Online Education Is WAY Different Than Regular Instruction

I have taken online classes in the past, and most summer courses are taught online. However, when I took online classes in the past two years, I took them by choice. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I signed up to take them. Due to the circumstances we're living in this year, regular face-to-face instruction isn't really a feasible choice.

While some courses have chosen to remain in person, the class times have been adjusted to accommodate for fewer people in the classroom. Students and professors are also being asked to wear masks in any public space on campus and can suffer serious consequences if they don't comply. Most professors have chosen an online format for their classes, and many of these professors either haven't taught online before or prefer to teach their class in person.

In online classes, you have to hold yourself more accountable for completing your assignments on time and reading the material necessary to succeed in the class. This isn't a great thing for a lot of people. When I have taken a mix of online and in-person classes in the past, I used the in-person classes as a structure to help me stay in the "school" mindset to complete my work. Now that I don't need to go to campus at any point during the week, I am struggling to maintain focus on my schoolwork.

It also doesn't help when your school decides to change education platforms. For instance, my university recently switched from Blackboard to Canvas. Personally, I prefer Blackboard. I know a lot of teachers are scrambling to learn how to use the platform, and the students are suffering from it. It's a learning curve for all of us, conveniently at the worst time possible.

Online learning will be a challenge, especially for the rising freshmen. They just came from total face-to-face instruction and have to figure out how to complete all of their education online successfully. Luckily, every student in the nation is feeling this struggle right now. We need to support each other in this time and offer help where we can.