5-higher-educations-response-to-covid-19-officehelps
by Ngọc Anh Nguyễn / preview mode read

5 Higher education’s response to Covid-19 – OfficeHelps

The COVID-19 epidemic has caused major changes in higher education.

Our responses to the pandemic are helping us reimagine the future of higher education.

Let's concentrate on what we've gained rather than mourning what we've lost. Numerous changes we made to teaching and learning, student involvement, and research in response to COVID-19 have paved the road for a better model of higher education. By paying attention to the lessons drawn from the experiences of the previous few months, we can shape the future that our children deserve.

It has become clear that institutions that have previously invested in digital technology are emerging more adaptable and robust in the face of unpredictability. For instance, online communities have helped 30% of students feel more connected with other students during this time.

The Global Higher Education Research Snapshot, produced by Salesforce.org in collaboration with the market research firm Ipsos, provides essential information about the global attitudes and priorities of 2,200 students and higher education staff.

The poll examines five critical trends—connection, trust, well-being, flexibility, and career—to better understand how higher education is changing.

Communications help students feel connected

In a typically isolating time, 75% of students wished to hear weekly (or even more frequent) updates on the pandemic. 

Why? Students feel closer and more engaged with institutions now than they did in earlier years thanks to the institutions' frequent communications with them.

79% of students believed they belong at their institution. Source: Salesforce.org
79% of students believed they belong at their institution. Source: Salesforce.org

Online communities and other digital platforms are increasingly used to create this important sense of belonging, but institutions still have a long way to go. One of the greatest areas of confusion for people who are new to the online community software industry is the differences between large public social media networks, like Facebook or LinkedIn groups and branded online communities.

Has trust been damaged by the pandemic?

If you are in higher education, the challenge of reopening your campus has been an ongoing battle due to the current pandemic. Many universities are operating fully online or embracing a hybrid approach, taking every step needed to ensure student safety. On top of it, you are also challenged with declining admissions, with students questioning campus fees. 

The pandemic has made already existent trust deficits between university administration, students, and staff worse. Lack of resources during the COVID-19 limits that were put in place could contribute to some of this.

50% of staff think COVID-19 has widened the trust gap. Image: Salesforce.org
50% of staff think COVID-19 has widened the trust gap. Image: Salesforce.org

COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic higher education trust fear 

Students also expect a variety of services from their universities to make them feel at comfortable, ranging from personal protective items like masks and hand sanitizer to transparent COVID-19 response plans.

Most public and private universities currently have Covid-19 protocols for monitoring students on campus. This may involve regular student health check-ins, monitoring risks, handling Covid-19 incidents and evaluating campus safety. Some universities leverage HR applications, and some institutions have been building custom solutions or using third-party applications for specific needs

Juggling wellbeing concerns

Months of lockdowns and continuous social isolation have obviously disrupted students' university experiences.

This is further compounded by many well-being difficulties, from financial anxiety to juggling domestic commitments.

Maintaining personal wellbeing is one of the biggest fears for students around the world. Image: Salesforce.org
Maintaining personal wellbeing is one of the biggest fears for students around the world. Image: Salesforce.org

COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic higher education wellbeing concerns 

On the plus side, this demand gives institutions the chance to offer better-tailored well-being support via digital-first channels.

The appeal of online learning for students

The pandemic has been responsible for a great many things, including the exposure of something endemic in higher education: learner variability. This is not new. Institutes of higher education have long ignored or paid lip service to the fact that students come from multiple ethnic and cultural backgrounds, that they have differing needs, abilities, disabilities and constraints.

Many students are looking for more flexible options for when and how they learn as the pandemic appears to be posing more difficulties by the day.

35% of students think universities should be more flexible around grading and assignments. Image: Salesforce.org
35% of students think universities should be more flexible around grading and assignments. Image: Salesforce.org

COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic higher education online learning 

By offering flexibility in the times and ways students could take classes, universities could maintain or even increase enrolments.

The positive news? There is already proof of this change. More than half (57%) of the employees report that their organizations are putting money into fresh approaches or new sources of income in an effort to draw in more pupils.

How the trends intersect

The experiences of students and staff are consistent with the aforementioned tendencies. Instead, as the following query demonstrates, they are tightly connected.

Plan of action for higher education institutions in the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Communication is the biggest expectation on institutions. Image: Salesforce.org
Communication is the biggest expectation on institutions. Image: Salesforce.org

Higher education expectations have changed as a result of the epidemic, but there is also a chance for institutions to speed up their digital transformation.

Universities may foster trust and meet their students' needs in the new normal by offering more resources for welfare, career help, and flexibility.

To sum up

The Global Higher Education Research Snapshot reflects the new attitudes and priorities of students and staff from around the world. Understanding these changes is more critical now than ever before, as we come together as one community to shape the future of lifelong learning.

Need some tips? We’re here to help

Not only giving you a lot of information about many industries, OfficeHelps also brings to you amazing tips and cleaning services. 

What to look for in hiring a cleaning service or maintaining services for your education facilities, why don’t take professional care with interesting refreshing space ideas

In case you need to refresh your living space, at OfficeHelps.com, we provide you with affordable and reliable cleaning services and a lot of helpful tips.

Feel free to contact us today! Our experienced cleaning experts are waiting for you!

Written by

Ngọc Anh Nguyễn

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Since my major in university is Marketing, I always grasp the chance to improve my skills to become an all-rounded Marketer in the future. This job, to some extent, has brought me a lot of knowledge about multiple areas, which will be beneficial to my study career. In my free time, I'm into reading and watching classic movies. My favorite genre of all time is romantic comedy.

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