COVID-19 has altered many aspects of people’s lives including the way they learn, forcing most students to study online with classes strictly on Zoom and Canvas. Some Bucks students weighed in on their feelings about the prolonged use of online education.
COVID has been around for over a year, taking nearly 500,000 lives across the country. The nation has adapted through the usage of masks and altered social gatherings. One of the biggest changes to normal life due to COVID would be the change in the way education is being taught.
Colleges around the U.S. were forced to figure out a way to provide quality education to their students virtually in the springof 2020 when COVID first rapidly spread. Most turned to online video conference services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
This online style of education has become the backup in mostschools that were fortunate enough to continue. At Bucks, it wasbeen the only choice of instruction for the fall 2020 semester and the spring 2021 semester. Few courses have to meet in person, such as lab-based courses, but most are administered on Zoom.
Some Bucks students are growing weary of virtual education. Stephen Reinard, business major, stated that he finds online classes to be a difficult learning environment.
“I feel that it is harder to learn without being able to ask a question in class to the teacher. It is just different to ask a question on Zoom, or learning without them being able to see if what you’re doing is correct or not,” said Reinard.
Kayla Horn, early education major, said she likes using Zoom for being able to work at her own pace, but she finds herself struggling to pay attention.
“I’m a pretty active person, and I like to be outside doing things. I find it really hard to sit staring at a computer screen for hours a day,” said Horn.
On the other hand, there are students that find the virtual classroom experience to be much more flexible and easier to deal with.
Andrew Smith, engineering major, said there are a few good things about having online classes.
“I like online classes. It’s much easier not having to commute, and it’s also much better for when I have big breaks between classes,” said Smith.
When asked if he felt if there was a change in how he was learning, he replied, “I’d say I’m learning better as it’s taught me to rely more on myself and at the same time, other than connection issues, it’s much easier to commit to actually going to classes.”