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Dealing with the Challenges of Virtual Learning During Coronavirus
The Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed our norms. From working to studying to exercising to shopping, nothing is the same like it did two years ago. The abrupt change to virtual learning has changed learning, and in many instances, it is the learners who are having a hard time. It does not if you are a K-12 learner or in university or college; studying online differs greatly from learning in traditional classrooms.
Whether it is concentrating while learning at home or lacking reliable devices or the internet, the shift to online education is accompanied by numerous challenges, and parents and learners are searching for solutions. Fortunately, unpredicted time requires creative solutions, and individuals need to come up with ways of overcoming online learning challenges. Continue reading to learn how students and parents can solve challenges related to virtual education during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Reliable Internet
In the digital era, it is difficult to imagine of any home without access to an internet connection, but according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that more than six percent of homes with children between the age of 3 and 18 do not have access to the internet connection.
Limited access to the internet is a major challenge to high school students, including those in colleges and universities, since the Covid-19 pandemic has forced them to study online.
The challenge of lack of reliable internet during Coronavirus can be solved by using downloadable content. In case it is difficult for students to access the internet, parents can work with teachers of their students so as to have downloadable assignments, videos, and slideshows. This will enable learners to connect to the internet when downloading and then return to their homes and do their assignments there. After downloading the content, learners can access it with the need for a continuous internet connection, making it easy for them to complete assignments from the comfort of their homes.
Secondly, students should consider using parking lot WiFi. Many schools, public libraries, and businesses have expanded their internet signals to their parking lots. This is important for learners who do not have access to internet connections at their homes. This is crucial to learners and educators who reside in rural places where the internet is a challenge. Learners can take their tablets or laptops to these WiFi hotspots that enable them to connect and watch live lectures, take exams, and complete their assignments.
Lack of Enough Computers
Getting a reliable internet connection can be the least of learners’ worries in case they do not have devices to connect with. According to the USA Facts, 4.4 million homes with kids do not have access to computers for virtual learning during Coronavirus. Even if they do, they have to share with their siblings who are attending online classrooms or those who are working from home due to the pandemic. One home can comprise of a parent who has been forced to work from home, three children in the K-12 age range who are presently attending online classes, and a university student who has to complete his or her semester from home. If there is one computer or laptop in this household, these people have homework, classes, and work to do simultaneously. It becomes difficult to determine who is to utilize the computer or laptop.
To solve this challenge, students can use alternative devices. Although computers and laptops are best when it comes to learning and work, an affordable alternative is using a tablet. These devices are portable, and they have long battery life. If a household with many users and a single laptop or computer, then this device can relieve the pressure, enabling learners to read assignments, view presentations, and watch videos when a parent is using a laptop or computer. Through this, a laptop or computer can be used for work-intensive items like conducting heavy research and typing a report.
Assignment Help and Instructor Feedback
Before learning shifting to online, getting assistance from teachers or instructors was easy, like raising your hand in a classroom. With online learning, there is no face-to-face interaction. Young learners cannot walk to their teachers to ask questions, and instructors cannot all up learners to provide them with feedback. Face-to-face interactions are extremely crucial; hence during this period of the pandemic, such interactions are not feasible.
The solution to this challenge is requesting instructor one-on-ones. The advantages of one-on-one interaction with educators are crucial now like they were before learning to shift to online. Requesting instructor or teacher one-on-ones will assist learners in getting more customized assistance they require without their colleagues looking on, building a relationship of trust between students and teachers, and enabling instructors to know where students stand with online courses.
The other solution is using alternative online resources. In some instances, hiring a teacher is not a less costly choice. Fortunately, students can get free videos on YouTube from instructors for every subject on earth. Some videos teach complicated materials, while others focus on basic concepts.
Sense of Isolation
The Covid-19 pandemic made it necessary for people to socially keep their distance from other people so as to prevent the spread of the virus. It is no surprise that virtual learners say that lack face-to-face interaction with teachers and peers. Whether you are in high school or you are working on your undergraduate program, lack of interactions can have a serious implication on the emotional and mental health of a student. It has been established that learners who have poor peer relationships have difficulties in feeling confident and competent in various life aspects, as well as academia.
To combat the feeling of isolation among online students is to create online study groups. Online study groups include a group of learners who connect over video platforms like Google or Zoom, where they discuss and learn together. Learning with other colleagues enables learners to learn the content in various ways. Students can also watch lectures from their teachers, create online quizzes, and create shared documents that allow collaboration. High school students can use study groups to work together and have discussions.
Also, students can submit responses and content in different formats. Social interaction and engagement will enhance if the content is posted in numerous formats. Instructors can record videos so that students can hear and see them. Also, teachers can create Facebook groups for their classes to enable students to post and respond to each other in a less formal setting.
How To Make Online Learning Effective For Students During Covid-19
With the increasing recognition of online learning as a valuable educational tool, online courses have boomed in popularity. And much business is being done with them. But, one essential question is still unanswered – how do we make them effective for students? Here are five proven ways to do so:
- Identify your target audience accurately and understand their needs and requirements well. This will help ensure you meet expectations from the course content point of view as well as with respect to delivery. Make use of social media tools to interact with potential learners via different channels like Twitter, Facebook, etc., and build communities around your courses through them. Encourage discussions among your community members by responding to questions and other discussions regularly. Involve the students in sharing information and resources with each other to make the experience as collaborative and interactive as possible.
- Focus on content that enhances knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies for success. Your courses should be designed in a way that teaches specific skills or provides the necessary information to enhance your students’ knowledge for solving particular problems related to their areas of interest or work. It gives them an edge over others who are not taking online courses when it comes to getting new jobs or excelling at current roles by enhancing their performance substantially through new learning. Also, try out different creative methods to help you deliver more engaging content like using videos and animations, quizzes, etc., to keep your students interested.
- Encourage learners to improve their self-learning skills. Don’t be alarmed by the rise of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other alternatives to traditional, in-person learning opportunities; what this means is that more people are aware of different ways to learn and are making use of them in a variety of formats – face-to-face, blended or eLearning as an instructor-led classroom training at home or workplace, or even by themselves through MOOCs on specific subjects. The point is that you need to help your learners sharpen the skills required for self-directed learning – the ability to study effectively and efficiently, manage time, solve problems independently, etc., so they’ll be able to learn by themselves even when you are away.
- Measure results regularly and consistently with quality assessments like quizzes, tests, and assignments, etc., & refine learning solutions accordingly based on the feedback received from students through these assessments. Feedback allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of eLearning programs against objectives set for them at the start and helps you upgrade and improve upon the various aspects like content, delivery style, etc., to make sure learners are getting maximum value out of them.