ONLINE EDUCATION – ARE WE FUTURE-READY? A RETROSPECT DURING AND "POST‟ PANDEMIC ONLINE LEARNING

Abstract

Online education, in reality, has been around for at least a quarter-century. It is a proven instrument for adult education and professional continuing education that is effective, adaptable, and economical. That reality, along with the coronavirus's unforeseen, large-scale experiment in offcampus training, almost guarantees that online learning will explode in the future. However, the elite educational establishment has kept it at arm's length until now. Although administrative affairs, academic scheduling, curriculum, assignments, and even certain evaluations have moved online, most students are still required to attend lectures, labs, and seminars. This is one reason why, despite the spread of personal computer devices, the higher-education sector has not witnessed significant productivity gains due to technology. Although some people believe that the shift to online education has hampered their ability to accomplish a new, effective, and efficient form of education, others are aiming to make e-learning part of their new normal after witnessing its inexhaustible benefits. Although online education is not a perfect or simple substitute for on-campus education, why not look into combining the two delivery models? The pandemic has thrown a wrench into education systems that many believe were already losing relevance, with schools focused solely on traditional academic abilities rather than the adaptability and critical thinking skills that would be crucial in the future. This retrospect would explicitly discuss our experiences dealing with online learning issues, now, then and future direction. ct