Pauline Yeung

Marriage of education and technology a silver lining amid coronavirus pandemic

The melding of education and technology is here to stay, and its benefits for students, schools and the economy are just beginning to be understood

Fiscal policy and financial incentives that keep up with the times represent a win-win for the people and the government as well as an investment in our future

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Students from a low-income family study via an online class at home in Tsuen Wan amid the coronavirus pandemic on January 18. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Pauline Yeung

Published: 5:00pm, 16 Feb 2021Updated: 5:00pm, 16 Feb 2021

There is no shortage of critics of the era of virtual learning ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic. Zoom fatigue is common. Mental stress is on the rise. The human element gives way to feelings of isolation. The digital divide means those from disadvantaged backgrounds are being left behind.

But the melding of education and technology is here to stay, and its merits are just beginning to be understood. Apart from ensuring digital access, governments should align fiscal policy and financial incentives with the increasingly global trend to fully embrace the possibilities in a post-pandemic world.

To begin with, technology enables learning with educators, experts and entrepreneurs from all over the world. E-course providers curate classes led by multinational CEOs, tenured professors and Nobel Prize winners. Virtual platforms connect students with native language teachers. Museums and auction houses offer web-based courses in art, design and photography. Coding schools run workshops and boot camps in multiple time zones.

Students are benefiting from precious experiences that were uncommon a decade ago. For the “Asia’s Challenge 2030” global essay competition recently launched by the Asia Business Council, the finalists will be invited to virtual fireside chats with Japanese financier Nobuyoshi John Ehara, Indonesian businessman George Tahija and Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Xin.

Similarly, career education has gone digital. Last year, non-profit Teach for Hong Kong organised an online event for students to meet finance professionals at UBS. While not a perfect substitute for in-person interaction, teachers said feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

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Globally, technology is promoting diversity and inclusion in education. In India, Lenovo rolled out SmarterEd, a virtual student-teacher matching platform, during the pandemic. Its goal was to address the estimated shortage of 1 million teachers in India, especially in rural and remote areas. Within four months of its launch, the initiative recruited more than 11,000 volunteer teachers and almost 15,000 students.