Remote Learning

The pros, the cons and the facts.

Since just after Christmas we've been back under national lockdown. Three months on, Easter fast approaching, things are starting to reopen but very gradually and the university will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. This semester I have been studying entirely online with a mixture of being at home and being in my term-time residence.

Studying at home wasn't easy. There were too many distractions and my mind wasn't in the right place to get work done. Being back in Aberdeen has helped a lot. Having a space that is dedicated to work and living a similar lifestyle to those around me has been hugely beneficial for my productivity. I've been able to develop something of a routine and adapt to the situation fairly well.

In previous years, the benefits of attending lectures were constantly drilled into us. We were shown studies proving that we learn better in person in an attempt to boost lecture attendance rates and as the given reason for certain schools not releasing lecture recordings. Now, in light of the pandemic, the university has changed its tune entirely and is claiming that remote learning is just as effective.

There are undeniable benefits of online learning. For instance, you have a lot more freedom to manage your time as you wish. With so many classes being asynchronous, there is space to fit your classes to your desired schedule and work at your own pace. If you want to study at odd times of the day or study less on some days than others, this is the time when you can. However, this also comes with its disadvantages, namely that the lack of schedule can sometimes make it harder to stay on track and keep on top of the workload. It requires a lot more organisation, self motivation and independence to manage time effectively.

Another benefit is that you can watch the lectures at your preferred speed, pausing where necessary to take notes, speeding the video up or slowing it down to suit your own learning. This is my favourite thing about online lectures as it overcomes the difficulties of having a lecturer that skips to the next slide before you've finished copying something down or someone who takes twenty minutes to explain something that could've only taken five.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not but remote learning gives plenty of room for multi-tasking. For instance, I can do some knitting while I'm in a class. Again, not sure if it's a good thing but not seeing anybody means you don't really need to put any effort into your appearance. I've been wearing trackies and a fleece just about every single day this semester.

The worst thing about remote learning is the lack of social interaction. When you go to classes in person there's usually some time for chatting, whether that's waiting for the lecturer to arrive, walking home or to the library together afterwards or even during class discussions. Online there's none of that and it can feel very impersonal. You turn up to the class, normally nobody has their camera on so you might not even know what your classmates look like, the teacher leads the discussion and then you all leave again. There's no opportunity for one-to-one conversation, except perhaps in breakout rooms but then it's usually a limited amount of time with a specific task to complete. This term, if I didn't make an effort to reach out to people, I would probably never speak to anyone except my flatmate.

Another downside is you're stuck in the house all day, staring at a screen. I miss the walk between buildings which at least allows you to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. Now a days I really struggle to get my step count up and the exercise I do is a conscious effort. What has really helped me has been working out with others. My flatmates and I have a regular 8:30am workout slot and this has been great for creating a bit of a routine and it's a good substitute for the gym. I also use podcasts to inspire me to go for a walk every day.

Finally, a problem with online learning is you don't have to try so hard. Online assessments aren't generally monitored or timed which means you don't need to memorise information. We get fewer exams and more essays and presentations. These have their pros and their cons. I do like the essays and presentations because I think they give everyone the opportunity to get to grips with the material, understand it and apply it in a more practical way. Essays and presentations give you transferable skills that will be useful in most careers, more so than timed multiple choice quizzes or high pressure exam environments I think. On the downside, personally I'm better at the exam-style assessment and the revision process helps me to remember the course material for longer.

Participating in class can be hard and sometimes there are technical issues but on the whole everything runs as it should. It seems that some people find it easier to participate online and others find it harder. I like that there is a "raise hand" function which allows quieter members of the class to indicate that they wish to speak and the chat function enables you to type something if you prefer not to turn on your mic. Additionally, I think the screen gives you something of a shield of anonymity which can sometimes be nice and allow people to communicate more freely.

Overall, I do miss in-person-teaching but I feel that I have been able to adapt quite well to the online learning environment. I think the university has done a good job with the transition and things are running as well as can be expected given the circumstances. The pandemic has forced all of us to embrace new technologies and platforms and it has brought about a lot of social change. I'm looking forward to seeing more people and feeling more involved with the student community when campus reopens, hopefully in the not too distant future.