How COVID has Changed the way we Learn
Learning is a life long process. Arguably everything you know today, you have learnt and you’ll never stop. Usually, when thinking about learning, we think about school and the academic world, maths, science, English etc. But learning is much more than that and can come from the things you see, experience and people you meet.
Technology Skills:
2020 has been a unique year, to say the least. And everyone has been experiencing life differently than usual. As spoken about in our ‘Online learning’ blog post, schooling has moved almost entirely online and this has been quite the challenge to get used to. Some students have found at home learning extremely difficult, while others have thrived. But one thing most student would agree on, is they have learnt how to use technology better than before.
IT skills are an increasingly sought after skill set to have. Technology is a growing university and career industry and therefore having this new-found knowledge may be extremely beneficial to your post-COVID-19 life. So take this opportunity to make yourself a Tech Whiz! And as frustrated you may get with Zoom sometimes, try and remember that this is all a part of your learning experience.
The way we learn:
At school, a lot of the work you do in the classroom is collaborative. You talk about your work with your classmates and work through things together. However, due to COVID, most of the school work you’ve done this year has been at home and most likely done by yourself. This could be challenging for those who learn from other ideas, however, solo learning gives you the opportunity to grow your independence and confidence in your ability to work and succeed, a tool crucial for future learning paths.
A lot of the structure and planning of your schooling is more up to you than ever before. This gives you an opportunity to fine-tune your time management and planning skills, to find a strategy that works best for you. These abilities can be used throughout your life, in schooling, University/ TAFE studies, the workplace, and when our social lives begin again.
Increased time to learn something new:
With restrictions in place, many of us have lost the ability to explore our hobbies. This means, no more soccer training or choir practice. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot develop your skills and knowledge in your areas of interest from the comfort of your own home.
Personally I have started drawing a lot, watching documentaries, and been watching more AFL and understanding the rules! And I’ll admit, I’m going to leave COVID times knowing a lot more about the Ancient Eqyptians than I ever did before, and I think that’s pretty cool.
So although it may not be the activities you were hoping to do this year, you have so much time to fill your brain with amazing things.
COVID-19 for a lot of us may be the biggest life change we’ve encountered thus far, but let’s make the most of it. Your teachers and tutors will be working hard to adapt and develop schooling with you. Take your increased time at home to focus on learning about the things that genuinely interest you, and who knows, you may leave Isolation having learnt a lot more than you ever expected.
Hold your head high, the skills you learn from living through this pandemic may make you a more independent, resilient and skilled up person, ready to take on the world.
- Kat