We’re Losing Marks!
How students are adjusting to online learning
Online schooling is a challenge. It can be difficult to stay motivated, to concentrate, and it is certainly not fun. There is limited interaction with friends, next to no opportunities to meet new people. Thanks, COVID! With Lakehead taking every precaution to protect students and faculty by not having in-person classes in the fall, there was a lot of hope among students for the winter semester to be in person and on campus. Sadly, we lost hope quickly, with the president of Lakehead releasing a statement that classes would continue online for the remainder of the school year. With many students already frustrated with the online system, experiencing issues with their internet, teaching themselves the material, and the cost of learning increasing with a decrease in services that the school typically offers, this news was hard to take. So how are students handling this decision and the online schooling so far?
William Boley, a third-year student at the Orillia campus who often thrives in class, says bluntly, “I hate it, it sucks. It’s just so easy to lose motivation and some aren’t even classes. It is just ‘read the textbook, here are the notes and have fun!’” Another anonymous student agreed, “It’s overwhelming at times and you never get a break because there is always something to do.” They went on to say that “my head often hurts because you’re studying on a laptop, reading, testing and everything on the screen, but I have also learned to set more time aside”.
One anonymous student also discusses the difficulties associated with moving participation and classroom discussion online, explaining that “online learning has been extremely demanding- students are now relying on their grammatical ability more than anything just to get by. We used to just discuss in class and get marks but now it’s picked apart as a post. Ridiculous.”
And this myriad of challenges are taking their toll, with many students finding their marks are suffering as they struggle to time-manage and motivate themselves to do school work. Staying home most of the day on the computer is a task in itself, with many distractions and the temptation to easily click off of a lecture or sleep through it.
Although Matthew Leclair knows that online learning is the best way to keep students safe, he is disappointed with the reality of online schooling and laments, “Overall I’m glad we can get something to do, but it just does not feel like quality learning. I know no one even feels like they’re really in school, and I feel it’s more difficult to focus. Also, school is a place to socialize as well and make connections to aid learning. The online environment takes away most of the enjoyable aspects of school.” The social aspect is a critical component of schooling, and it’s absence in some cases is making it harder to be attentive.
Other students, like Faith, are less troubled by online schooling. She notes, “it’s fine, I did this in high school and a lot of online last year so I am cool with it.” Although online university has been accepted by most students as the best way to keep everyone safe, the negative impact it has had on both grades and student morale are clear, and more work on Lakehead’s part is sorely needed if the online winter semester is to be a success.
If you or someone you know is struggling with online schooling or with their mental health, Lakehead University has resources to help. The resource information can be found under the university health and wellness page or student success. In some cases this assistance can be covered through OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) or the LUSU benefit plan.