2020 was quite a year˳ Even before the pandemic, online course was growing leaps and bounds˳ In 2018, according to the National Clearing House for Education Statistics, there were almost 7 million people enrolled in accredited online courses in the United States˳ That number doesn’t include, private or non-credit training programs˳ It was estimated in late spring of 2020, over 90% of students were taking courses at some point online because of the virus˳ But with all these changes, I thought it would be interesting to compare what teachers and students thought about online teaching since the dust… or maybe shock and transition, has settled a little˳
I started searching through blog posts and articles of what teachers and students were saying about online teaching/instruction in 2020 and here is a little of what I found˳
TEACHERS
1˳ Teachers were shocked by how much work online teaching was and can be˳ Many teachers said that they had never compared an online course to a traditional course before as far as content and workload˳ They were surprised by how much research was involved to build the course, time it took to develop the course and that their in-person lesson activities didn’t always work well in that format˳ It took them a lot of time to learn the learning management or delivery system and were surprised by how much time it took to check in with students, grade assignments and posts/discussion boards˳
2˳ Teachers were also surprised at the differences in communication˳ Establishing presence and relationships and delivering timely and appropriate feedback were very different˳
3˳ Technology overload˳ For teachers that are just starting, it can be so overwhelming to sift through all of the wonderful and cool technology tools that are out there˳ It can also be overwhelming thinking about technology that you have never used before, instructional design issues and accessibility compliance˳ Most came to the realization that they used enough to get the job done and be effective˳
4˳ If the teachers are tired, what about the students? Teachers were perplexed by how to keep students engaged and interested virtually or online˳ There was a big learning curve figuring out how to get students to complete assignments, participate in class and stay motivated˳ Many realized that deadlines, flexibility and consistency were necessities˳ Many teachers listed the importance of checking in with students throughout the course as well as sharing ideas, concerns and thoughts with other colleagues˳ Utilize your school and other colleagues to offer tips, advice and insights about teaching online˳
STUDENTS
1˳ Students generally liked learning at their own pace especially if they were in a different time zone˳
2˳ They wanted instructors to provide more clarity or direction in instructions and expectations˳ They also wanted more virtual office-hours to ask questions instead of through email˳ Students also asked for more timely feedback˳
3˳ Too much work! Not all students have access to fast internet services which made taking tests and finals difficult˳ Some instructors break testing down to smaller quizzes but this increases the workload for students through the week˳ It is also important for instructors to gauge how much time it takes students to complete readings and assignments correctly˳
4˳ I need a break please˳ Zoom fatigue is real˳ Students asked for breaks from the webcam, opportunities to stretch or do a different activity to break up lectures˳ They also asked for varied types of activities so that it wasn’t the same thing over and over˳
5˳ Students wanted to have social interactions with peers˳ A benefit of online courses is that students may interact with other students they might not have previously˳ Many students reported that class discussions helped them engage with the material while facilitating social connections˳
6˳ Show your Personality˳ Students actually like it when your dog is barking or that there was something interesting in the background˳ They want to build and form relationships with you˳ Sharing bits of your personality and life are ways that you can do that˳ It also encourages persistence and participation˳
Teachers have a lot of pressure on them to deliver quality education correctly˳ The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many educators, who never in their wildest dreams thought they would, to teach online˳ The silver lining by looking at both sides of the coin is that students don’t seem to be looking for perfection, they are still looking for a social and engaging learning experience˳ They want to get to know you and want you to keep their interest˳ So, teachers don’t fret˳ Keep doing what you are doing and delivering courses the best way that you can˳ Utilize resources that you have and reach out to colleagues or experts to help you get through this˳ The students seem to be learning and adjusting just fine˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?What-Do-Teachers-and-Students-Think-of-Online-Learning-After-2020?&id=10392803
