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“There are no great limits to growth because there are no great limits to human intelligence.”
Ronald Reagan said these wise words about just how infinite growth can be with the resourcefulness of human beings during times of need. In the tumultuous year of 2020, our society is dealing with multiple challenges all at once- including a pandemic, a subsequent lockdown, international crises, and much more. All physical interaction is now life threatening, and institutions like offices and schools have had to transform their workings to be more adaptable. On the one hand, people need to isolate themselves to reduce the spread of the virus. On the other hand, people have to re-emerge and reassemble as rapidly as possible to restart stalled systems. It is a battle on two fronts. But amidst the panic and confusion, two healthy alternatives to physical gatherings at school or work have arisen: E-learning, and E-working.
Schools and universities are facing the brunt of this dilemma. They harbor hundreds of students and teachers collectively every day, which will be a threat to their precious lives and will make them vulnerable. Closing down schools is an important step to assist authorities in curbing the spread of the virus. But schools are the temples of learning. The solutions to many problems, maybe even some that society faces now, are found in the bright minds attending school. Keeping schools and universities closed for too long is not a sustainable option by any means. Although the means to study and work online have been in existence for a long time, only now when we are to avoid all physical contact with our fellow peers do we apprehend their significance.
Learning is a responsibility that can never be suspended, and to keep things in motion, E-learning has emerged as a healthy alternative to school. The introduction of technology in various aspects of the school curriculum was the foundation of this revolution, and these devices now have a crucial place in classrooms. Books are steadily getting replaced with online educational materials. Knowledge is now seamless, as it can also be acquired or shared via the Internet. But why is the acclaim of E-learning gaining momentum only now?
The beauty of e-learning is that many applications, software, and databases allow the creation of extremely effective environments that can grab your attention. The human brain can memorize and associate with what is seen or heard via pictures or videos with more ease as compared to bland text on a book. Also, visuals, apart from captivating a student, are retained by the brain for more sustained periods. There is newfound ease in the consistency of classes, as well as how personalized it can be. E-learning is scalable as it can be extended to many learners with only minor boundaries and most importantly, it is the safest alternative to schools in the year 2020. Hence, it is a much-needed option in today’s times.
We are also faced with the issue of offices and workplaces that are a major obstacle when we think about isolation. Staying safe is our number one priority during these trying times, but we cannot stall the tertiary sector at any moment. An efficient alternative for a physical workplace had to be discovered, and soon we were introduced to E-working. E-working, or teleworking, defines work that uses communication technology to link computers at home to the network of the office location. As the pandemic has made working in the office an unsuitable prospect for all employed people, teleworking offers all the employed the perfect opportunity to work part-time or full-time from the comfort of their own houses.
Technology development, and in particular high-speed broadband, enable much of the office-based work to be conducted remotely or away from the office. Tax reliefs are further provided because working from home involves costs that would otherwise be borne by the employer, such as extra heating and lighting costs. Benefits that can accrue from E-working are carbon savings through lower transport emissions, more family-friendly working, and greater opportunities for employment creation and retention in rural locations. Increased productivity of employees is also forecast, which is generated from the difference in the situation of white-collar workers living in rural areas but commuting to work in urban areas. This shows the benefit of the enterprise. These are just some of the many reasons why it is emerging as a popular alternative to a physical workplace.
In conclusion, as Richard Branson has rightfully said, “Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision, and change.” Change is the only constant in the arena of technology. It is not plausible to stick with the ways of the past, now that the world has been so severely affected and the need for the new is imminent. It is now time to embrace the dawn of online education and working, regardless of the circumstances by which they have emerged. It is unknowledgeable to ignore the positives that the pandemic and the consequent lockdown have brought- and online working and learning are two of them. Long after the world will go back to standard, I am confident that various aspects of E-learning and E-working will still be retained in our everyday lives.
