You may not have given online learning much thought before the COVID-19 virus swept every part of the globe. Perhaps you overheard rumours that online classes were simple or that you could sit for finals and no one would know. It’s best to distinguish fact from fantasy before you enrol in online courses. Read along as this article debunks the most common misconceptions regarding online education.
You are Unable to Communicate with your Teachers or Classmates
Video chats and discussion rooms have become commonplace on remote learning platforms. Your professor may probably host virtual “office hours” for individuals who need a little additional help or have questions. Some professors set up a Facebook group or other online forums to make things easier for the students. There are multiple avenues to ask doubts and do discussions with classmates in an online classroom, just as there are in social media.
Faculty for an Online Class is Available 24/7
Although your course information is accessible 24/7, and you may be “in-class” in the dead of night, your professor is unlikely to be. No one is available every minute of the day! If you contact your professor at 2:00 a.m. while working on your topic of study, you are unlikely to receive an instant answer. Your professor will inform you of their availability and when and how frequently they will be online or available. They may specify that they will answer the course email during specified hours or try their best to reply within 24/48 hours of getting the email. Some people will declare they don’t read email on weekends, while others will give their phone numbers. There is no fixed norm, and you may expect each professor to have their own rules.
Interaction isn’t Required in an Online Course
Interactivity is vital in an online course, even if contact mechanisms differ from those in a traditional course. You will be more engaged with the topic, but you’ll also be more engaged with your peers through an online conversation and maybe collaborative group projects. You can occasionally get by sitting in silence in the class while others actively converse and engage in a typical course. This isn’t the case in the online world. Everyone’s contributions are valued equally as crucial components of the process of learning, and whether you contribute or not is obvious. Most professors will grade your involvement as part of the overall grade.
It is Less Difficult for the Teachers
Some people assume that the educator is on vacation and that it is their responsibility to make their children study. It’s not true! These professors spent their entire careers teaching on a blackboard or whiteboard, being physically there in front of their pupils and analyzing what else needed to be done based on their expressions. To prepare for the long classes, they had to overnight turn to their computer monitors, build from zero, understand how to initiate Zoom calls, and overwork. All of this was done to continue to educate their students. It is time to promote the teaching profession rather than doubting or questioning it unnecessarily.
As you’ve noticed, there are a lot of misunderstandings regarding online classes, and maybe this article has dispelled some of them. Only you can determine whether online courses are the best fit for you, but consider this: what if they are? Reread this post, ask a buddy, and send an email to a teacher. Then take some time to think before you enrol in online courses. They might be just what you’re hoping for in your studies.