Beware of online learning pitfalls
THE global village at large celebrated the adoption of online learning as a counter measure to the spread of COVID-19 which has forced millions of students out of school.
However, the majority of students were not prepared on how to deal with the pitfalls of digital learning. The shift was really mess. And more are not yet even fully in the groove due to myriad of challenges. The digital saviour was celebrated as it saved the learners from the jaws from educational redundancy.
Digital learning compared to the standard traditional classroom, has plenty of advantages for students.
Learning can take place wherever and whenever it is most convenient in the comfort of their homes.
However, this poses a set of challenges that individual students need to cope with.
It is not a secret that many students struggle with self-discipline.
In a classroom setting the teacher is the enforcer of discipline.
The teacher’s eye is a powerful weapon that bring back straying students in line.
In the absence of the normal forms of classroom disciplinary measures students are prone to mischief.
Skipping homework and non participation in lessons are some of the misdeeds.
Never under estimate how much student - teacher interaction means in terms of discipline and focus during a physical class.
The instruction time supported with question-and-answer session is the pivot of education.
Then there are invaluable opportunities to mix and mingle with teachers and other students before and after class.
All this is being missed during online lessons.
Lack of interaction with other students is breeding a deep sense of isolation and loneliness for most students.
The lockdown disrupted students’ pattern of learning there by affecting their motivation and social being. The jokes, laughs, friendly competitions, are not possible under the lockdown. Disconnection is ruling the roost. Another pitfall for students is poor time management. Procrastination is the thief of time, so goes the old adage.
There is a tendency to relax by most students and wanting to rush when the deadline has arrived.
It is advisable to set daily and weekly goals like reading such and such number of pages from the novel, making a certain number of comments, giving self a deadline to finish at least a given number of assignments can help students stay on track.
In the spirit of inclusivity teachers are urged to provide lesson scripts as supportive material or use voiceto- text applications as another way to make sure all learners with hearing and speech challenges are catered for.
Use of technology assistive applications is highly recommended.
The problems related to internet connectivity are also driving thousands of students crazy.
The technical difficulties are affecting delivery of assignments, rate of understanding and participation. Nothing bogs down a student like bad internet connection during online lessons.
Poor freezing video quality and inaudible audio with frustrating bips are what students are enduring. 5G seems to be the only solution but before it lands on our and locked country the students have to learn to live and stress less with connectivity challenges.
The constant fear of having your internet bundle run out is also taking off the glory from online lessons. Internet service providers are called upon to reintroduce the subsidised student e-learning bundles.
Acute shortage of gadgets is making the process of online learning frustrating since not every student has a personal gadget to use for online learning.
Many of them are supposed to share the phones, laptops and computers with their parents and siblings to stay on track.
Strict and very tight time frames are causing havoc as well.
Because of the abrupt introduction of lockdowns which forced students to start using online systems gadgets without prior training many students were not prepared.
Most are still overwhelmed with the amount of skills needed to complete and submit assignments. Software analysis, exploration, downloading, editing, designing, importing, exporting, inserting, emailing, are some of the basic skills that students need to be able to partake in online lessons efficiently.
Cyber crime is another pitfall that is students have to avoid.
They must try to avoid using suspicious websites and applications or follow suspicious links.
Proper handling of stalkers and keeping personal and family data from cyber criminals is a big challenge for online students.
As a student you need self motivation to stay in line for your own good. Lost time will never be recovered.