TRENDS IN POST COVID HIGHER EDUCATION
TRENDS IN POST COVID HIGHER EDUCATION
Madina Ashilova
Associate Professor of the Department of International Communications of the Abylai Khan Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages,
Kazakhstan, Almaty
Alibek Begalinov
Professor-lecturer of the Department of Media Communication and History of Kazakhstan, International University of Information Technologies,
Kazakhstan, Almaty
Kalimash Begalinova
Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University,
Kazakhstan, Almaty
The coronavirus pandemic, which spread widely around the world in 2020, has not spared any sphere of human activity. It has pushed some industries to rapid growth, while others have significantly slowed down. Regarding the field of education, the pandemic has not just changed the format of education, but also seriously raised the question of the essence of education. At first, it was believed that the main negative factors of the pandemic were disruptions in the work of educational institutions, poor technical equipment, interruptions in the Internet, limited access to educational products, poor digital training of teachers and students, growing unemployment in education, rising student debts, etc. [1]. But it soon became clear: all this is just the tip of the iceberg. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the very foundations of education: its ability to be.
"Is it worth studying further?" [2] – this question is asked by millions of students in the USA. The majority of young people in Australia stated that they are unlikely to retire before the age of 65, find their dream home or a job that is not only related to paying bills [3]. The average life satisfaction score among English students is at the level of 5.8 (out of 10); however, it is still significantly lower than that of the adult population in the UK [4].
As for Kazakhstan, according to the results of a study conducted by the scientific group of Abylai Khan Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages, it turned out that the pandemic as a whole did not significantly affect the existence of life goals and attitudes of young people. In April-May 2021, a survey was conducted among 1,000 students from various regions of Kazakhstan, during which about 87% of students confirmed that they have a certain life goal (professional and career growth, self-realization, family creation, etc.), and more than 90% of this number noted that their life goal still partially or completely coincides with their chosen profession. In this regard, Kazakhstani students have proved to be more resistant to the negative consequences of the pandemic than young people from other countries.
Nevertheless, global trends and the pandemic mood did not pass by the Kazakhstani students. Every fifth student in Kazakhstan (20%) today experiences mainly negative feelings (a state of unbalance, anxiety, depression, indifference, etc.). Among the main fears of young people: fear of not realizing oneself, problems with employment, fear of being left without means of livelihood, health problems and marital status. As for the assessment of the quality of higher education during the pandemic, Kazakhstani students rate it as high, but by 4 (out of 5 points).
All this leads us to the fact that the restoration of the education system can no longer seem like a purely mechanical action to get out of isolation, opening of the schools and universities. Resuscitation of the system will become a much longer and more complex process, since the pandemic has affected not only the external side of the education system, but also penetrated into the very depths. Today we are witnessing how the psychology of young people, their value orientations, thoughts about the future, their well-being and behavior are changing under the influence of the pandemic.
The main topic of the research works of the last year were the problems of the pandemic and the image of education after its completion. How is education possible under quarantine and is it possible at all?
Thus, researchers Manuel Mazzara, Petr Zhdanov, Mohammad Reza Bahrami and others believe that the digitalization of education and the transition to online is a natural stage in the development of education. The pandemic only accelerated it and helped bring about the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Modern pre covid education, according to scientists, was based on the First Industrial Revolution, the features of which were as follows: (1) top-down management, (2) results designed to meet social needs, (3) age-appropriate classes, and (4) focused on achieving results.
The new education based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be qualitatively different. In addition to the widely spread ideas about holistic, active, personality-oriented education, lifelong learning, the pandemic has added another of its properties - education anywhere and at any time [5].
Post covid education will change not only the ways of teaching, but also the very essence of the educational process. Thus, the teacher in online learning will no longer play the role of an instructor directly interacting with the whole class, but rather the role of a moderator. The most difficult task of online education is the qualitative assessment of students' knowledge. In this regard, the assessment of knowledge will be given maximum attention. A network of intermediate grades will appear, which will eventually completely replace the exam system. Online education will require open Internet resources, access to large libraries and databases, it will also require more cooperation from students, remote cooperation on solving projects.
Education is inevitably transformed. But this cannot go unnoticed by the psychology of students. The time of distance education is the time of introverts. Many students will experience a communication deficit. A lot in this education depends on the independence of students, there is always a risk of disrupting the learning process by laziness or other human factors.
There are some trends that researchers highlight in the image of a new, post covid higher education:
1. Gradual decrease in the level of commercialization of education and the transformation of education into self-worth. The pandemic gives a chance to turn our universities not into a gathering place for "intellectual technicians", but into a place where "people of thought trained to think essentially, holistically, transdisciplinarily" will gather [6].
2. The desire to strengthen interdisciplinarity in the educational process and the inclusion of the discipline "impact on the planet". "Impact on the planet" should become an integral part of disciplinary knowledge," R. Gorur believes, "not as a six-week course in the first semester, but as the fundamental basis of any discipline. Focus on understanding how decisions in this area affect society.. it will implement the missions and visions that universities support"[7].
3. Democratization of higher education through the widespread development of digitalization, expanding access to quality education for all (open resources, databases, courses, etc.).
4. Development of distance education with elements of interactivity and different forms of learning.
5. Transformation of students into knowledge producers and co-authors of knowledge communities (based on network communities).
6. Formation of new thinking based on criticism and creativity [8].
The pandemic has sharply raised the question of the value side of education: studies have shown that young people around the world come to the conclusion that the price of education today is determined not by the market, but by the spiritual needs of young people. In conditions of growing anxiety, stress and depression, education can become a cure, a panacea for young people from a spiritual crisis. Accordingly, the efforts of modern scientists and educators around the world determine what the future of education will be, what its foundations, values and meaning will be, and whether the new education system will be able to neutralize the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
*The work was carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan within the framework of the scientific project AP09058341 "Transformation of the values of the Kazakhstan higher education system in a multicultural and globalizing world".
References:
- Education in the era of COVID-19 and beyond. The UN Concept Note for August 2020 - [Electronic resource]. URL: https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/policy_brief_-_education_during_covid-19_and_beyond_russian.pdf
- How COVID-19 Made Higher Education Value a Top Priority. – [Electronic resource ] URL: https://www.thirdway.org/memo/how-covid-19-made-higher-education-value-a-top-priority.
- Young Australians delaying life goals due to pandemic and feel pessimistic about future. – [Electronic resource] URL: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/05/young-australians-delaying-life-goals-due-to-pandemic-and-feel-pessimistic-about-future
- Coronavirus and higher education students: England, 4 to 12 May 2021 – [Electronic resource] URL: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/bulletins/coronavirusandhighereducationstudents/england4to12may2021.
- Mazzara M., Zhdanov P. et al. (2021). Education after COVID-19. In the book: Smart and Sustainable technologies for Sustainable cities and communities. - [Electronic resource] URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351587748_Education_after_COVID-19. (accessed: July 20, 2021).
- Gibbs P. Transdisciplinary possibilities after the pandemic // Reimagining the new pedagogical possibilities for universities post-Covid-19. - Educational Philosophy and Theory. – Vol.52. – 2020. DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2020.1777655.
- Gorur R. Course correction: Disciplines in the post-COVID world // Reimagining the new pedagogical possibilities for universities post-Covid-19. - Educational Philosophy and Theory. – Vol.52. – 2020. DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2020.1777655.
- Burbules N. Lessons from the coronavirus: What we are learning about online learning Nicholas // Reimagining the new pedagogical possibilities for universities post-Covid-19. - Educational Philosophy and Theory. – Vol.52. – 2020. DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2020.1777655.