LEC052035.Priyanka.Adverse Effects of Online Learning.

 

Adverse Effects of Online Learning

 

The new pervasive infection caused due to Covid-19 has made an environment of confusion which has winced individuals into their own homes to keep up friendly distance because of the burden from one side of the country to the other and confined lockdowns all around the world. This has prompted falling economies as well as malignantly influenced the educational system as a whole. The pandemic brought revolutionary changes across the globe which even turned a student’s life upside down when educational sector is alone considered. Even though the worldwide lockdown shook the education and academic calendar soon online classes were conducted by all the institutions to continue the teaching and learning process during a deadly pandemic which was followed by a lockdown.

online learning is not a new term or method of learning for people of 21^st century but with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic it became the only possible way to teach and learn. The physical “brick and mortar” classroom started to lose its monopoly as the place of learning. The Internet has made online learning possible but this sudden forced shift has brought many adverse effects in the field of education.

Students can learn a lot from being in the company of their friends and by interacting with teachers. However, in an online class, there is no scope for physical interactions between students and teachers. students undergo loneliness, remoteness and a lack of interaction. This often results in a sense of isolation with  heightened stress and anxiety for the students. They are kept away from a normal lively atmosphere of a classroom with lack of proper face to face communication and they are left with no choice but to learn through online mode in an isolated place, here education gets confined to a single computer screen. This can badly affect both the mental and physical health of an individual.

In a normal classroom, teachers and students can have lively interactions regarding the subject. In such cases students can quickly and directly clear their problems that they are facing regarding the curriculum. This interaction has a positive impact on students, as it makes learning much easier and remarkable, all the while raising the motivation levels of the students. Hence lack of self-motivation among the students continues to be one of the primary reasons why students fail to succeed or perform their best through online learning. In a physically present classroom, there are many elements which strongly force students to achieve their learning goals. Communication and healthy interactions with professors, engaging in learning activities with friends and strict routines all work in unison to keep the students from falling off track during their studies.

When students sit at their home in the most comfortable environment there are fewer external factors which motivate students to put their best in learning. Most of the times, the students are left alone to deal with their learning activities, without anyone constantly persuading them towards their learning goals. Students taking online classes will find that they are often required to learn difficult materials without any of the added pressure normally associated with normal colleges. As a result, keeping up with regular deadlines during online studies can become difficult for those students who lack strong self-motivation and time management skills. Its is also to be acknowledged that many students struggle to invest their full attention on focusing on the screen for a long time. With online learning, it is easy to drift the student’s attention to social media or other sites.

Another major issue of online education is internet connectivity. While internet connectivity has developed in an unimaginable way through the years, in smaller cities, towns and remote villages, a stable network connection with normal speed is a still a major concern. Without a stable internet connection for students or teachers, there can be a lack of continuity and interruptions while teaching and learning. This can very badly affect the education process. Online learning can cause great amount of difficulty to students and teachers who are not familiar with the use of computer and latest technologies as well. In a country like India there is still a large gap in computer literacy in the population. Until such gaps in society exist, online education will not be able to reach all citizens and this can lead to alienation of a set of people which can even push them farther from the educated crowd.

It is a major concern that students may face health hazards because of spending so many hours staring at a screen. This increase in screen time is one of the biggest concerns and disadvantages of online learning. Sometimes students also develop bad posture and other physical problems due to staying hooked in front of a screen. Affordability, lack of communicational skill development and time management issues are other disadvantages. The disadvantages of online learning outweigh its bright side hence it is advisable to consider e-learning as a temporary solution amidst a pandemic but not a permanent way of learning. let education change the world for better.

 

Work Cited

 

Bell, Bradford S., and Jessica E. Federman. “E-Learning in Postsecondary Education.” The Future of Children, vol. 23, no. 1, 2013, pp. 165–185. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23409493. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Environment Based on Different Learning Styles.” Journal of Educational Technology & Society, vol. 11, no. 1, 2008 Buket Akkoyunlu, and Meryem Yilmaz Soylu. “A Study of Student's Perceptions in a Blended Learning, pp. 183–193. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.11.1.183. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Tamm, Sander. "Disadvantages of E-learning." e-student org. 21 Dec. 2019, e-student.org/disadvantages-of-e-learning/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

Valentina, Arkorful. "The role of e-learning, the advantages and disadvantages in its adoption in Higher Education." International Journal of Education and Research, vol. 2, no. 12, 2014, pp. 402-404.