Due to the closure of universities followed by the covid-19 pandemic, many educational institutions started to provide classes online and ICU is one of them too. Although some students are not satisfied with the inability to go to campus and communicate with friends and professors face to face, I would like to address some of the huge benefits of taking classes online. This is because I do think that universities should leave this positive legacy of holding classes online even after the end of this pandemic in order to provide better learning experiences to their students.
First, online classes improve student’s learning because they allow students to use asynchronous and synchronous learning differently depending on the contents they are learning. For example, asynchronous learning known as pre-recorded classes or on-demand classes is better suited for comprehending materials, whereas synchronous learning also known as real-time lectures fits inquiry-based classes more since students and professors can interact each other instantly during discussions. Both type of classes can be recorded for the reviewing purposes, and this ability to have access to lectures anytime, as many times as needed, enables students to remember and understand the information better. Personally, online classes helped me to understand class materials more because I could use as many times as needed to comprehend ideas withought being in rush and feeling insecure thanks to this capability of online lectures to pose anytime and play videos at fast speed.
Second, online classes give studernts flexible choices of where to take classes which leads to greater students’ satisfaction. For instance, a study revelaved that introverted students are more likely to enjoy online classes whereas extroverted students tend to prefer being in a conventional classrooms. How can online classes make better learning environments for students with different needs? The answer is to provide classes in a way of blended synchronous learning. BSL, where professors welcome both students from online and offline at the same time, can create more comfortable classrooms for students with different comfort levels than the traditional classes did. In addition, online classes help students to save money and time from transporting and this helps students especially lives far from the compass including myself. I saved significant amount of time and money this semester and online classes made me free from physical and mental stresses come from being packed in a train and buses with strangers.
The way we learn influences our studying outcome significantly and therefore it is very important to think about our own education and speak up our needs. Since we found many benefits of taking classes online due to the forced situatoin led by the spread of covid-19, I insist that we carry our legacies of online education on so that we can continue learning in a better environments.