30 November 2020 | Annabel Hudson
For the majority of people across the world, COVID-19 has touched their life in some way or another. The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we do most things, whether its the way we interact with friends, the way we do business or the way we utilise technology. From work, to parenting, to school and community, everyone had to adjust their approach to these situations and learn new ways of interacting with technology. The initial adjustment was a shock to many, but consequently there will be a long-lasting impact on how technology integrates into our day-to-day life.
Working from home
Early on in the pandemic we saw the physical closure of most non-essential business, schools and universities, and employees and students were forced to work from their homes. As many scrambled to set up office spaces in their homes, the popularity of online meeting platforms was skyrocketing. In the US alone, there was an increase of 4 million daily app sessions on Zoom within the first two days of the national lockdown. The rapid change encouraged organisation leaders to introduce new ways of supporting their employees virtually, and to re-think the previously accepted norms of how people work. Organisations have become much more aware that working remotely can still bring success. Thus, many companies, including the likes of Twitter, have given their employees the option to work remotely after the pandemic. Here at Pogo Studio, we have adapted to this change by making use of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as having a team call every Monday to catch up on what has gone on throughout the week.
Education
For many universities and schools especially, the rapid change to online learning was challenging, for teachers, students and parents alike. The learning curve for all was steep; they had to learn how to use platforms like Google Classroom and Zoom, while continuing to complete their work on time. Platforms and apps which were once used for extracurricular purposes are now being viewed as necessary stages of the learning process. However, this change has proposed the idea of a continued blended learning model for schools and universities which would enhance the quality of education as teachers could personalise lessons through individual learning paths and each student could receive greater levels of one-to-one interaction with their teacher.
Health and Medicine
Digital healthcare has played a vital role within the COVID-19 pandemic, it has addressed the most urgent needs during this time, including the immediate outbreak response and later in impact mitigation. Healthcare professionals have adapted in many ways, from video and telephone GP appointments, to e-prescription services and contactless pharmacies, there has been numerous changes. Here at Pogo Studio we developed our platform ‘Tailored Talks’ during the beginning stages of the pandemic. It was created to facilitate effective discharge from hospitals, to support people and their families make the transition from ICU to home following a COVID-19 diagnosis and to ensure that there is ongoing support as people learn to live with the longer-term impact of the virus. Just like us, many organisations and governing bodies have made use of technology to effectively improve lives during this time.
If you are interested in finding out more about our innovative Tailored Talks product, please click here.