At times, calamities compel individuals to make drastic adjustments. As we all witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the world transitioned from in-person learning to remote learning facilitated by Educational Technologies (Ed-Tech). This transition from in-person to virtual learning has several environmental benefits, including reducing carbon emissions due to less travel by faculty and students. However, there are also adverse environmental effects associated with the widespread adoption of Ed-Tech and the need for one laptop per student for online learning.
In this blog post, I am exploring some of the positive effects of online or virtual learning on the environment, whereas my research partner Leah is exploring some of the negative environmental impacts of Ed-Tech. Please check out Leah’s post here.
Remote Learning Lowers Travel-Related Pollution:
Educational technology (Ed Tech) innovation enables students to learn remotely, reducing their carbon footprint, fuel consumption, pollution, and emissions (Versteijlen et al., 2017). For example, a standard videoconferencing service consumes approximately 2.5 GB per hour. It emits 157 g CO2e, while a person’s monthly carbon footprint would be 9.4 kg CO2e if they attended 15 meetings for one hour each, five days a week (Obringer et al., 2021). Therefore, online learning is beneficial for the environment, as it reduces student and faculty travel by allowing students to learn and faculty to teach from anywhere.
Remote Learning Reduces Schools Energy Consumption:
As a result of remote learning, educational institutions use less energy because of the lessened need for physical space (Caird et al., 2015). Therefore, if more schools throughout the world implement blended online learning models utilizing the most recent educational technology advancements and allow students to take some courses remotely, this would significantly reduce global energy consumption, which is beneficial for the environment.
Reduced Paper Consumption is Good for our Forests and Ecosystems:
Another significant impact of educational technology is the reduction of paper usage, which is excellent for the environment. By allowing students to take tests online, submit papers using their learning management systems, and finish coursework online, educational institutions can reduce the amount of paper they use throughout the school year. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the pulp and paper industry utilizes between 33 and 40 percent of all industrial wood processed globally. Some pulp and paper companies have an environmental impact on forest degradation and the world’s biodiversity that the world cannot sustain. The irresponsible harvesting of natural forests and pulp plantations on converted natural forests leads to the destruction of delicate ecosystems and species and soil erosion (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.). Reducing paper usage and moving to online systems would mean that we will cut down fewer trees and help preserve our world’s biodiversity and ecosystem.
Please check out Leah’s post here for some of the negative environmental impacts of Ed-Tech.
References:
Caird, S., Lane, A., Swithenby, E., Roy, R., & Potter, S. (2015). Design of higher education teaching models and carbon impacts. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16(1), 96-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-06-2013-0065
Obringer, R., Rachunok, B., Maia-Silva, D., Arbabzadeh, M., Nateghi, R., & Madani, K. (2021). The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 167, 105389. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105389
Selwyn, N. (2021). Ed-tech within limits: Anticipating educational technology in times of environmental crisis. E-Learning and Digital Media, 18(5), 496–510. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530211022951
Versteijlen, M., Perez Salgado, F., Janssen Groesbeek, M., & Counotte, A. (2017). Pros and cons of online education as a measure to reduce carbon emissions in higher education in the Netherlands. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 28, 80-89. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.09.004
World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Pulp and paper. WWF. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/pulp-and-paper
I really appreciated the approach that you and Leah took in collaborating on this assignment. The idea of one person covering the positive and the other looking at the negative is really insightful and made for great reads. I also touched on environmental impacts, but in regards to consequences for disadvantaged people, and reading your post I was reminded of some of the positives. I do wonder though, in your opinion, do these positive effects mainly benefit more developed nations? Or do the benefits apply to any country, regardless of economically development?
Hi Rebecca,
I appreciate your comment on my blog post. I enjoyed collaborating with Leah on this post; it worked out well that I researched the positive effects of Ed-Tech on the environment, while Leah investigated the negative effects. It was fantastic that we could link our blog posts. I’m pleased to hear that it made for an engaging read.
I believe that both economically developed and less developed nations can reap the environmental benefits of Ed-Tech. Use of Ed-Tech and virtual learning reduces pollution, lowers school energy consumption, and preserves the world’s biodiversity and ecosystem, which are major concerns in both economically developed and developing nations. When everyone in the world collaborates to create positive environmental impacts, we will all live in a healthier, safer, and happier world!
Shazia, excellent topic choice and blog post!
I worked with Horticulture students during the time of COVID crisis education. Students shared feelings of isolation, as well as their appreciation for the environmental benefits of remote learning. As gas prices rise, some students want to continue reduced trips to campus.
I appreciate how you presented the topic by splitting the post with Leah – your post has got me curious about what Leah has posted?
Hi Jessica,
Many thanks for reading my blog post! It’s fantastic to learn that you taught students in the Horticulture field during COVID. A sudden shift to online education during COVID and lockdowns resulted in a high level of social isolation. It’s great that your students shared their social isolation and the environmental benefits of remote learning! It appears that it will be quite some time before gas prices decrease again. Currently, I believe electric cars may be a viable option. Electric vehicles are better for the environment and will save us money on gas!
Leah’s post, in which she emphasized the negative effects of Ed-Tech on the environment, is also very interesting. I hope you enjoyed her post as much as I did.
I really enjoyed this blog post. I think the idea of positive environmental effects of EdTech is something I would like to learn more about. Do you think that the cost of a laptop and other items needed to learn online are less than what it would cost to commute to school everyday?