Online courses have been an option for years but since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning and Zoom classes have become more popular and preferred. While these have perks in students’ busy lives, they also have downsides.
These can be so convenient and make life so much easier for a student trying to balance their schedule. Here are the benefits of remote learning.
Say Goodbye To Commuting
Remote classes can cut your commute time in half! With no physical class setting on campus, students don’t need time to get ready and head out the door. You can easily open your laptop when you wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and log in while in your pjs.
Balancing School & Life
I’m a busy person and being able to log into Zoom for an hour or two for class and then get back to doing other stuff has been helpful. Students can most definitely benefit from remote classes for easy scheduling. These classes are easier to fit into a schedule along with other classes, study sessions, extracurriculars, and socializing.
Flexibility
What would happen if there’s a class and you’re not able to be there? With Zoom classes, you can log in from wherever you are. Whether you’re at home sick or on vacation, it’s easy to participate in the class from its limitless locations. Just make sure that area has a good Wi-Fi signal and you’re good.
While these classes can make things easier, many problems make Zoom classes a regret and will stress you out. Here are the downsides.
Bad Internet Connection
Unfortunately, internet signals are not always reliable and we can experience mics not working, buffering, sound problems, and inability to log in. Things like this can stress out students and professors and will take away from the focus of the lecture or discussion.
Lack of Socialization
For shy and introverted students (like me!), we can get too comfortable with turning our cameras and mics off when the class doesn’t require it. For extroverts, it can be hard to interact with people behind the screen with the lack of human contact. When we had to depend on Zoom during the pandemic, lack of contact became the norm and caused so many people to have depression and anxiety years later.
So Many Distractions
Another problem with not having mics and cameras on is the constant distractions that come with it. Having a computer as our classroom can tempt us to do other tasks, such as doing homework for other classes, shopping online, or taking a nap during the lecture. I get distracted in Zoom classes, and one thing that has helped me is writing down notes on paper rather than on my computer.
Remote classes are not always perfect, but they are pretty useful for busy people, and as this is the norm, we’re adjusting to new ways of being in the classroom.