Post #3 - Interview with a Fellow Learner

 

Source: locate.international

    Last week I met with one of my fellow students over Zoom.  This was a person that I had never met, and I had only his blog post for background information.  We were meeting to share our differing fields of expertise (and possible teaching) as well as current trends in adult education.  Once again, as with so many other conversations, the insidious Covid crept in and took over.  

    At least in this conversation the pandemic was relevant.  My interview partner's field is insurance, specifically extended benefits, and so his job changed drastically when the pandemic began.  As with my own field of horticulture, the current trend for the insurance industry is their Covid response and mitigation.  Since no one knows when it will subside, there seems to be very little forecasting attempted or possible.  I asked if there was any guidance from industry leaders regarding what covid-related problems would be covered under one's extended benefits, but there certainly doesn't seem to be any consensus.  

    I imagine my partner's training when he started at his job was pretty well laid-out.  Precedents had been set for most of the types of claims one might see.  There is not yet training for insurance claim specialists in regards to covid coverage, at least at his company.       

    When we moved on to trends in adult education, it was obvious that both of us were experiencing the technological trends (on-line learning and interaction) that is only in part due to the pandemic.  With the outpouring of distance education options, students are demanding more flexible learning environments, even with physical colleges and universities.   While my workplace is trying hard to find an effective blend of virtual and in-person learning opportunities, my partner has been working entirely from home for two years now!  

    We briefly discussed the pros and cons of the new working/learning environments, but I don't think either of us have an idea how long it will last or what adult education will look like post-pandemic.