WEEK 12
REFLECTION ON IMPACT OF DISTANCE LEARNING
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Due to the COVID – 19 pandemic, we were forced to move to distance learning half way through the semester. This sudden widespread shift has been tough for a lot of people, me included. Although a lot of research shows that with “sufficient interaction, distributed materials and motivation” (Raja Irfan Sabir, 2014) distance learning should be successful and students should be happy with their experience, I can’t help but notice the negative impact more than the positive – some modules more than others. Yes, there have been positives – I have been able to work at my own pace and I can re-watch lectures that I found tough, where I could not just press rewind in person. But I would personally take the personal interaction over this any day. I felt a disconnect and found it difficult to stay motivated. The only thing that motivated me was a closing deadline. With regards to our practical modules, we were at a serious loss as we did not get to experience the reality of the ever changing design and manufacturing process. Even after weeks of theoretical design, aspects of your design are going to change as you progress – no matter how good your design is. Technology is ever improving and does make it much easier for most of us to engage in distance learning, but a lot of people who live in the country side have found it very difficult to engage in live lectures and Q and A’s. It is unfair to those who do not have a good laptop, fast internet or access to Solid Works. It is hard to reflect on the overall effectiveness of distance learning in the current situation due to the mental effects of this global pandemic. It made me wonder, would I have enjoyed distance learning more if it wasn’t so abruptly forced upon us? I did some external reading and it turns out distance learning is “considered one of the best methods of education”. (Arhorful & Abaidoo 2015) This is because it is flexible, cost effective, allows students to self-pace and it can eliminate barriers. I think if distance learning was optional and your resources were taken into account, it would not be completely ineffective. But you have to be extremely self-motivated and have the necessary resources.
REFERENCES.
Impact of Distance Education on Student performance; pg 474, 2014, Raja Irfan Sabir.
Internal journal of Instructional technology and distance learning, Vol.12, 2015, Valentina Arhorful, Nelly Abaido.
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We as third level students had to adapt very fast to the change in our learning within a couple of days which was a huge shock to take on. Due to the COVID 19 we all had to make changes to our lives and especially our learning. The clear problem that I encountered when it came to the online learning was motivation. I found it extremely hard to motivate myself when it comes to independently looking at lecture material and labs without having to go to these labs and then engaging. I felt in myself that I was just trying to get through the assignments and activities given and not learning in the process, just mindlessly going through the motions. ‘’Distance education can in many aspects be a lonely affair where students are left to motivate themselves and to push through barriers and hurdles with less help and support from peers and teachers, the sense of isolation is ever present’’. (Dickey, 2004;Owens et al. 2009;Venter,2003;Williams et al. 2006). Even though my motivation was lost there was some positives that I gained from the experience and still am experiencing. I felt my independence was challenged and I felt I grew a better responsibility for my own work and not depending on others to keep me in the loop of what deadlines are coming up and how to approach certain things. Of course, another major help was being able to have all your resources like lectures and tutorials have a video to aid in there explanations and being able to really study and rewind videos when needed. I think if all lectures were recorded and tutorials the same were added to the traditional learning experience it would significantly help in students learning ‘’I can pause the lecture at any time in order to make notes, if the lecturer goes too fast – or speed the recording up if the lecturer speaks slowly. Listening to the lecture a second time helps me condense my notes and eliminate the parts of the lecture which are not useful’’. (Williams, A., Birch, E. and Hancock, P. 2012.)
REFERENCES
Williams, A., Birch, E. and Hancock, P. 2012. The impact of online lecture recordings on student performance. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(2), pp. 199 – 213.
(Dickey, 2004;Owens et al. 2009;Venter,2003;Williams et al. 2006).
PN4056 SUMO ROBOT 