Covid-19 has ushered in a new era of online learning, but it has also brought with it a slew of issues
Are you able to hear me? Is it possible for you to see me? Since the COVID-19 shutdown, when talking to anyone has been the only form of communication, this has become a familiar refrain. Those who were previously utilising smartphones and other gadgets to just conduct a discussion, an interview, or watch a movie or hold an online lecture, have had to aggressively join the digital bandwagon since the pandemic before it obliterated them from reality.
Learning something new through online schooling is possible. A learner has unrestricted access to topics and worldwide experts in specialised disciplines, which would otherwise be out of reach for many. People of various ages can study at their own pace, without inhibitions, and without jeopardising their other duties thanks to online classes. This gives me hope. However, once online education becomes the only method of learning, and that for an extended period of time, the good, bad, and ugly begin to emerge. India is getting a taste of this right now. While it is customary to use the internet for leisure, using it for online classes is a major difficulty.
Teachers may lack experience in developing digital content and effectively communicating it online. It’s unjust to ask them to improve and students to adjust all of a sudden. In an online lesson, body language and eye contact, which are essential teacher indications, are difficult to detect. “I don’t get constant feedback in the form of students’ reactions during online sessions, which diminishes the efficacy of teaching,” says a college professor in Mumbai’s suburbs. How many students in a class have paid attention? How many of them were able to grasp the lesson? Is the class going at a good pace? Is it true that some students are falling behind? Even in regular classes, these questions emerge.
Even college students seemed to place a higher value on an in-class physical learning experience than a virtual one. Many people agree that cell phones may be quite distracting. In addition, to complement theoretical study, science and technology programmes frequently incorporate hands-on laboratory sessions, dissertation projects, and field trips. In online education, this component of learning is severely constrained. Finally, education entails not just academic knowledge but also the development of social skills and sportsmanship among students through time. Children’s holistic development may be hampered if they rely only on online schooling, and many may underperform later in their professional and personal lives.
To address concerns with internet access and device availability, many professors are sharing films with pupils via WhatsApp or YouTube so that they can watch them whenever they choose. However, this, too, is associated with difficulty in comprehending the lessons and encourages rote learning. Pre-recorded sessions broadcasted on television (e.g., Swayam Prabha DTH channels) and radio (audio courses, through All India Radio) serve the same purpose, though they cater to a larger student population who cannot attend live online lectures.
