BY ALYSSA SHADIK
It probably comes as no surprise to hear that COVID-19 has affected education. Beyond the obvious changes from face-to-face to online learning, many students have reported that learning has become more difficult.
In addition, teachers have commented that online teaching is more complicated than in-person and that even in-person school is not the same as before COVID-19. Several students and faculty at Gabriel Richard Catholic High School were interviewed to get a better understanding of the effects of online learning.
When asked, “what is the hardest thing about online learning?” several students answered that besides being a teenager and wanting to stay up too late, the hardest thing about online learning was the difficulty of paying attention during class. There were many distractions around the student’s homes, and many teachers attempted to “slow down” instruction, which caused many students to become disengaged in the lesson.
According to one teacher, she struggled to form connections with students. The hybrid schedule helped to keep students safe, but the in-person and then remote rotation resulted in superficial relationships.
When students were asked, “what have you noticed differences in your classmates’ work ethic compared to last year?” they replied that work ethic has definitely deteriorated compared to last year. Students were not as motivated because they felt it was easier to work online. One teacher observed that she thought the students were more tech-savvy as a result of needing to shift to 100 percent online for significant periods of time. Besides the new difficulty faced in student-teacher interactions, she also mentioned that she observed new students struggling to build friendships with each other.
When asked, “what is one thing you wish you had done differently in the beginning?” students reported needing to have been more disciplined and organized. For example, setting up space at a table or desk versus laying down on their bed would have made online school feel more like school.
Being taught virtually and having more free time due to sports and activities being canceled, led to increased procrastination among students. This led to higher stress levels among many students. The main area in which improvement is needed, according to one teacher, is to have a better method of getting students to interact during the virtual classes. The teachers also noticed the disengagement on the part of many students.
When queried, “what one thing do you wish you would have known before starting online school?” students reported that they were surprised how difficult staying focused would be during online school. They wished they would have known to do a better job paying attention in class.
Many expected it to be easier to stay on track online, but the lack of engagement during class made tests more difficult. Several teacher’s perspectives were exactly the same. One wishes that she had known the difficulty in engaging with students in virtual instruction.
It is clear that both students and faculty see the many flaws inherent in online education. The key struggle appears to be a lack of student engagement. With the return of face-to-face instruction five days a week, many in the GR community look forward to building relationships and having a more structured day. The GR administration hopes that with this structure that the students will be able to stay engaged in their work.
Alyssa Shadik is a sophomore at Gabriel Richard High School.