For now , it has been approximately two months since the lockdown due to the fast spreading of the covid-19 pandemic ; our government has been very concerned about our education; and to not waste time waiting for the scientist to came up with a vaccine or at least  an antidote to protect/cure us -humanity-, we will be doing our education online, which we will try as a group of students to discuss through a variety of perspectives and topics.

The advantages of distance learning

Virtual education is now part of the planning agenda of most organizations concerned with education and training. The quality of distance learning has greatly improved in the past few years, as both students and educators have become more comfortable with the technology, and as stories of best practices have been shared and duplicated. The advantages of distance learning:

• Live anywhere, study from anywhere: while pursuing the education of your choice. You don’t have to live in the same city or the same country to attend the learning institution of your choice.
• Gain extra knowledge: You can transfer the computer and Internet skills that you’ll gain in the process of your distance learning experience to other facets of your life.
• Self-paced learning: For slow and quick learners. This reduces stress and increases satisfaction.
• Accessibility: Online classes address physical accessibility issues that some people with limited mobility encounter when taking traditional classes. You don’t have to worry about gaining access to a classroom or sitting on uncomfortable desks

The disadvantages of distance learning

• Distance learning can be very beneficial in hard times, it gives the chance to pursuit your studies even if you can’t be physically there, but like every other system it has also its problems :
• The first major problem is the difficulty of keeping focus on the course, with so many distractions available on your house and the absence of a proper educational environment, like the large number of students and their interactions with the teachers, exams and the deadlines of homework.
• The second problem is the quality of the technology used either by the students or the teachers, especially the teachers because if they have a bad and slow internet it can compromise the whole course with constant crashes and screen freezes, so the student finds very hard times to concentrate in such a “noisy” environment.

The impact of distance learning on economics

In the 20th century, distance learning were considered to be very poor and poor quality training for a taxpayer in the economy, that is to say less than that in the classroom and the lack of interaction between the trainers and the learner. But now we are in 21st century (Marc-noel FAUVE), studies have shown that, with technological progress online training is more profitable than face-to-face because we have possibility of returning to our chapters which we need and the user is more interactive, no pressure from society and even (GD Konetes 2011). We have forums all serious offers, as example skills4All also Web-conference in order to maximize the chances of actors. Handicaps will have access so to integrate everyone in economic progress.

The social aspect of distance learning

When taking an online course, you will take it from the comfort of your own home. You can simply complete the course on your own time and setting. You never need to come face-to-face with your teacher, or even other students. Your social aspect of your education becomes null. McKnight (2000) contends that proximity and eye contact are important factors in education. She says that we inherently recognize the connection these provide, but in the distance learning environment they are “both severely and sometimes permanently compromised”.

Palloff and Pratt (2000) remind us that “technology does not teach students; effective teachers do”. They make the point that the issue is not technology itself, but how it is used in the design and delivery of courses.

Ryan Hickey (2016) states that, online education eliminates the ability to have that face-to-face interaction with a professor. He then quotes an English Professor from the University of Virginia who said online education creates more of a “monologue and not a real dialogue.”

Tutoring courses and the distance learning

As we know the most students don’t take just  school courses they always call on the tutoring course that allows students to develop their skills, fill their gaps in one or more subjects or prepare for an exam. It is an educational supplement which in no way replaces the school or the parents.

The student therefore benefits, through a tutoring session of courses explained in detail and or as an alternative to traditional teaching on the one hand, on the other hand clear answers to all his questions. This option was either in individual or group lessons, so since this profession does not require a diploma, there are many students who are brilliant in some subjects offer themselves as teachers to finance their studies, but with the coveted 19 everything changed In other words, the parents do not even have the capacity to feed their families which makes the majority of the students gave up taking these courses which put the entire sector in jeopardy.

Despite this pandemic, the teachers have not abandoned their students through Facebook, whatsapp, instagrame and even videos on YouTube, which has allowed students to have a varied offer, free of charge or sometimes almost free.

Recommendations

To make this idea of distance education succeed we have to try to find optimal solutions to difficulties faced, for example giving computers or phones to students who don’t have the means, along with sharing free internet connections in all the national territory. In the case of computers and internet availability precautions should taken to attend all courses. Therefore, we should have an application that computes unjustified absences of every student. Concerning exams students need two recap sessions for every subject. Moreover, we have to opt for sports fields and big box stores to have the security distance among students.

One of the most primary instincts that we have: to adapt. Primitive human has to leave his cave to escape from predators, volcanoes and fires … to survive. Now, we are forced to leave the way of life that we always knew and got used to; to live indoors 24/7 until we can develop a solution, and then we will rise from the ashes to rebuild a better world.

Authors

• Oussir Hajar
• Rguig Mouad
• Rkik Ayoub
• Tchodie-Lennah-Bilan
• Tiji khaoula
• Zennadi Mohammed

References

• Konetes; international journal of intructional Media,2011-go.gale.com(Distance education’s impact during exonomic hardship)
• Hickey, Ryan. “5 disadvantages to consider about online education.” Petersons. N.p.,n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. 01 Dec. 2016
• Marc-Noël FAUVEL: why drop e-learning to train (video on Youtube)
• McKnight, M. (2000). Distance education: Expressing emotions in video-based classes. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Conference on College Composition And Communication, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Eric Document Reproduction Service No. ED 441 270).
• Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2000). Making the transition: Helping teachers to teach online. Paper presented at EDUCAUSE: Thinking it through. Nashville, Tennessee. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 452 806).