Resisting Normal Learning after COVID-19
Why I don’t want to go back to the learning of when times were normal.
BY: PAYAL DASS
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This past year has been a challenge for all of us to push through. For just over a year now, we have been trying to protect each other by staying home and avoiding the people we care about the most. The concept of physical distancing has been ingrained into every place we go—from grocery stores to medical centres, the list of restrictions put on our lives is seemingly endless.
This global pandemic has deeply affected many’s physical and mental health, economy, and lifestyles. The everlasting effects of an event that put the world to a standstill have really changed the way we think about health and the privileges we previously took for granted in our otherwise ‘normal’ lives. They have also taught us a lot about how humans collective behave in society.
As homo sapiens, socializing is in our nature and is a necessity for our survival as a species. I know how hard it is to resist the temptations of hanging out with your friends and family. I also know that thinking for ourselves and making our own decisions is a value we cherish as a Canadian society, so we hate being told what to do—especially being told to be confined into one building for an entire year.
I acknowledge that I am fortunate to have technology at my disposal, unlike those who do not have the resources. I also admit that I wouldn’t have managed to stay on track if it weren’t for the constant contact I had with people at the touch of my fingertips.
But from where I’m viewing this year-long situation, there have been new customs, habits, and ways of living that are going to be hard to let go of when things gradually start to revert to the world we loved before COVID-19. However, one thing I can safely say is that if I had the choice, I would refuse to go back to in-person learning.
As a human first and a student second, most of us can agree that technology has made it feel easier to keep in touch, see people ‘live,’ and learn while staying safe and from the comfort of our homes. Online meetings that involve both audio and video to fulfil the social drive for people may not be the best option, but it is one thing I am willing to compromise for the convenience of learning from home.
I must also address that society has become more dependent on these technologies and how convenient it has made everything in our lives. I no longer have to worry about commuting on a daily basis. The average time spent on a one-way commute is about 27 minutes which means an average of almost an hour each day is spent commuting to and from school. Not to mention, there is a notable amount of stress linked to commuting. For example, more than 30 minutes of daily one-way commute is linked to an increased level of stress and anxiety. Not only does learning online save time and reduce stress, but it also creates a safe, online environment for school organizations and learning that can potentially reach a wider audience.
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Club meetings, classes, social events, volunteering, and work have all been made to accommodate students with access to technology so they could still participate in opportunities that they were interested in—virtually.
For example, my high school graduation and first-year university experience have been very unconventional. Still upset about not getting the same in-person experiences as everyone else, but I have managed to be optimistic and I am aware of certain benefits I’ve had during this pandemic.
The second half of my high school experience was mainly online. As this online teaching system was still new to staff and students, there was less pressure on students to do well. We had the leisure to finish assignments at our own pace while also managing to give ourselves a lot of time to relax and budget times towards hobbies we loved.
Many students have found that they learn better at their own pace. Most of the time, remote learning means students can wake up later. Excess sleep is shown to relieve stress and keep students more focused on their work throughout the day. Students can also create their own schedules with budgeted time towards their classes and breaks in-between.
Photo by Utpala Ghosh via Posthood
For an introvert like myself, I have experienced many benefits that have lowered my stress caused by social interactions. Since these are no longer face-to-face interactions, and at most, are just conversations about class topics through a microphone. I have found that I have participated more, making me a better and more active learner. In fact, many introverts have found the confidence to share their ideas with peers. Introverts have also found the time to prepare for their social interactions which ultimately made them more effective communicators with growing confidence in their learning capabilities.
My university experience, although new, was not hard to transition to. Unlike high school, the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) is a completely new institution for me with a completely different grading system, culture, and social environment. Unluckily for me, I haven’t spent much time on campus and haven’t gotten to get a real taste of university life.
Every first-year student is welcomed through orientation week, also known as FROSH. This school year, it was held on the video-telephone software program Zoom over the course of four to five nights. Although it served as a fun introduction to our experience on campus—or in this case the online campus, I felt like it did not do full justice regarding experience for the students participating.
I remember constantly complaining to my parents, friends, and older cousins about how I wasn’t going to get the same life experiences as everyone else. I was so upset that I wouldn’t be getting the fun orientation to the community I am going to spend some of the most crucial years of my life in. I was upset that I was going to be late to university life. It made me feel like life was so unfair. It may be pathetic to some people, but at the time, it was something very important to me.
That was until someone told me that it would be better for me in terms of transitioning from one institution type to another. And in a way, they were right. I have found that being at home while adjusting to the university workload has been extremely useful.
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Learning from home has made my day schedule extremely flexible. By having flexible lifestyles, people have been shown to lead a happier and healthier work life. Studies have also shown that employees and students are more focused on their academic and/or work goals because they can provide more time for their hobbies and other interests. I found that my flexible schedule helped me dedicate certain amounts of time to assignments without feeling overwhelmed.Had I been commuting and involved in many extracurricular activities, it would have been very easy for me to overwork myself.
Although not participating in these events in person took away aspects of the university experience, I feel that technology has helped schools reach out to a wider range of students which still creates a safe learning community for students from different corners of the world.
Online environments have been shown to increase inclusivity. This is because anyone with access to technology will be exposed to the same opportunities they may not have been exposed to had things been in person. Online environments promote the involvement of people from all socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds with different perspectives. Thinking about all these factors would create the best learning environment for any university.
I could go on-and-on about why I would take any chance to continue to learn from home. For example, the endless environmental benefits like taking cars off the roads to reduce carbon emissions. 7.8 billion vehicle miles aren’t travelled when someone is staying home part-time, and this can reduce three million tons of greenhouse gases. Studying from home also increases creativity as people need to remain engaged in an environment where students are exposed to an endless amount of distractions. For example, lecture slides have become way more engaging and eye-catching, there has been more time for interactions between classmates, and professors seem to be more interactive in the ways they teach their classes, creating a stronger professor and student relationship.
I’m sure there will be people counting down the days until we get back to in-person learning. And for those people, there seems to be good news coming your way as there are signs of returning back to normal soon.
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As vaccinations continue to be rolled out in the province, and the rest of the world, it is important that we all continue to stay safe and follow the community safety guidelines. An email sent by University of Toronto’s President Meric S. Gertler on March 08, 2021 suggests the institution is hopeful regarding in-person execution of certain learning opportunities and extracurricular activities from September.
Like many scholars, I also believe and imagine the future of education being mainly online. This is because it provides most people a flexible schedule, a wide variety and selection of programs, and a customized learning experience. It is also more accessible and cost-effective than in-person learning. This can almost be seen as inevitable as technology has been increasingly gaining significance in everyone’s lives through the economy, education curriculums, and communication. Until most education becomes online, I will have to put my online education movement on hold and continue to attend classes in person. Until then, I will secretly be resisting ‘normal’ learning and remembering the crucial era of online learning during the unprecedented times of COVID-19.
