Covid-19 : A Catalyst Towards Taking A Leap In Transformation Of Digital Information And Its Dissemination For Providing Global Education

Abstract

As the world responds to the Covid-19 pandemic, most governments have temporarily
closed all educational institutions. These nationwide closures have impacted 90 per cent of
the world’s academic population. Consequently, there is a transition to distance learning on
an unprecedented scale. Institutes are racing to shift their courses online; students are
engaging en masse with e-books and e-learning; and researchers are drawing chiefly on
electronic content. As an emergency response Digital libraries and publishers have risen to
the occasion, offering more and more free content and curating personalized collections so
that people can continue to read and learn without disruption. Indeed, as the demand for
credible e-resources surges, digital libraries have emerged as vital pathways to high-quality
e-books, journals and educational content. UNESCO has launched the Global Education
Coalition to help countries scale up their best distance learning practices. In this study we
examine the digital transformation initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the education of
the young generation, the variety of digital divides emerging and reinforced, and the
possible barriers reported along the way.