If the Coronavirus pandemic has proved something, it’s that ICT is a lifesaver. From helping employers run businesses from home to facilitating remote governance, ICT has enabled the world to continue moving forward despite severe lockdowns.
Another arena where ICT is making a humongous impact is in the field of academics. More schools and colleges have started adopting ICT to facilitate remote learning. In particular, ICT in academia is being used to implement social media in learning environments.
The use of ICT and social media networks to provide learning is called education networking.
3 ways in which education networking will transform the global academic landscape
- Education Networking will prevent institutions from being stifled by restrictive conditions
Covid19 has forced schools and colleges around the world to close their doors. While it’s true that this hasn’t affected institutions in first-world nations much, it has created numerous problems for schools in second and third world countries.
But, with mobile phone penetration and access to the internet increasing at such a fast pace, most countries have access to social media. Platforms like Facebook are being used by schools and colleges to set-up groups and communities where teachers and students can interact. IGTV and YouTube are being used by schools to share videos of classroom teaching, while social messaging sites are being used to share classwork, homework, and exam papers.
- Education Networking will provide greater academic and professional opportunities for students
In a physical academic environment, students often have access only to a handful of teachers. But social media can break down boundaries.
Today, teachers have the option of inviting guest speakers from across the world to take classes for their students on social platforms. Learners can engage with the world’s most brilliant minds and even network with industry experts for future internships or job offers. The best part? This content is available 24/7, making it easier for students to re-visit their classes as and when they need it.
Combining social media with other ICT like email, further increases a learner’s ability to escape their embryonic environments and access better academic and professional opportunities.
- Education Networking will instill a future-driven culture in academic environments
ICT and social media can help schools and colleges empower themselves with the technical know-how and social media savviness, to get their entire academic institution ready for the future.
Before the pandemic, a large number of academic institutions were woefully behind in their preparedness to handle critical incidents. But now, as teachers, students, administrative staff, and parents collectively learn how to use education networking for both formal and informal engagement, they will be ready to take on the challenges of an evolving (and uncertain) future.
