What is the future of education? Education has been immensely affected by the ongoing digitalization of everything the COVID-19 pandemic leashed upon the world. Schools close down and universities move exclusively into remote learning. Teachers, and professors, as well as pupils and students, have found themselves working in completely new circumstances.

Today, in our series – “World After Covid”, we have with us David Chard (Dean of Vela College of Education). We are going to ask him what he thinks the future of education might look like in a world after the pandemic.

I want to step back for a minute. Let’s comment on the notion that most of the world has grown familiar with the fact that education happens in places. In buildings, in schools, we call them schools globally; when in fact- learning happens everywhere- it happens on busses, in homes, it happens on playgrounds and fields, etc.… It is the formalization of education that in some ways interrupt learning.

Then the question is – how can we also have some of the high-priority formal education continue as well? Well, I think we have to begin to think about how would we do that? How could we do that, in a way that would continue to advance learning? What we know is the best way to learn with real trial and error kind of fast failure and going back to the drawing board trying things again. So, I think that is a precious priority for us.

There are young people, and there are teachers, who have had a spring-like never before. Then at some point, they will return to school. How might they have changed, because of this experience?

I think their expectations are going to be different. Maybe their expectations are going to be higher, of when we are together, of when we make the effort to be in the same place together. I assume the expectation of the kinds of things you would accomplish in that space. If they do not, they should go up, right? We should not tolerate just listening to a talking head when we are together. Because I can do that here, right, I do not need to be with you in a room.

How might teachers be changed by this experience? (Future of education)

It is hard to predict exactly. I would like to believe that teachers will learn things about themselves that they did not think they could accomplish. Also because of that, they will come back to schools with a whole new sort of outlook. It will change their mindset on how precious their time is and how it can be used differently. Also how they could engage kids with one another, differently. I also think it will change how we prepare teachers. I mean there are, you know, coming from college where that’s partly what we do. We are looking at ways to think about how teachers can use their virtual systems to spend time with students. To learn that kind of tool to the trade. I think it could have a kind of revolutionary change.

Many parents are trying to figure out how to work with their children all day. Do you think that might lead to a new respect for educators, for schools, for teachers, and what they contribute?

I hope there is renewed respect. I also think that there may be a change in expectations on the part of parents and families. A little bit of pressure from them would not be a bad thing either. But I think now that having higher expectations for what good learning is. Also how teaching and learning look like, could be one of the most important outcomes of this.

And what would be your worst fear about this topic? (Future of education)

Well, my worst fear is that the recession will be so deep that state governments and federal governments around the world will find themselves in a position where they can not fully fund education.

As we all see everything changes and education is no exclusion. After the interview with David Chard, we understood that teachers will value their time with their students on another level.