Remote Learning Is The New Black
By Shamar Bryce
(5/10/21)
Education has changed from what we know to a new adaption of learning, due to a pandemic that swept across the world.
The shift from in-person learning to remote learning has been beneficial for student succession in education but provides obstacles for the mental health of some students. Students are still adjusting to this new approach to learning but there’s still hope for academic success.
Remote learning was implemented in March 2020 after in-person learning seized to be a good option when it came to preventing the spread of coronavirus. The shift from in-person learning to remote learning wasn’t an effortless transition at first for college students because it meant no in-person interactions with classmates or teachers. According to College Crisis Initiative, “More than 1200 colleges and schools in over 50 states were affected by the covid-19 pandemic.” This led to “44% of institutions adapting fully to online learning platforms. 21% of colleges adopting a hybrid model of learning and 27% of institutions continued with face-to-face learning fully.”
The widespread reactions to the disruption in society caused differing methods of learning to keep students actively learning and engaging in a socially adjacent environment. The overall impact of remote learning heavily affected the motivation and mental health of students who need social interaction to be successful in education. Researchers found that “63 percent of students pass traditional courses, but just 56 percent pass online classes”, according to USA Today. This indicates that some students still struggled with having to adapt to a different style of learning than they were used to which led to obstacles that could have been avoided if they had the luxury of interacting with other students and their professors in person rather than through a technological device.
It’s important to recognize that besides educational obstacles that were opposed on students due to the transition to remote learning, there were also long-term obstacles that discouraged individuals as well. For example, in Lilah Burke’s, “Moving Into the Long Term”, she discusses the challenges that students face due to the implementation of remote learning and what it meant for their college experience while also explaining benefits to remote learning. In the article, Burke quotes a developmental psychologist, Amy Bintliff who goes in-depth about the mix-up between expectation and reality for students. Bintliff states, “They’re negotiating multiple identities, new identities. Some students’ abilities to reach out and test new identities might not be as fulfilling because students seem to, during the pandemic, stick to people they already know.”
Students come to college to experience coming-of-age moments like graduation, internships, study abroad, or other momentous moments that are pivotal in an individual’s college career. Due to the pandemic, students were restricted from participating in these events so they lost the chance of creating new connections and making new social interactions with people. Individuals missing out on these events “lead youth to experience feelings of loss and a range of emotions, such as disappointment, sadness, anger, frustration and anxiety.” In addition, these feelings can also be likely “echoed by their family members who were looking forward to the same events.” (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) which causes the perception that students put in hard work for no reward to commemorate their success. Students were limited to only talking to people they knew which could be friends or family members.
Although, the overall determination of some students has been altered due to the pandemic and the shift to remote learning, there are various benefits in the progression of education. “85% of online students (undergraduate and graduate) who previously took both face-to-face and online courses felt their distance learning experience was the same or better compared to a classroom-based course.” (Education Data). A large majority of online students are still experiencing the same education they were before and thought that it was more impactful when compared to in-person classes. Not only that but according to Education Data, “Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 saw an increase of enrollment at primarily online institutions, with a 7% increase, compared to 5% in Spring 2020.” More students are getting comfortable with the idea of remote learning which means that the state of education will continue to flourish even through difficulties that arise from COVID-19.
It’s important to recognize the experience of students who have gone through the transition to remote learning and are currently taking remote classes. One student in particular, Gemma Franzetti from Manhattan College shares her experience of having hybrid classes (remote and in-person classes) and how that shift has affected her education for the better or for the worse. Below is a podcast of an interview with Ms. Franzetti as she details the state of her higher education today.
The shift from in-person learning to remote learning has been beneficial for student succession in education but provides obstacles for the mental health of some students. Students are still adjusting to this new approach to learning but there’s still hope for academic success.
Remote learning was implemented in March 2020 after in-person learning seized to be a good option when it came to preventing the spread of coronavirus. The shift from in-person learning to remote learning wasn’t an effortless transition at first for college students because it meant no in-person interactions with classmates or teachers. According to College Crisis Initiative, “More than 1200 colleges and schools in over 50 states were affected by the covid-19 pandemic.” This led to “44% of institutions adapting fully to online learning platforms. 21% of colleges adopting a hybrid model of learning and 27% of institutions continued with face-to-face learning fully.”
The widespread reactions to the disruption in society caused differing methods of learning to keep students actively learning and engaging in a socially adjacent environment. The overall impact of remote learning heavily affected the motivation and mental health of students who need social interaction to be successful in education. Researchers found that “63 percent of students pass traditional courses, but just 56 percent pass online classes”, according to USA Today. This indicates that some students still struggled with having to adapt to a different style of learning than they were used to which led to obstacles that could have been avoided if they had the luxury of interacting with other students and their professors in person rather than through a technological device.
It’s important to recognize that besides educational obstacles that were opposed on students due to the transition to remote learning, there were also long-term obstacles that discouraged individuals as well. For example, in Lilah Burke’s, “Moving Into the Long Term”, she discusses the challenges that students face due to the implementation of remote learning and what it meant for their college experience while also explaining benefits to remote learning. In the article, Burke quotes a developmental psychologist, Amy Bintliff who goes in-depth about the mix-up between expectation and reality for students. Bintliff states, “They’re negotiating multiple identities, new identities. Some students’ abilities to reach out and test new identities might not be as fulfilling because students seem to, during the pandemic, stick to people they already know.”
Students come to college to experience coming-of-age moments like graduation, internships, study abroad, or other momentous moments that are pivotal in an individual’s college career. Due to the pandemic, students were restricted from participating in these events so they lost the chance of creating new connections and making new social interactions with people. Individuals missing out on these events “lead youth to experience feelings of loss and a range of emotions, such as disappointment, sadness, anger, frustration and anxiety.” In addition, these feelings can also be likely “echoed by their family members who were looking forward to the same events.” (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) which causes the perception that students put in hard work for no reward to commemorate their success. Students were limited to only talking to people they knew which could be friends or family members.
Although, the overall determination of some students has been altered due to the pandemic and the shift to remote learning, there are various benefits in the progression of education. “85% of online students (undergraduate and graduate) who previously took both face-to-face and online courses felt their distance learning experience was the same or better compared to a classroom-based course.” (Education Data). A large majority of online students are still experiencing the same education they were before and thought that it was more impactful when compared to in-person classes. Not only that but according to Education Data, “Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 saw an increase of enrollment at primarily online institutions, with a 7% increase, compared to 5% in Spring 2020.” More students are getting comfortable with the idea of remote learning which means that the state of education will continue to flourish even through difficulties that arise from COVID-19.
It’s important to recognize the experience of students who have gone through the transition to remote learning and are currently taking remote classes. One student in particular, Gemma Franzetti from Manhattan College shares her experience of having hybrid classes (remote and in-person classes) and how that shift has affected her education for the better or for the worse. Below is a podcast of an interview with Ms. Franzetti as she details the state of her higher education today.
The long-term affects of remote learning is still unknown but students are still able to continue their educations and learn in a unique way that allows them to still engage with their peers and succeed in education.
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