What is your greatest challenge with studying online?

[Skye]

I have always been a believer of brick and mortar schools. However, times have changed. Even these traditional schools have shifted to online and remote learning.

This shift demanded that we adjust quickly. Our society obsessed with perfection expects us to successfully adjust.

I found it interesting and challenging to study online. Interesting as it broadens my understanding of concepts, not confined in a classroom. Not confined by prescribed textbooks.

It is challenging because I have to unlearn the way I learned for most of my life. It is also challenging as it calls on personal discipline and accountability.

How about you? How are you finding online/remote/distance learning?

[Bjun]

Motivating myself to study is still the biggest challenge. I am currently enroled to a classroom course but due to new restrictions, we might shift to online. Our teacher has talked about Zoom classes and I'm dreading it already.

[Skye]

I am starting to hate Zoom. Just the word ZOOM makes me drag my feet in the morning.

[mjmnl]

I've always been used to traditional learning and when I tried to enroll in an online course I ended up wasting my time. The biggest challenge for me is the lack of focus. When I'm studying at home, especially at my own pace, I find my thoughts wandering to another matter or I'm cleaning up any mess I can find. When we are in a classroom setting, we can only stay inside the room and participate in the class. It is also easier to ask questions about the lesson when you study face to face.

[Kamille]

I haven't tried distance learning; but from what I observe from my nephews, the challenging part for them is the lack of in-person communication. It can be less engaging at some point, especially when they struggle with a certain subject. Its a good thing we now have online forums where students can interact with each other and tutors are just one email away.

[Lou]

I have never experienced enrolling in an online class. However, my children are all doing online classes due to the pandemic and I can say they are not amused in any way. My eldest said it is hard for her to communicate with her research teammates as they don't see each other and others are not cooperating. Although these kinds of students exist even in a face-to-face scenario, at least you are able to talk to them directly and you see their facial expressions and body language. In an online setting, these are hard to come by. So it really makes communication harder.

[Bjun]

Before taking another course, I was faced with the options of either studying online or going to classes. I chose the latter simply because I prefer interacting with other students. I've watched my nieces with their online classes and they get so distracted. I felt I couldn't focus if I do the same and I'm glad I opted for classes.

The next course I do, I might not have the option to go to classes though. I was hoping everything would ease up by now but it seems it isn't the case here.

[Skye]

I beg to disagree that kids do not know the difference. Maybe for kids who are really young and haven't looked forward to going to school, this can be true. But there are kids who have already started school and are missing those activities that only a traditional school can "offer."

[Kamille]

You're right. That only applies to young kids. My kids were too young to go to school before the pandemic. The first time they went to 'school' was in their room in front of a computer. However, I have niece and nephews whose lives were put on a halt during the start of the lockdown when there weren't even allowed to go out of the house. It was a very long vacation that turn really boring after a few months. Thankfully, they have already adapted to blended learning, but they still miss going to school, seeing their friends, and all the fun school activities they used to do in a traditional set up.
I guess the real struggle for me would be when my kids transition from online to traditional learning. I can now imagine they wouldn't let me leave them in school

[mjmnl]

In our case, my nephews who have experienced the classroom setting have been doing well in their online classes. They've been missing their friends and teachers but they are still learning. On the other hand, my niece who has just started attending school last year has been struggling. It was hard for her to learn her first lessons online. It's different for all kids and even adults.

[mjmnl]

It really affects the children's socialization skills. Though kids are really more tech-savvy than us adults and I'm surprised how my nephews were able to connect to their friends through Facebook messenger and imessage at such a young age. Imagine being alive during the Spanish flu pandemic and not having any instant form of communication that we have nowadays. It will turn kids and adults crazy thinking about their loved ones. 🤯

[Kamille]

I agree. Being a 90s kid who grew up playing outdoors, I am grateful for internet especially during the start of lockdown when we have to lock the kids at home. Sure there are books, they can learn other skills and enhance their imagination; we did turn out okay without/minimal internet back in the day anyway. But today, they can communicate with other people through video calls and online forums. They can meet classmates, new friends, teachers, cousins and relatives online. They can watch all documentaries, educational videos, without going back and forth to video rentals. Its not the same, but I'm glad technology made it easier for us to continue with our lives during this pandemic.

[mjmnl]

It's true! There are pros and cons to everything. For now, the advantage of having this advanced technology outweighs the disadvantages.
I find social media toxic and I try to tell my nephews to not be too comfortable about posting on social media. But upon reading this article (https://schools.au.reachout.com/arti...d-social-media) on how the internet specifically social media benefits the youth, I have come to accept that times have changed and there are really platforms that help develop a person's personality without the need for a face to face encounter.

[Kamille]

Its typhoon season from where I am and low bandwidth and slow internet connection, sometimes even power outages, are bound to happen anytime. Its difficult to rely on technology during these times when no physical books are available at hand.

[mjmnl]

Same here. We are provided with one of the slowest internet connection given its steep price. When we travel abroad, even as tourists, mobile data available are so fast. It is worthwhile to pay the price they ask for. I hope the providers or government (whoever has control over the price and service) can mitigate this issue in our country. It's even harder now that we are all mostly studying and working from home.