The pros, cons, and worries
If you are currently attending classes, or have taken the time to remain informed about the upcoming fall semester, you’re aware that UFV is currently only offering online courses, and will remain this way for the foreseeable future.
The transition into online learning began back in March when the university closed its campuses as a precaution against the global COVID-19 crisis. The sudden move to online for the remainder of the winter semester left many with the new stress of adjusting to online learning as well as studying for finals, in the cases where they weren’t cancelled. The summer semester had more time to transition into online learning, and the extra preparation can be felt. With the fall semester having even more time and student feedback to iron out any last kinks, there are certain things that have not been addressed which have me nervous.
There are many reasons to enjoy online learning. The classes I’ve been enrolled in have been work at your own pace as long as you meet assignment deadlines. For those who prefer working at their own pace and on their own, this is a very effective way to learn. The course is a reading-intensive course, something I have not taken up to this point. While that kind of in-depth academic reading can occasionally feel overwhelming, it has been fun to really deep dive into a subject. Additionally, it has been instrumental in the development of a good note-taking strategy for reading-intensive courses. It also cannot be ignored that I am someone who can feel extreme levels of anxiety and can be easily overwhelmed when in places I don’t know very well. The added relief of not really having an assigned class time has also helped when I have suffered a particularly bad panic attack, as the course work can almost always be moved to a time when I feel better.
While there are several good points to the online learning experience, there are still things to worry about with the idea of a full course load of online learning. As previously stated, I get overwhelmed easily and like having time to recharge my battery as it were. Having many intense classes feels like it’s going to be a recipe for academic disaster. I’ve also yet to have the experience of a consistent online classroom-based scenario. The one video conference class I attended during the winter semester left me overwhelmed from the amount of people talking and anxious that the feeling of being overwhelmed was going to cause me to miss some key information.
Another major thing that causes me stress about the switch to online learning is the fact that the most effective way for me to learn is through audio lectures. Not everyone has the same core learning style, and while I can imagine online learning to be particularly effective for visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic learners may feel like the system is not suited to their needs. I have yet to see anything to ease this particular concern. Online learning also feels less personable. Without being at the same place at the same time, there are far fewer interactions between students, an underappreciated tool in gaining a better understanding of both the material being discussed but also the different viewpoints people can approach the same material from.
The online learning period has been a mostly positive experience. While there are some concerns as we move forward into continued online learning, I’m certain that the university will try its best to accommodate most of the students’ concerns. If handled correctly, responding to feedback and offering explanations for confused students, continued online learning could turn out to be one of the university’s most valuable tools.
Illustration: Kayt Hine/The Cascade
