The Potential of Online Learning for Adults: Early Lessons From the COVID-19 Crisis
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has seen a substantial increase in online learning by adults. Much of the training that had started as face-to-face in classroom environments have been pursued online. The pandemic has provided a powerful test for the potential of online learning. It has highlighted key limitations, including the prerequisites of adequate digital skills, computer equipment and internet access to undertake training online, and the struggle for teachers used to classroom instruction. This report discusses the potential of online learning to increase adult learning opportunities and identifies some key issues that the crisis has highlighted.