Many policy changes have been made in every sector and they have altered the natural perspective of seeing different circumstances also. 

The corona pandemic is not only a tragedy but more of an alarm to bring modifications in the traditional paradigms. The turmoil it has induced to various education institutions was never seen before. Amidst this, parents, students are going through a lot of stress as they have no idea how to plan the future with so many contingencies. Experts have envisioned that some of the policies developed during this pandemic are going to be permanent in the higher education market. Here is what’s new in higher education in this new normal! 

The resilience of Educational Institutions :

The universities and colleges were working in a conventional way, i.e. classroom lectures, offline resources to study, etc. But, this pandemic double-clutched the way universities were working for centuries. So, pedagogy institutions ramped up to launch digital services to avoid a cessation of education. This sudden change according to the needs of current circumstances proved the resilience of Educational institutions across the world. 

The learning paradigms  :

So, universities and colleges have made changes on their part and brought the best to the table. But not every student has access to every practice initiated by the institution. Especially, in a country like India, with so many students living in remote areas, the accessibility issues are at par. Even if some students are willing to use these resources and have access to them also, they are either suffering from mental stress or demotivated to study as exams are either canceled or held online. Either it is a primary school student or a university scholar, 90% of the students have lost some percentage of their willingness to study. Most of the higher education students are on a search hunt to gain some experience through internships or freelance services. This also shows the shift of students from learning through theoretical lectures to learning through practical work i.e. internships. 

Need of soft skills :

When everything is performed online, there may not be a perfect measure to check expertise in every subject through online mode, but soft skills can be tested very easily. So, this pandemic has urged people to showcase their soft skills and much emphasis is laid on the skills where you are able to connect with one another and lead people in online mode. Also, it needs the hour to be compatible with every technology and learn to use the software. 

Online programs – Pacing distance learning :

Nobody knows whether the situation will improve or get worse. At this point, there is no option other than running online programs and bringing developments to them only to make it more interactive and engaging. A virtual campus that is effective to deliver education is very hard to create at a much higher level. Even if this pandemic over, the models are framed for the future also, which they can implement whenever they land in such circumstances. 

These techniques have addressed distance learning not something new, but a “new normal”. People are acclimating to it and it is predicted to develop further in the future.