Online Learning: The New Norm of Education
With the development of internet and the improvement of technologies in the last two decades, online courses have been introduced in the spectrum of education. Anyone can attend an online course and obtain a qualified degree in a field of their liking. Online education has been preferred by many students as it comes at lower costs than university tuition fees, it is adaptable according to their schedule and most importantly, it includes an immense choice of subjects to choose from.
Online learning, however, is even more prominent today due to the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic which has disrupted the normal face-to-face interaction between students and professors. It is true. The pandemic has totally shifted the academic structure of classes for both, schools as well as universities worldwide, and let’s face it, it has changed our everyday routines.
Attending a class at the comfort of your desk or even on your bed sounds like a tempting idea. Think about it. You get the luxury of waking up five minutes before class, which you dreamt of as a high school student and you do not even have to worry about waking up much earlier to catch the bus, go to the metro station or even take your car to go to campus. You just take your laptop, open Microsoft Teams, grab a cup of coffee or any drink of your liking (I personally prefer a hot cup of filter coffee with hazelnut flavour in the mornings), lay comfortably in bed and start class. I couldn’t ask for more.
Online learning has helped us all become more familiar with the new technological innovations and improve our digital skills since everything is taking place virtually. Online lectures, online meetings, online seminars and even workouts! These platforms have helped me adapt to this new norm and I have gradually become more confident with talking to the camera which can be awkward at first but, it becomes easier and easier with time.
Online learning can definitely aid in improving your communication, interpersonal and even networking skills! It can include awkward moments too like forgetting to turn your microphone off and you say something your professor wasn’t supposed to hear and you are found in a state of cold sweat. Been there, done that.
There are always two sides in a coin, both good and bad. I am found sometimes in a state where I feel like I have lost touch with reality. By doing everything virtually, sometimes I feel like the things I do have lost their value. I frequently question whether what I am doing at that moment is even real because, in essence, all I do is talk to a screen.
Online learning does not encompass all of the five senses. I cannot touch the screen and feel a human connection. I cannot smell the marker the professor is using to write on the board. I cannot taste the sweetness of a good graded essay nor the bitterness of my mistakes. I can see and hear my professors and classmates but their voices can easily be lost due to my internet connection fluctuating. This is further complicated when someone attending two universities at the same time.
My ‘Legal Method’ class on my laptop is going on at one side of my desk and on the other, my Spanish class on my phone. A fusion of voices leading their way through my head.
“Soy buena… I mean in the Cherry/Miller No2 case (2019) Boris Johnson….”.
Multitasking at its best! Yes, I am a hardworking individual and a perfectionist, but it can be frustrating when it comes to the core of it — time management and organization being key! In university, you don’t have the luxury to procrastinate as you did in high school. You have now entered the adult world where there are high standards and whatever you do has its repercussions either positive or negative.
Of course, I cannot omit the fact that for us international students (I live in Greece), the time difference is also a challenge when it comes to online classes. Most days I have to wake up at 6:00 am. Some of my classmates even wake up at 4:00 am! I am a morning person and I do not mind waking up early, nonetheless, my classes are demanding. I feel like I do not get enough sleep and sometimes I am not as productive as I want to be. I truly wish I could get more than 24 hours in a day. You know you have been consuming great amounts of caffeine when you sneeze without closing your eyes.
Yes, group chats work and Zoom meetings with your classmates can be really fun and helpful during this time, but I can’t stand all the spam messages that appear on my phone screen. My phone won’t stop buzzing and that’s not the end of it — the endless follow-up emails that trail in my inbox makes me want to throw my phone in the nearest garbage bin.
Not in the tiniest bit can such interactions truly reflect socialization on campus. I feel very nostalgic of such habits. Going to campus, seeing my classmates, talking to my teachers and being in a class environment. No hate to my room at all but I waited to experience university life, the so-called ‘best time of your life’ since middle school. The independence, freedom, friendships and knowledge acquired throughout your student years sounded fascinating!
A further implication of this new norm is that you gradually get used to having everything at your disposal which can easily lead to loss of motivation. You do not put the same effort as you would if you physically went to campus. Sitting on my desk all day, attending lecture after lecture and studying afterwards does get monotonous.
If I were on campus, I would group study with my classmates, I would go to the library, I could approach my professors more easily rather than emailing them to schedule an appointment. However, I have managed to close the gap between online learning and human interaction by involving myself in different events and clubs to come into contact with other students. This way, I feel more connected to the whole university spirit and be a part of the team.
Spending hours in front of a screen does result in headaches which feel like a hammer pounding on my head. Taking a break and scrolling through social media is not a good idea. These studious eyes need a break from the laptop screen. This is why a change of scenery to stretch a bit is needed. I enjoy going for a run to smell the fresh air, a quick workout to relax or even go to a nice café to study. Seeing some people and talking to them does keep me more concentrated and motivated than being in my room all day, stuck between four walls. I am not a prisoner, rather a lawyer in the making. If I don’t meet new people, socialize and live life, when will I?
On that note, yes, to the technological advancements and how quickly things are done in today’s world. However, human interaction seems very distant — from freely hanging out with classmates to comfortably laying in a crowded beach, feeling the sun.
Let us hope that we are able to relive the good ol’ days once more.
