For this post, we have been asked to connect with a classmate and discuss how digital learning has impacted post-pandemic education. Thank you, Bart, for a great conversation! Here are my key takeaways from the conversation:

  1. Since the start of the pandemic, 92% of post-secondary student programs have moved to some or all online (Statistics Canada, 2020). Most students have taken some online learning. This stat can either be a positive or negative thing. If students had a great experience with online learning, we should see higher enrollment in online classes. If students had a negative experience, they might be hesitant to register for another online course. We have already seen a shift toward online learning before the pandemic: “online registrations are growing approximately 10% year over year, while face-to-face registrations are flat” (Contact North, 2019). It will be interesting to see if this number will grow or decline over the next few years.
  2. Only 45% of rural communities have high-speed internet (Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, n.d.) This could impact learners in remote areas. If zoom or other video communication tools are used, remote learners could be at a disadvantage. This needs to be considered when offering online courses.

References:

Statistics Canada. (2020, May 12). How are postsecondary students in canada impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic? https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2020032-eng.htm

Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (n.d.) Broadband fund Closing the digital divide in Canada. Retrieved May 30, 2022 from https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/internet/internet.htm

Contact North. (2019). 10 predictions for online learning in 2020 (Issue December 2019).
https://www.diigo.com/item/pdf/z3j2/e631db0f