Lessons Learned in Higher Education from the COVID-19 Crisis
1. Dr. Yang Yu,
Howard Community College
yyu@howardcc.edu
Lessons learned in higher education from the COVID-19 crisis.
Session 1 January 7, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a learning crisis for education system around the world. Due to the crisis, more than 1.6 billion students have been
affected. On the other hand, this crisis has stimulated innovation within the education sector. Community colleges have long been a source for innovation
in higher education, and face unique challenges as resource providers to their local communities and keep costs low for their students. With many different
approaches being introduced by countries around the world and community colleges in the nation, the COVID-19 is an opportunity to do things differently
and for decision makers to learn from each other and collaboratively work together to mitigate the effects of pandemic and build back a better and inclusive
education system. This presentation explored and discussed ways that help institutions of higher education emerge stronger moving forward.
Abstract
2. Lessons learned in higher education
from the COVID-19 crisis
Dr. Yang Yu
Acting Associate Dean, Social Sciences and Education.
Chair, Social and Cultural Sciences,
Howard Community College
yyu@howardcc.edu
Session 1 January 7, 2021
AFACCT 31st Annual Conference
3. Outline
● The numbers
● How it looks around the world
● Challenges and opportunities
● Ways forward
4. The numbers
Sources: UN, 2020.
A "generational catastrophe", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
● 1.5 billion students in 160
countries
● Extensive closures of
schools
● 463 million students
unable to access remote
learning
● 23.8 million additional
children more no access
to school next year.
5. How it looks around
the world?
Developing vs.
developed countries
ISTOCK.COM/RIDOFRANZ
6. ● Transition smoother in developed countries
● Challenges remain
○ preparedness for crisis
○ quality concerns of remove learning
○ online delivery
○ financial
Developing vs. Developed countries
7. ● Developing: limited access to internet, limited infrastructure
● U.S.: 313 out of 330 million people (90%) with over 152,000 wi-fi
locations.
● Zimbabwe: 8.6 out of 14.8M (58%) internet users in 2019 (Ndambakuwa,
and Brand, 2020).
● Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia: < 60% of the population has access
● ~40% access in Myanmar and Vietnam (Yarrow, 2020).
Internet in Developing vs. Developed Countries
8. ● Safety at home, staff skills, assessment processes, finance.
● Examples:
○ Zimbabwe: shortage of qualified teachers, lack of electricity, few
learning devices per household, safe space to study, early marriage
for girls
○ Arab countries: opposition to online education, lack of assessment
tools and even exams (Saeed, 2020)
Other Challenges in Developing Countries
9. Zhe Jiang University officially started online teaching on 24 Feb. (Wu, 2020)
People pass facial recognition gates to enter
Peking University, Beijing, China. Aug 31.
(REUTERS/Thomas Peter, 2020)
Huazhong University of Science and Technology held its annual graduation
ceremony on site. Wuhan, June (EastAsiaforum, 2020)
10. Senegal's universities began reopening on Sep 1. University of
Dakar, the 78,000 students were split into three groups. In person
and online rotation. (Africannews, 2020)
Students take exams at Lebanese University. Campuses are
opening only for classes that can’t be held online, e.g. labs.
(Bollag, 2020).
11. Monastir University, in Tunisia. Half of students coming to
campus for classes and exams in June and half in July.
(Bollag, 2020)
India, colleges reopen with reducing class size and smaller
multiple sections. Nov 5th, 2020 (Asianet, 2020)
12. Students attend a class at La Sorbonne University in Paris, Sept.17.
(Amaziane, 2020)
Students take an aptitude test to access the University of
Medicine, in Rome on Sept. 3 (Fabiano, 2020)
13. A university cancelled its graduation ceremony. Instead, robots
are standing in for the students and collecting diplomas on their
behalf. Business Breakthrough University (BBT) in Tokyo.
(Weforum, 2020)
14. Students returned to the University of Texas
campus on Aug 26th.
In-person Phage Discovery Laboratory course at University of
Nevada, Las Vegas, on Sep1.
Source: Schnell, 2020, U.S.
15. Southern State Community College in Ohio, rural, campus welcomed students back
for some in-person learning (Schnell, 2020)
Albany Tech College, Georgia, mostly remote in Fall.
(Amour, 2020)
16. ● Inadequacies and inequities in education systems.
- Access to the broadband and computers. More than access, reliability, speed,
affordability of internet and data access.
- Supportive environments
- Students rely more on own resources to continue learning remotely
- Professors adapt to new pedagogical concepts and modes of delivery of teaching.
Challenges
17. ● Inadequacies and inequities in education systems.
- Learners in the most marginalized groups, at risk of falling behind.
- Students face food insecurity. e.g. 44% of students at two-year and 38% at
four-year institutions (Stebleton, 2020).
● Rural community colleges, 3.4M students, high rate of poverty, a lack of alternative
employment for the unemployed, uneven access to internet and technology,
training need, tight budgets (Summers, 2020).
Challenges
18. ● Long-run, learning loss will lead to skill loss, GDP could be 1.5% lower for the
remainder of the century. (OECD, 2020)
● Spending on education may be compromised.
● Loss of income from reduced enrollment (down 9.5% nationally) and cuts in
state funding. e.g. Lakeland Community College, Ohio, expects to lose over $4
million for the fiscal year ending in 2021 (Barrington, 2020). Enrollment at
Arizona's community colleges is down 14.5%, Colorado is down 12.6% (St.
Amour, 2020 ).
● Unexpected costs - e.g. tuition refund, increased cleaning and technology
Economic challenges
19. ○ Community colleges educate nearly half of the undergraduates in America, receive
25% or less of a state’s higher education funding, and have the fewest resources to
spend on their students of any level of education.
○ The decline in the international student mobility
is already reducing the funds available.
e.g. Australia, Canada, UK and U.S. greatest losses
on international students fees.
Economic challenges
(Glenn, 2020)
20. ● Impacts on research and learning
○ Researcher mobility, collaboration, closure of labs, delayed projects.
○ Examinations, safety and legal status of international students in
their host country.
● Balancing education and health-related priorities. E.g. benefits of
reopening colleges vs. health risks.
Other challenges
Schulmann, 2020
21. ● A new-look of student experience - beyond the walls of the
school and more learning opportunities for all
● Fresh thinking
● Being innovative
● Have up-to-date technology
● Fast transition to/improvement of online learning
● The value of international mobility and partnerships, and help
promote globalization
● Valuing the community
Opportunities
22. ● A more digital future
○ Addressing the digital student divide, and harnessing equitable
connectivity and technologies for learning.
○ Innovations that improve colleges’ ability to serve their students
better remotely.
E.g. loaned laptops, purchased data plan upgrades. Rural community
colleges in Colorado, California, and Kentucky, purchased mobile
hotspots for students. Newly introduced in Congress, Supporting
Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act, would provide
financial support for institutions (Summers, 2020)
Ways forward
Source: UN, 2020; OECD, 2020;
23. ● Build resilient education systems for equitable and sustainable
development
○ Focus on equity, inclusion and gender equality
○ Collaborate with other government sectors and the private sector to increase
the attractiveness and labor-market prospects of certain professions.
○ Increase collaboration to address challenges to accessing innovative
technologies, infrastructure, and digital skills training.
○ Preserve the share of expenditure for education and diversify funding:
working with private sectors, foundations, and international organizations,
and rethink online offerings to reach new students through virtual exchange
alliances, virtual internships, shorter courses, and micro-credentials or digital
certifications.
Ways forward
Source: UN, 2020; OECD, 2020;
UNESCO, 2020, Yarrow, 2020
24. ● Reimagine education and accelerate positive change in teaching and
learning
○ Focus on addressing learning losses and preventing dropouts. e.g. HCC
○ Offer skills for employability programmes
○ Sustain and deepen professional development
○ Develop low-tech innovations to reach disadvantaged students
○ Foster community and encourage ongoing communication.
■ 80% of students in the U.S. reported negative mental health effects due to the pandemic.
(Summers, 2020)
■ NOVA, virtual lobby on Zoom to connect with advisers, virtual student union (Armour, 2020).
■ Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, VA, communicates weekly with students and holding
bimonthly online forums for students. Small number of students (1000), academic advisors
reach out by phone to check on students.
Ways forward
Source: UN, 2020
25. ● Reimagine education and accelerate positive change in teaching
and learning
○ Rebalance the curriculum: instructional priorities for the coming year
must respond to the needs of the students and to the different
conditions.
○ Unleash innovation: begin with what competencies that students
should gain, then thinking creatively and flexibly to devise means that
are fit for purpose. Or develop courses to complement national skill
needs. e.g.COIL
○ Provide flexible learning pathways: introduce more aspects of flexible
learning into regular face-to-face classes. e.g.scheduled remote
Ways forward
Source: UN, 2020; OECD, 2020
26. ● Africannews, 2020, https://www.africanews.com/2020/09/01/senegal-universities-start-to-reopen-with-coronavirus-restrictions-/?jwsource=cl
● Amaziane, S. ,2020, https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/18/virus-clusters-at-french-universities-a-worry-for-returning-students#
● Armour, M., 2020,https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/09/11/no-dorms-no-person-classes-no-problem-how-community-colleges-are-buildin
community
● Asianet, 2020, https://newsable.asianetnews.com/coronavirus-india/ugc-issues-guidelines-for-reopening-colleges-and-universities-qjbrjv
● Barrington, K., 2020, What Does the Future of Community College Look Like Post COVID-19?https://www.communitycollegereview.com/blog/what-do
the-future-of-community-college-look-like-post-covid-19
● East Asia Forum, 2020, https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2020/07/11/will-chinese-students-study-abroad-post-covid-19/
● Fabiano, C., 2020, https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/18/virus-clusters-at-french-universities-a-worry-for-returning-students#
● Glenn, L., 2020, How are community college students different?https://www.ccdaily.com/2020/04/how-are-community-college-students-different/
● Ndambakuwa, S., and Brand, G., 2020, Commentary: Many Students in Developing Countries Cannot Access Education Remotely,
https://harris.uchicago.edu/news-events/news/commentary-many-students-developing-countries-cannot-access-education-remotely
● OECD, 2020, https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/view/?ref=133_133390-1rtuknc0hi&title=Schooling-disrupted-schooling-rethought-How-the-Covid-19-
pandemic-is-changing-education
● OHCHR, 2020, https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/COVID-19-and-education.aspx
References
27. ● Saavedra, J., 2020, Educational challenges and opportunities of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, The World Bank,
https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/educational-challenges-and-opportunities-covid-19-pandemic
● Saeed, S., 2020, COVID-19 has exacerbated inequality in higher education, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=202010231032003
● Schnell, L., 2020, Some college students didn't show up amid COVID-19, recession – especially at community college, USA today,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/09/23/covid-college-student-enrollment-community-colleges/3511736001/
● Schulmann, P., 2020, Perfect Storm: The Impact of the Coronavirus Crisis on International Student Mobility to the United States, Perfect Storm: The Im
of the Coronavirus Crisis on International Student Mobility to the United States
● Stebleton, M., 2020, Food Insecurity, Covid-19, and Role of Student Affairs Educators, JCC Connexions, Vol. 6, No. 3, August 2020,
https://naspa.org/blog/food-insecurity-covid-19-and-role-of-student-affairs-educators
● St. Amour, M., 2020, Who’s up, Who’s down and why, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/11/19/community-college-enrollments-down-
nationally-not-everywhere
● Summers, S. W., 2020, Lessons learned from rural community colleges’ response to covid-19
● Peter, T., 2020, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/facial-recognition-and-bathtime-bookings-idUSKBN25R0UW
● UN, 2020, https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020
● Weforum, 2020, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/robots-japanese-graduation-coronavirus
● Wu, Z.H., 2020, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-china-the-challenges-of-online-learning-for-universities/
● Yarrow, N., 2020, COVID-19 in East Asia: How the Region’s Higher Education Systems are Addressing the Crisis to Adapt to the Future,
https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/covid-19-east-asia-how-regions-higher-education-systems-are-addressing-crisis-adapt
References
