergcreatedthefirstprintingpress;inthe1600s,theabacus helpedpupilsgraspmath'sfoundationalconcepts;andin1913,ThomasEdisonadvocatedforfilmclipstoreplace instructors.TheMultipleChoiceQuestion(MCQ)machine,designedbySidneyPressyin1927,wasthefirstofitskind. Onlinelearningwaspioneeredinthe1960sattheUniversityofIllinois,andin1994,withtheintroductionofEducomp, IndiaembarkedonitsEdTechpath.Around2010,anewwaveofEdTechstartupsemergedtorevolutionizetheeducational system.Byju'sLearningPlatform,apopulareducationalprogram,rankedamong2019'shighest-valuededucational

technologycorporations.Sincethen,though,severalotherbusinesseshaveemergedtochallengeByjus.7

Inthemiddleofthiscrisis,EdTechstartupsarecapitalizingonthecorrectpossibilitiesbymakingavailablefree onlinecoursestostudents.EdTechstartupsandeducationalapplicationswererecommendedbyUNESCOasameansof supportingstudentsduringthischallengingperiod.Duringandafterdemonetization,digitalpaymentfirmslikePaytm, Mobiwik,Tez,PhonePe,etc.sawsignificantexpansion.Withthecurrentepidemic,EdTechstartupsareanticipatingbetter results.EdTechstartupsaremakingthemostofthisopportunitybymakingavailabletostudentsawidevarietyoffree onlinecoursesandothere-resources.Althoughthisisaproblem,theavailabilityofenergyandasteadyinternetconnection isalargerobstacle,sincemanyIndiantowns,particularlysmallerones,stillendureperiodicelectricalshortages. Accordingtothestudies,thecorporations'effortsarepayingoff.They'veseenasignificantincreaseintheirconsumer base,whichmaybetransitorybutisstillbeneficialiftheycanmaintainevenasmallpercentageoftheircurrentclientele8

Specifically,Let'sSeeExamples

 TheUniversityofCanterburywasdestroyedbythe6.3magnitudeearthquakethathitChristchurchinFebruary 2011.Theinstitutionwasgivenasecondchancebecauseoftherevitalizingeffectsofinformationtechnologyand distanceeducation(Todorova&Bjorn-Andersen,2011)9

 AfterHurricaneKatrinawroughthavocinNewOrleans,SouthernUniversityremadeitselfasanonlinelearning school.Displacedstudentsweregivenaccesstoeducationviaavarietyofonlinecoursesandmobiledevices (Omaretal.,2008).

ThelatestcatastrophecomesintheshapeofCovid-19,whichissweepingthroughouttheglobelikewildfire.To stopthespreadoftheCoronavirus,alloftheschools,colleges,andinstitutionsinthemosthitdistrictshavebeenordered togointolockdown.Therefore,manyeducationalinstitutionsareturningtoonlineeducationtoensurethattheteaching andlearningprocessesarenothindered.

Inrecentyears,therehasbeenariseinthenumberofpeopleinIndiawhochoosetogettheireducationonline. Thecostoftakingacoursedoesn'thavetobreakthebankthankstotheproliferationofonlineresourcesofferingMOOCs. ManyIndianeducationalestablishmentsstillhadreservationsaboutadoptinganonlinecurriculum.Thethreatspresented bytheCoronavirusepidemic,however,usheredinaneweraofdistanceeducationandonlineeducation.Teachers providedthemwithremoteinstructiononavarietyofplatforms,includingGoogleHangouts,Skype,AdobeConnect, MicrosoftTeams,andothers,butZOOMstoodoutasthemosteffective.Asetofguidelinesforonlinebehaviorand directionsonhowtoparticipateincourseswerealsoprovidedtostudentstoensureaproductivelearningenvironment (Saxena,2020).

Vitality

EducatorsorinstructorsintheroleoffacilitatorsconfrontseveralchallengeswhileimplementingtheseEdTech innovations,suchasdeterminingwhentousethem,minimizingtheirimpactonstudentlearning,andimprovingstudents' abilitiesviatheuseoftechnology.Teachersneedtodomorethanjustgetstudentstoshowuptoclass;theyneedtokeep

8SupraNote1

7Bonk,CurtisJay,andCharlesRayGraham."Thehandbookofblendedlearning."SanFrancisco,CA:Pfeiffer(2006).

9Boumedyen,Kaneez,RafaelVictor,Birkut-ul-Mauz,Nizwa(2011).E-Learning:Aneffectivepedagogicaltool forlearning.Internationaljournalofinnovativetechnology&creativeengineering,vol.1no.4.

theirattention,solicittheirthoughts,andevaluatetheminavarietyofways.Thiswillprovideforarichandproductive classroomsetting.Ateacherwillalwaysbenecessary,butedtechcanmakeadifferenceintheclassroom.Evenifschools anduniversitieshavebeenputonlockdownowingtotheseverityoftheCovid-19outbreak,studentsmaystillbenefit greatlyfromtheservicesprovidedbyEdTechfirmsduringthisdifficultperiod(Briannaetal.,2019).

Theproceduresandpracticesofe-learningareveryeffective.Onlineeducation'sadvantagesmayhelpusweather thestorm.Itisdesignedwiththestudentinmindandprovidesagreatlevelofportability.Withtheuseofe-learning strategies,wemayadaptourprocessesandprocedurestomeettherequirementsofindividualstudents.Theabundanceof accessibleonlineresourcesiscrucialtothesuccessofanyeducationalinstitution.Tokeepahumanelementintheir lessonsandconnectwiththeirpupilsatthisdifficulttime,teachersmightutilizeacombinationofaudio,video,andtext. Thishasthepotentialtofosteramorecollaborativeanddynamicclassroom,wherestudentsfeelcomfortableproviding instantfeedback,raisingquestions,andgenerallymakingthelearningprocessmoreengaging.Intimesofcrisis,suchas naturaldisasters,man-madedisasters,orpandemicslikeCovid-19,theaccessibilityofe-learningisinvaluable.Closed locationsandhazardoustrafficconditionsmaybeamajorinconvenience,butthankstoe-learning,wewon'thavetoletthat stopusfromfurtheringoureducationfromthecomfortofourownhomesoroffices.

Individualscanconverseandevenoperateonlinewithoutthenecessityforface-to-faceconnectionbecauseofthe advancementsintechnologythathavebeenmadeinrecentyears.Asaconsequence,variousadjustmentsmustbemadeas businessesembracecutting-edgetoolsforcommunicationandcollaboration(Mark&Semaan,2008).

Prospects

Sincemostuniversitieshavealreadyadoptedthisparadigm,onlineeducationispoisedtoseeasurgeduringthisperiodof economicuncertainty.DuringtheheightoftheCoronaViruspandemic,onlineeducation,telecommuting,andonline collaborationsallsawdramaticincreasesinuse(Favaleetal.,2020).Nowisthetimeforschoolstotakeadvantageofthis breakthroughtechnologybymandatingonlineinstructionforbothfacultyandstudents.Thepopulationhashistorically beenapatheticaboutnewformsofeducation.Thiscalamitywillusherinaneweraofe-learning,oneinwhichthepositive aspectsofthesetoolsbecomemoreapparent.Thereisagreatdealofroomforstartlinginventionsanddigital advancementstobeintroducedatthemoment.Currently,EdTechfirmsarepitchingintoaidinthebattleagainstthe epidemicandensurethateducationcontinuesunabated.Teachersmayusetechnologyintheclassroomandcreate adaptablelessonplanstohelpkidslearn.Bothteachersandstudentswillbeputtothetestwhileusingonlinecourses. Students'problem-solving,criticalthinking,andflexibilitywillallimproveasaresult.Usersofanyagemayaccessthe onlineresourceshereandtakeadvantageoftheportabilitythatcomeswithonlineeducationThereisagreatdealofroom forinnovationinalmosteveryfacetoftheeducationalprocess,frominstructiontoassessmenttooutcomestocredentialsto degrees,andsoon.Thisincludestheboomingfieldofeducationaltechnologystartups.Andasthedemandforonline educationcontinuestorise,newEdTechcompanieshaveafantasticchancetoprovideinnovativesolutionstothe educationindustry.

RelevanceofEdTechduringCOVID-19

Thepandemicforcedtheworldtofunctiononline.Despitethegradualreturntonormalcy,ahugepartofthepresent-day worldhasirreversiblygoneonlineduetotheuncertaintyoffutureoutbreaks.Noonereallyknowshowseverethenext pandemicmaybeandwhenwoulditstrike.Alloneknowsisthatonehastobepreparedforallsortsofcontingencies.

Consideringthesame,itshouldn’tbeverydifficultforonetoappreciatetheneedfortechnologyinthefieldof education.Learningrequirescreativityandinnovativenesswhichareextremelydifficulttoaccomplishhaditnotbeenfor technologicalinnovations.However,duetorapidstridesintechnology,Educationhaspermeatedthefieldofeducationand hasgreatlymanifesteditspresence.TheneedforEdTechwasbolsteredinthefieldofeducationduringtheCOVD-19 Pandemic.TheglobalspreadoftheCOVID-19pandemichashaddevastatingeffectsonacademicinstitutions.Acrossthe globe,modelsimplythatchildrenwilllosesomeofthegroundthey'vemadeintheireducationwhenschoolsareclosed(or partiallyclosed).Childrenfromunderprivilegedfamiliesmaybesignificantlymorevulnerabletoschoolfailureasaresult ofthesestresses.TheWorldBankGroup'sTechnologyandInnovationinEducation(EdTech)teamconductedaqualitative exploratorystudytobetterunderstandtheeffectsoftheseshocksandtoanalysetheperceivedeffectivenessofremote learningsolutions.Thisincludedasynthesisofthemainnationaleducationactionsdeployedbyagroupofselectedcountriesto mitigatelearninglosses.BecauseoftheincreasedattentionbroughtonbytheCOVID-19epidemic,numerousnewand interchangeabletermshaveemergedintherealmoftechnologyusedtoimproveeducationalperformance.By"edtech,"Imean theintegrationofdigitaltoolsandstrategiesintoformalandinformallearningenvironments.Thismayincludebothlow-tech methods,suchasradioandtelevisioninareaswithweakconnection,andmoresophisticatedinternetmethods.

Problemsthatmightariseduringtimesofinterruptededucationincludelearningloss,dropouts,mentalhealth issues,enormousgenderandinequalitydifferencesinaccesstoresources,andincreasedinstancesofgender-based violence(evenindigitalenvironments).

Ifproperlyappliedwithsufficientresourcesandinaccordancewithrecommendationsfromacademicand practitionerresearchandoverarchingframeworksconnectedtodutyofcare,technologyhasthepotentialtoalleviateand eveneradicatetheseeducationalissues.AfterreceivingfundingfromUNinternationalorganisations,locallyappropriate edtechinitiativesseemedtobethriving,withwidespreadsupportfromparentswhosuddenlyfoundthemselvesintherole ofteacher.Publicandprivateorganisationswereworkingtogethertoreducestudentabsencesfromschool.Immediately followingtheoutbreakofthepandemic,governmentssprangintoactiontoimplementmultimodalsolutions(oredtech approachesinvolvingmorethanoneformofdigitaland/oranaloguetechnology)toensurethatstudentscouldcontinue theireducationdespitethewidespreadcancellationofclasses.Technologicalsolutionswereadaptableandprovidedclear guidanceonhowtobestreachacountry'smostdisadvantagedstudents.However,thereisadangerthatthefocuson technologytoassisteducationsystemsmaydecreasewhenin-personschoolattendancebecomesthenormagain.Ifyou wanttobereadyforthenexttimeinterruptededucationhappens,youneedtokeepworkingonbuildingupyouredtech ecosystemevenifit'salreadyarealityforsomeorallofyourstudents.Thecosttosocietyintermsoflosthumanpotentialis unfathomable.Perhapsmorethananyothergroupthroughouttheepidemic,teachersweregivenamanifestlyseverejobin maintainingcontinuityoflearningovergreatdistanceswithjustafewdaysorhours'notice.Theabruptshifttodigital facilitationand/ordistancelearningnecessitatedanaltogethernewrepertoireandapproachtopedagogy,andwasfrequently deliveredinavenue(digitaldevices)thatwaswhollyforeigntoteachers.Performanceandmoraleamongeducatorswereat anall-timelowasaresultofthehighdemandsplacedonthemandtheunanticipatedandtragicattritionthatoccurredwhen someeducatorsbecameillwiththecoronavirus.Thegrowingacceptanceofdigitalandremotepedagogymeansthat educators'callsforimprovedopportunitiesfortraining,resources,andguidanceinthisareacannotbeignored.10

TheIncreasingUseofEdTechPostCOVID-19

Infact,whenschoolsareclosed,educationalsystemshavetoquicklycomeupwithandimplementalternativeremote learningmethods,suchasradio,television,andotheronlinetools.However,accesstothisedtechvariesacrossandwithin countries,withhigh-incomestudentsandcommunitiesbeingfarmorelikelytohaveaccesstoonline,virtualschooling thantheirlow-andmiddle-incomecounterparts.So,it'simportanttowonderhowwidespreadschoolclosuresaroundthe worldwillaffectstudents'abilitytolearnandadvanceinschool,especiallythoseinlowandmiddle-incomecommunities. HowwilltheCOVID-19schoolclosuresaffectgenderdisparity,socioeconomicstatus,andgeographicaldifferencesin children'saccesstoqualityeducation?

InFebruaryofthisyear,withfundingfromtheAsianDevelopmentBankandinpartnershipwithJ-PAL-India,we surveyedhouseholdsinChennai,inthestateofTamilNadu,tofindouttheanswerstothesequestions.Chennai,thestate capitalofTamilNadu,isthemostpopulouscityinthesouthernIndianstate.Chennai'spopulationdensitymeansthatmost familiescanchoosebetweenseveraldifferenttypesofschools,makingitanidealplacetoinvestigatehowprivateand publicinstitutionsinthecityusededucationaltechnologydifferentlybeforeandaftertheCOVID-19pandemic.Asa pioneerinwidespreadeducationalreformandtheapplicationofed-techamongdevelopingcountries,Indiaprovidesa fruitfulsettingforthecollectionofdataforthisstudy.Becauseofitslargeandvariedpopulation,itcontainslessonsthat canbeappliedtoawiderangeofsituations.Evenamongthechildrenwhoseschoolshadbegunremoteinstruction,only slightlymorethanhalfattendedalloftheclasses,whichisdeeplyconcerninggiventhatoneinfivechildreninoursample attendschoolsthatdonotofferanyremoteinstructionduringtheschoolclosures.Studieshaveshownthatinlow-income countries,wheregirlsaremorecommonlyexpectedtohelpwithhouseholdchoresand/orcareforyoungersiblings,the effectsofschoolclosuresmayvarybygender.Ourresearch,however,revealsapromisingtrend:comparedtoboys,girls aremorelikelytoregularlyparticipateineducationalactivitiesandtohaveaccesstodigitaldevicesforlearning.However, thisfindinghighlightstheneedforadditionalresearchintothereasonsboysmaybefallingbehindinschoolandthe strategiesthatmayprovemosteffectiveinraisingeducationalattainmentforbothgirlsandboysinIndiaandotherlowincomecountries.Governments,institutionsofhighereducation,educationalinstitutions,students,andprofessionals aroundtheworldareallpouringmoneyandresourcesintotheeducationtechnologyindustry.Itispredictedthatby2030, worldwideinvestmentineducationaltechnologywillhavereachedawhoppingUSD10trillion[1].ThisbusinessinIndia ispredictedtodevelopataCAGRof52%toreachaUSD2billionmarketby2021[2],propelledinlargepartbytherising popularityofonlinelearningandmadenecessarybythestate-widelockdown.Over37%ofIndia'sroughly1.35billion populationisinthe5-24agebracket,makingthemanidealtargetmarketforEdTech.Otherfactorscontributingtothe industry'srapidexpansioninthecountryincludetheincreasingavailabilityoftheinternetandsmartphones,therising disposableincomeofIndianhouseholds,andthesheersizeoftheIndianpopulation.Astheeducationtechnology (EdTech)industryexpands,moreopportunitiesforinnovationintheclassroomandtheonlinelearningspacearise,butso donewthreatstocompaniesthatoperateinEdTech.Havingmanyagencieswithoverlappingresponsibilitiesforregulating theEdTechindustryisahugeproblem.EvenwhileschoolsinIndiaarestrivingtoworktogetherwithvarioussector authoritiestoimprovethequalityoftheonlinelearningexperience,thereiscurrentlynospecificlawinplacetoregulate this.WhilestilladheringtotheRTEAct'sgeneralframework,eachstatesaregiventheauthoritytoestablishtheirown regulationsandpolicies.Itisalsowithinthepurviewoftheindividualstatestoestablishpoliciesthatregulatedistance education.Nonetheless,therehasbeenlittleactiononthisfrontfromstates.TheMinistryofHumanResource

Development(MHRD)hassaidthatitisdevelopingitsownsetofrulestomanageonlineeducationattheK-12level. However,thisideaisstillunderdevelopment,andatnow,theonlyreliablemeansofprovidingonlineeducationare government-sponsoredinitiatives.Asclassroomlearningisexpectedtocontinuetoremainclosedforawhile,the nationwidelockdownduetoCovid-19providessomehopeforthedevelopmentofonlineeducation,anditmayprovetobe ablessingindisguiseforthegovernmenttoconcentrateonuniformregulationsgoverningthissectorforthedevelopment andbenefitoftheEdTechindustry.Protectionofintellectualpropertyrights,compliancewithdataprivacylawsandissues arisingfromit,foreigndirectinvestmentregulationswhenaforeignpartyismakinginvestmentinthesectorinIndia, protectionofproprietarysoftware/technology,accreditationofcertificatesproposedtobeissuedbytheEdTechservice providers,andtaxconsiderationsareallfactorsthatinvestorsintheEdTechspaceneedtokeepinmind.

TheSWAYAMprogrammeisonlyoneofthenumerousstepstheGOIhasmadetoexpandaccesstoanduseof onlineeducation.TheEducationPolicy'sthreeguidingprinciplesaccess,equality,andqualityaretheinspirationforthis programme.Thegoalofthisinitiativeistohelpstudentswhohavebeenexcludedfromparticipatinginthemainstream knowledgeeconomycrossthedigitaldivide.InthenextJuly2020semester,SWAYAMwillprovideaccessto82nonengineeringcoursesforundergraduatesand42suchcoursesforgraduatestudents.Anotherprogrammeprovidinganational digitalinfrastructureforeducatorsiscalledDIKSHA.DIKSHAplacesapriorityonpreparingeducatorstoprovidestudents withahigh-qualityeducationbymakinguseofexistingdigitalinfrastructuresthatarebothscalableandadaptable.

TheGovernmentofIndia(GOI)hasbeenurgingtheheadsofuniversitiesandcollegestouseonlineeducationin lightoftheconstraintsplacedontraditionalclassroominstructionbecauseoftheCovid-19outbreak.OnMay19,2020,the governmentofIndia(GOI)launchedanovelinitiative:theNationalTestAbhyasApp,anartificialintelligence-powered mobileapplicationdevelopedbytheNationalTestingAgencytoassiststudentsinpreparingfortheJointEntrance Examination(Mains)andtheNationalEligibilityandCompetencyExamination(NEET).OnMay17,2020,the governmentofIndiaalsounveiledthe"AatmnirbharAbhiyan"(self-sufficientIndiaproject).[8]TheGovernmentofIndia haslaunchedtheE-vidyaplantoincreasepeople'saccesstodigitaleducationviavariouschannels.

About4,450EdTechstartupsarenowactiveinthenation,servingawiderangeofmarkets,fromK-12through vocationalandprofessionaltrainingandskilldevelopmenttosecondaryandhighereducation.Competitorsfromother countriesaremostlyinterestedinreskilling,vocationaltraining,andcertifications,whereasIndia'seducationindustryis dominatedbyK-12andcompetitivetestproviders.Coursera,LinkedInLearning,Udemy,Edx,KhanAcademy,and GoogleClassroomarejustafewoftheworldwideplayersthathavefoundsuccess.Inanefforttobringthedynamicsof instructorsandstudentsinaconventionalclassroomintoavirtualone,theIndianEdTechsectorhasexperimentedwith severalnewideas.Whilethepre-Covid-19worldwasslowertoacceptthesedevelopments,severalcurrentoff-the-shelf technologiesandadvanceshavelatelyseenwidespreadadoptionineducationalestablishments.Asaresultoftechnological advancements,thetraditionalmodelofeducationisshiftingtooneinwhichthefocusshiftsfrominstructortostudent. Throughincreasedaccessibilitytoinformationandamorerealisticclassroomenvironment,smartclassroomsaremaking educationmoreaccessibleandequitableforallstudents.

SeveralinstitutionsofhigherlearninghavedevelopedcreativeresponsestothechallengesposedbyCovid-19. Somecollegesanduniversitiesnowprovide"educationondemand,"asystemthatallowsdistancelearnerstorecordtheir onlinelessonssotheymayviewthemattheirownpaceandtimeratherthanduringscheduledclasshours.UGChasurged thatuniversitiesandcollegesimplementseveralcrucialstepstosafeguardthepsychologicalandmentalwell-beingof

studentsinlightofthediminishedpersonaltouchforstudents.It'snothardtofindaprivatecompanythatoffersonline trainingortutoringforawiderangeofcollege-levelorprofessional-levelcourses.Theseindependentgroupsmightpool theirassetsandworktogethertoimprovethequalityoftheonlineeducationtheyprovidebysharingtheirknowledgeand enhancingeachother'sservices.InIndia,boardsarelikewisedoingtheirparttoguaranteethatstudents'educationsdonot breakdown.TheCentralBoardofSecondaryEducation(CBSE)ispushingformoreschoolstouseonlinelearning platformsandequiptheirpupilswithdigitalmaterial.CBSE-Shiksha,apodcastcreatedtohelpschoolscommunicatewith faculty,students,andparents,hasalsobeenreleased.ISCEhasteamedupwiththeTVstationABPAnandatostart broadcastingtheirclassesinMath,English,andSciencetostudentsingradesfourthroughtwelve.

DespitethefactthatIndiaisnowhometothesecond-highestnumberofEdTechbusinessesintheworld,the countryhasalotofpotentialtoincreaseitscurrentmarketshareofjustaround2.09%.Someoftheobstaclestothesector's growthinIndiaincludemuddledregulationsgoverningtheeducationsector,inconsistentgovernmentpolicies,alackof financialincentivesforresearchandinnovationintheEdTechspace,sporadicinternetconnectivity,especiallyinrural areas,andothersocioeconomicbarriers.Greateremphasisandattentionisrequiredfromaneconomicandregulatory standpointbecauseoftheabsenceofacentralisedbodyresponsibleforregulatingallpartsoftheindustryandthelackof cooperationbetweenthefederalgovernmentandindividualstatesandtheirnumerousboardsandinstitutions.However, theEdTechindustryisexpandingrapidly,andwithproperpreparationandlegalcounsel,investorsmaysuccessfully traversethecomplexlegalandregulatoryhurdlesthatexistinthespace,resultinginsubstantialfinancialgains.Many onlinelearningplatforms,notablyBYJU'S(establishedin2011andcurrentlythemosthighlyvaluededtechbusinessinthe world),areprovidingfreeaccesstotheirservicesinresponsetotheoverwhelmingdemandforthem.AccordingtoBYJU's ChiefOperatingOfficer,MrinalMohit,thefirmhasexperienceda200%riseinthenumberofnewstudentsutilisingits productsinceintroducingfreelivelessonsonitsThinkandLearnapp.

Meanwhile,sincemid-February,whentheChinesegovernmentordered250millionfull-timestudentstocontinue theireducationsonline,Tencentclassroomhasseenmassiveuse.About730,000students,or81%ofK-12studentsin Wuhan,nowtakelessonsthroughtheTencentK-12OnlineSchool,makingitthegreatest"onlinemovement"inthe historyofeducation.

Thereareotherbusinessesimprovingtheirservicestobeaone-stop-shopforeducatorsandstudents.ByteDance, aSingapore-basedtechcompany,createdthecollaborationsuiteLarkasaninternaltooltohandlethecompany'smeteoric growth.Larkhassinceexpandedtoofferfeaturessuchasunlimitedvideoconferencingtime,auto-translation,real-time co-editingofprojectwork,andsmartcalendarschedulingtoeducatorsandstudents.Larkincreaseditsworldwideserver infrastructureandtechnicalprowesstoguaranteeconstantconnectionthroughouttheoutage.

DingTalk,Alibaba'sdistancelearningsolution,experiencedasimilarinfluxandhadtoscaleaccordingly:"To supportlarge-scaleremotework,theplatformtappedAlibabaCloudtodeploymorethan100,000newcloudserversinjust twohourslastmonth settinganewrecordforrapidcapacityexpansion,"saidDingTalkCEOChenHang.TheLos AngelesUnifiedSchoolDistricthaspartneredwithPBSSoCal/KCETtoprovidelocaleducationalbroadcaststostudents ofallagesviaavarietyofdigitalplatforms.BitesizeDaily,releasedbytheBBConApril20th,provides14weeksof curriculum-basedlearningforchildrenintheUnitedKingdom.TheprogrammehascelebritieslikeManchesterCitystar SergioAgueroteachingpartofthesubject.Otherspredictthatanewhybridmodelofeducationwilldevelop,withmajor advantages,despiteconcernsthattheunplannedandabruptshifttoonlinelearningwouldresultinabaduserexperience

thatisunconducivetosustainablegrowth.AccordingtoWangTao,VPofTencentCloudandVPofTencentEducation,"I thinkthattheintegrationofinformationtechnologyineducationwillbefurtherexpeditedandthatonlineinstructionwill finallybecomeaninherentcomponentofclassroomeducation."Severalacademicinstitutionshavemadethechangewith littledifficulty.Inonlytwoweeks,forinstance,utilising"DingTalkZJU,"ZhejiangUniversitywasabletoprovidemore over5,000coursesonline.CoronavirusScience,offeredbyImperialCollegeLondon,isthemostpopularnewcourseon Courserafor2020.Infact,manypeoplearealreadysingingitspraises.OnesuchpersonisDr.Amjad,aprofessoratThe UniversityofJordanwhohasbeenusingLarktoeducatehispupils.Chatrooms,videoconferences,polls,andshared documentsletmegetintouchwithmystudentsquicklyandeasily,whichisveryhelpfulduringthisepidemic.Mypupils agreethatLarksimplifiestheirinteractionswithoneanother.Thereare,however,obstaclestobeovercome.Somestudents withoutaccesstoreliableinternetand/ortechnologystruggletoparticipateindigitallearning;thisgapcanbeseenacross countriesandbetweenincomebracketswithincountries.Forexample,while95%ofstudentsinSwitzerland,Norway,and Austriahaveacomputertousefortheirschoolwork,only5%ofstudentsinthelowestincomebracketinthesecountries haveaccesstoacomputer.Eventhoughsomeschoolsandgovernmentshavebeenprovidingdigitalequipmenttostudents inneed,suchasinNewSouthWales,Australia,manyareconcernedthatthepandemicwillwidenthedigitaldivide.Inthe UnitedStates,thereisasignificantgapbetweenthosefromprivilegedanddisadvantagedbackgrounds.Thegeneral consensusonchildren,especiallyyoungerchildren,isthatastructuredenvironmentisrequiredbecausechildrenaremore easilydistracted.Togetthefullbenefitofonlinelearning,thereneedstobeaconcertedefforttoprovidethisstructureandgo beyondreplicatingaphysicalclass/lecturethroughvideocapabilities,insteadusingavarietyofcollaborationtoolsand engagementstrategies.BYJU'sMrinalMohitsaysthatmakinglearningfunandeffectivethroughtheuseoftechnologyis crucialbecausechildrenlearnthroughtheirsenses."Overtheperiod,wehaveobservedthatcleverintegrationofgameshas demonstratedhigherengagementandincreasedmotivationtowardslearningespeciallyamongyoungerstudents,"hesays.

ConsistentwiththefindingsofMouzaetal.(2014),whereparticipantsexperiencedasignificantgaininallsubcomponentsofTPACK,ourfindingsshowthatfacultymemberspossessadequateknowledgeinallsub-componentsofthe TPACKmodel,indicatingthatteachershavesufficientknowledgeandskillsregardingtechnologyuseintheirpedagogical practises.AcikgulandAslaner(2020)findasimilarphenomenon,thusitfollowsthatteachers'contentknowledgeis sufficient.Ontheotherhand,empiricalstudieshaveshownthatteacherswereprimarilyconfidentintheirpedagogical abilities.However,facultymembers'technologicalknowledge(TK)wasfoundatthelowestlevelacrossallotherdomains, whichindicatesthatteacherslacktehskillsnecessarytoeffectivelyintegratetechnologyintotheteachingandlearning process(Chaietal.,2010).However,theotherreportedlowestcompetenceoffacultymemberswasfoundinthedomainof TPACK11.ThisfindingechoesthefindingofLye(2013),whoindicatedthatteachershadlowTPACKandtheyneed improvementinmanyareasofTPACK.Inaddition,thestudyfoundthatmaleteachershadhigherTPACKthanfemale facultymembers.ThisfindingisconsistentwiththefindingsofKohetal.(2010),whofoundthatmaleteachershadmore favourableattitudes,competencies,andknowledgewithrespecttotechnologyuse.Thisresultindicatesthatfemalefaculty requiresmoresupporttogaintheircompetenciesinallthesub-componentsofTPACK.

Expertssuggestthattheinclusionofcontextualknowledge(XK)mayrevealthesituationalandinstitutional limitationsthatteachersworkwithin.ThestudyalsosuggeststhatthenewtechnologicalinstructionalcontextintheCOVID19phaseappearedasanimportantmoderatorforteachersinupgradingtheircompetenciesintermsofTPACK.Thepost-

COVID-19reactivationandrecoveryprocessesdonotappeartoconsiderthattheteachingandlearningprocessesasbefore. Thissuggeststhatfutureresearchshouldnotonlyaimtounderstandhumanbehaviourwhilestudyingorteachingvirtually, butalsotounderstandtheTPACKmodelandbuildbetterwaystointegratetechnologyintoeducationalsettings.

CONCLUSION

ThestudyaimedatappreciatingthechangesbroughtaboutinthefieldofeducationduetotheCOVID-19Pandemic.Various challengeswerebroughtaboutduetothepandemicespeciallyinthedevelopingandunderdevelopedcountrieswhereaccessto learninghasbeenachallengeevenbeforethepandemicstruck.Fightingtheupheavalcouldn’thavebeenpossiblehaditnotbeen fortheinnovationsinthetechnologyandaspecificfocusofthetechnologicalsectorondisseminationofeducation.Tostopthe spreadoftheCOVID-19epidemic,UNESCOreportsthat"mostgovernmentsthroughouttheglobehavetemporarilyshuttered educationalinstitutions."Oversixtypercentoftheworld'sstudentpopulationisaffectedbythesecountrywideclosures.Asa resultoflocalisedclosuresinanumberofothernations,millionsofstudentsinotherregionswillalsobeaffected.Morethan1.5 billionchildrenhadtheireducationhaltedthisspringbecauseover200nationsshutdowntheirclassrooms.Inlightofthis unprecedentedcatastrophe,wemustcriticallyexamineoureducationalinstitutions.Already,theCOVID-19epidemichashad catastrophiceffects,anditsrippleswillbefeltforquitesometimeintermsofsocietyandtheeconomy.Educationaldisparities thatexistedbeforethecrisisasaresultofcharacteristicssuchasgender,disability,immigration,motherlanguage,learning challenges,orotherformsofsocioeconomicdisadvantagehavebeenworsenedbythecrisis.Themanynegativeeffectsofschool closureshavebeenespeciallyseverefordisadvantagedchildrenandtheirfamilies,aswellasalllearnerswithlearningdifficulties andspecialneeds.Thisisbecause40%oftheworld'spoorestcountrieshavebeenunabletosupporttheirdisadvantagedlearners inrecentmonths.Oureducationalsystems,eventhemostsolidones,havebeenexposedasvulnerablebytheepidemic.Thecrisis haspromptedasurgeofinventionandingenuity,andthismustbeusedtostrengthenandexpandaccesstoequitableand inclusiveeducationalopportunities.Accordingly,thepurposeofthisessayistoprovideeducationalsystemstakeholderswitha crisis-inspiredinsightintopossibleprospectsforreformintheareasofcurriculum,students,instructors,andeducational environments.AsaresultoftheCOVID-19crisis'sextendedclosureofschools,stakeholders'connectionstoeducational institutionsandcurriculumhaveshifted.Evenwhilesomestudentskeptonwiththeirstudies,manyweredeniedfairchancesto dosoandoftenlackedaccesstovitalresourceslikecomputersandotherstudyaids.Asaresult,schoolcurriculumhavetobe reorganisedtoplacemoreemphasisonaselectfewtopics.Educationsystemplayerscameupwithanumberofrecommended techniquestoensureeducationalcontinuityintheabsenceofbothdefinedoperationalrulesandacontingencyplanaddressing curricularpriority.Academicabilitiesandknowledgeinlanguages,mathematics,science,andhistorywereadvocatedaspriority inthecurriculum,withtheremainderofthecurriculum,includingthearts,beingdisregardedaslessimportant.Asaresult,it's evidentthatschoolsneedtobeprovidedwithclearrulesforbeingreadyforsituationsthatmightresultinlong-termclosures. However,keepinmindthatmanyeducationalsystemshavealreadyrevisedtheircurriculumafterrealisingthatpupilsseldom successfullyapplywhatthey'velearnedintheclassroom.Indeed,theimpressionthateducationisuninterestingandobsoletewas fueledbythefactthatstudents'academicknowledgewasseldomappliedtoreal-worldscenarios.TheOrganizationforEconomic CooperationandDevelopment(OECD)isonlyoneofseveralinternationalgroupsthathasadvocatedforrethinkingschool curriculumtomakethemmoreengaginganddifficultforpupils.TheCanadianCouncilofMinistersofEducation(CMEC)has placedanemphasisondevelopingtransferableskillsthatmaybeusedinanumberofcontexts,suchasglobalcompetences.To sumup,assistingkidsinacquiringessentialcompetencesorlifeskillsismoreimportantthanever.Acompetency-basedlogic,a socioconstructivistviewpoint,anenhancedattentiononlearners,andagreateremphasisongenuinelearningcircumstancesare

fourtendenciesincurricularreformineducationalinstitutions.However,thesemandatedcurriculumareoftenatoddswithwhat reallyhappensintheclassroom.TheglobalspreadofCOVID-19hasshedlightonsomeofthedifficultiesandpossibilitiesinthe fieldofeducation.Expertsinthefieldofeducationhaverecommendedanewcourseofstudythatmightbestudiedfurtherafter studentsreturntotheclassroom,onethatplacesapremiumonprovidingstudentswithchancesforactuallearning.Outdoor educationisproventobeapromisingrouteintermsofeducationalsurroundings,asithelpswiththecontrolofspaceand physicalseparation,anditalsoprovidesexcellentlearningsettings.Lastbutnotleast,extendedschoolcancellationshavebrought tolighttheneedofeducatorandpupiltraining.Teachersalsoneedgreatertrainingintheappropriateuseoftechnologytoolsto providehigh-qualityeducationinanerawhenpupilsareexpectedtolearnhowtoworkmoreautonomously.Itisalsopertinentto considerthefunctionofinstructorsinrelationtotheirpupilsandthenatureoftheteacher-studentrelationshipinlightofcurrent eventsandthechallengeswithdistantlearningencounteredbyeducationalinstitutions.Teachersmusttakeonasupportingrole withstudentswhomaybeexperiencingnegativeconsequencesfromthecrisis,suchasanxietyandadiminishedmotivationto study,bothduringdistancelearningandwhenschoolsreopen.Havingasupportiveconnectionwithone'steachersisessentialfor studentstorecoverfromtraumaticexperiencesliketheonewe'regoingthrough.Therefore,theeducatortakesontheroleofa guideforthestudent'sgrowthasanindividualandasacontributingpartofthelargersociety.

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