THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The scale of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in the 21st century. One of the largest shocks related to the COVID-19 crisis was not only the lethality of the virus itself, but also the chaotic and ad hoc response to it from so many sectors of society. When it became clear in early March 2020 that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly on a global scale, most governments began shutting down businesses, schools, and universities. Many higher education institutions switched to online classes after only a few days of preparation. Many have struggled to decide how to assess student learning remotely, whether to postpone or cancel final exams. A big concern for many higher education institutions has been to avoid increased cheating and plagiarism during online examinations. How higher education institutions will move forward after the pandemic? Will universities return to a “business as usual” or, will use this disruption to transform the education?