Online Classes: Yay or Nay!
By Sanni Juliet Oluwadarapupo
It all started under the tree, when we learnt with nature, the chirping birds, the passer-by breeze. The ground was our foundation, whether late at night, early in the morning, or during the middle of the day, we were always there. We anticipated what would come out of the mouth of the person who had stolen our attention. Our eyes glued to his face, like a baby waiting for food from its mother. Our countenance moved with his facial expression. It was either a folktale or a story of our heroes' past. Then came civilization, followed by formal education. Physical classrooms became a thing, we now had a structured setting where formal learning took place. I thought that was all, but then the world just has a way of surprising me.
Online learning, also known as E-learning, is a popular form of learning that does not require the physical presence of either the teacher or the students. It is a form of learning where everything is done on the internet. In essence, it is a classroom without a physical setting. The COVID-19 pandemic, which happened in the year 2020, caused a significant impact for schools, prompting them to move from a physical classroom to an online one. At first, it started with having simple conversations on WhatsApp, but it has evolved to include platforms like Zoom and Google meet. Ever since then, online classes never left. We all understood the need for online classes during the COVID -19 pandemic. However, we question why the grip of online classes is so strong even after the pandemic has subsided? We now ask: Has it come here to stay? Has it come to change the educational system around the world?
At the University of Ibadan (UI), online learning did not escape its walls. It has evolved into a dominant form of learning where students from various departments partake of it. It has even exceeded beyond the walls of the traditional classrooms, extending to orientations and inductions, all taking place online. This flexible approach to learning allows students to attend classes from the comfort of their own space. But the question that now persists is, how sustainable is this form of learning?
Due to the unavailability of some lecturers or the insufficient classroom space, which is not large enough to accommodate students from various departments offering a particular course, lecturers are prompted to organize online classes. Online classes have given opportunities for things that would not typically happen in a physical class setting. While a normal, physical class runs from 8 am in the morning to 5pm in the evening, online classes make it possible for classes to be held as early as 5 am in the morning and as late as 9 pm? We are now questioning if, at this point, it was necessary?
Online classes compared to physical classes are capital intensive. This requires you having a smartphone and a stable internet connection, emphasis on the word, ‘stable’. That is, you can have an internet connection that is unstable, which can disrupt the learning flow, hence, making it impossible to focus in class. While being focused is also another aspect of online classes, Tosin expressed her opinion to the press on how she is hardly ever concentrated during online classes. “Well, for everything that I have known so far, online classes are not it for me. I can speak for 40% of the people that most of them only come to online class to sign attendance and just leave.” She further added how some people don’t have phones that can support this form of learning.
This is the fate of most students. Students battle to stay off anything that will distract them, which in some cases are their phones. Now having to be in a class with little or no supervision, gives room for some students to explore other apps like Instagram, TikTok, etc. While some students may not get distracted by their phones, others use this as an opportunity to do other things like cooking, washing clothes or going to the market. We now question the effectiveness of the lectures being taught, knowing that the lecturer will not revisit the topic again.
Opeyeoluwa also shared the same concerns, highlighting the cost of data and the tendency to move to another page. “In this kind of society, online classes are not all that good, when you think about the cost of data and the distractions associated with online classes. Like all you need to say is that you're present and then you can even remain on the call but it's easy to open another page on your phone to do other stuff other than your class work, it's not all that effective.”
While most students attend online classes merely to mark off attendance, others also show up to effectively engage in the class. However, the percentage of the former is always greater than the latter. As a result of technological advancement, online classes have significantly increased in all educational institutions giving room for more forms of learnings that do not require a classroom setting. This development prompts us to consider what the future holds for effective learning?
While advancement is unavoidable, it is important that one has to progress in a way that one is not left behind. What is the advantage of having an online class at the comfort of your space if it’s not going to be effective? Despite being in the era of online classes, traditional classes still play a vital role in teaching. It gives room for the students and teacher to interact physically and track achievements. While online classes have become the new norm, the traditional foundation should not be forgotten.
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