Covid's copy-and-paste generation

THE EDITOR: Unfortunately, the advent of the pandemic has been to the detriment of the education system in Trinidad and Tobago.

Focus has been on the primary school system and the effects of online teaching and learning since this would not have been an ideal method for this level in the education system and there would have been severe impact on the socialisation of young children.

Consideration however, was not given to the impact that continuous online learning has had on students enrolled in the tertiary education system, who as a result of online learning, became totally dependent on the internet for research, and on powerpoint presentations for delivery and dissemination of information by lecturers.

Students were limited in "reading for education" as access to libraries were otherwise unavailable and Google became the only available resource.

As a result, a "copy-and-Paste" generation of tertiary education students was created, who regurgitated the information they were provided with online. This generation's ability and skill to analyse and apply information as part of the learning experience was severely affected.

The ability to cheat became simpler and the pass rate possibly would have significantly increased. The manner in which it may affect our human resources in the future is yet to be seen.

LU-ANN CATO-DANIEL

Via e-mail