Online learning during Covid-19.

"Worldwide there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic. ( World Economic Forum, 2021)."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUivkU53qtk

As the new year came into place and with the covid crisis in the loom, I was still hopeful and looking forward to beginning University. At first, everything seemed normal as usual, however, when we had to switch our classes online, I felt disappointed as my preferred method of learning is in a classroom setting. Nevertheless, I decided to take this as a positive experience…

What went well for me?

One of the advantages of transitioning to online learning was that my daily journey was reduced in time and money. Furthermore, the ease of accessibility was excellent since I could join my lessons from anywhere, whether in a café or my bedroom, which made me feel calm and stress-free because I tend to lose focus in the course. The fact that all of our lessons were videotaped was also quite beneficial. This is beneficial since it allows me to reflect on anything I have overlooked. Furthermore, all of our professors posted class resources such as videos, slides, and podcasts to our online files, which was helpful for me.

What went bad?

Even though I was adjusting to the new norm of online education, there were still occasions that had a detrimental impact on my learning. One of the most agonizing aspects was trying not to zone out or procrastinate during lessons, and because our cameras were turned off, the professors were unaware of this.

During the Covid shutdown in China, data from 433 participants were gathered and submitted to confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling. According to the findings, procrastination was adversely associated with online learning (Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University). Furthermore, the feeling of isolation had a mental impact on me because I missed chatting to my friends in college and things like group work and activities were not feasible owing to social distance. Finally, my reliance on technology was not always ensured, as technological difficulties such as Wi-Fi troubles or malfunctions interfered with my knowledge throughout the class.

How to overcome these challenges?

What I've gained from this experience demonstrates my capacity to be adaptable and resilient in the face of adversity and learn to accept a new way of life. And after speaking with my friends, it was evident that everyone felt overwhelmed at first, but we all found our methods to deal with the issue. I've also learned how to manage my time by making a daily calendar to stay focused and arrange blocks of time for class and studying.

My Daily Time Table

My action plan for the future:

To further improve my learning online, I would like to avoid multitasking. In order to do this, I will Schedule 2-hour time blocks for everything that is important. My two most important tasks are college work and Gym, therefore I will set out two hours for each. I will do this so that my day is not overburdened with pressing chores.

If I don't make time for everything that is important, my day will be crammed with activities that are urgent but not necessarily important. Example: Emails, social media messages, etc. Upon further research, I realized multitasking does not work. It takes time for us to become acquainted with a new work. If we continually switch projects, we will never be able to go deeply enough into anything to be effective. In the book Deep Work, Dr. Cal Newport says that when you switch activities, "your attention doesn’t immediately follow – a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task".

That is why it is preferable to devote two hours to a single task. I'll also take a 10-minute break in between the two hours to refresh. This skill will not only be of benefit to me as a student but also in my future career. For example, I would choose the task that will have the most influence on my company and devote the first two hours of my day to it. According to Dan Ariely, a Duke psychology professor, the first two hours are the most effective.

I attempt to set aside the morning for "serious work." I find that I can focus better in the mornings, however it is more difficult to focus after a day of meetings.

–Nathan Blecharczyk, cofounder of Airbnb

Overall, I now understand how to cope with my classes online and look forward to embracing these new changes with the action plan I have created I am confident I will be able to be a better student at university.

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REFERENCES:

• Inchemistry.acs.org. 2021. How to Succeed in Online Classes During the COVID-19 Pandemic - inChemistry. [online] Available at: <https://inchemistry.acs.org/college-life/transitioning-to-online-classes.html> [Accessed 2 March 2022].

• Liu, R., 2019. Developing work ethic. [online] Lifeclub.org. Available at: <https://lifeclub.org/p/work-ethic> [Accessed 2 March 2022].

• Student Success Tips During COVID-19 | Trulaske College of Business // University of Missouri. Business.missouri.edu. (2021). Retrieved 4 May 2021, from https://business.missouri.edu/programs-admissions/undergraduate/advising/student-success-tips-during-covid-19.

• Xie, K. and Cheng, S., 2021. How college students can avoid procrastinating with online work. [online] How college students can avoid procrastinating with online work. Available at: <https://news.osu.edu/how-college-students-can-avoid-procrastinating-with-online-work/> [Accessed 3 March 2022].