Pros and Cons of Online Learning during the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has already ruined many people’s lives, and learning virtually has made it harder for many teachers and students. Although it may be hard for people, there are various pros and cons of online learning and they are covered in the article 'Make Schools More Human' published in the New York Times by Jal Mehta. He starts by explaining how the coronavirus pandemic has caused students to learn in an environment they are not used to and how this negatively affects their learning experience. Next, he states how online learning has benefitted students as they are limited to taking fewer subjects, which prevents them from being very stressed. He then goes on to say that online learning has enabled students to form better connections with their teachers. Online learning has negatively affected students as many have to adapt to a new learning environment, but it has also benefitted students by allowing them to take fewer classes and form stronger connections with their teachers, which overall creates a better learning environment.

Many students have to adapt to the way online classes are taught as learning virtually may not satisfy everyone’s needs. According to Mehta, there are some students who “actually like being in school” as they are under less pressure and anxiety which helps them focus, on the other hand, other students prefer being in person as they feel “miserably lonely at home and couldn’t wait for school to reopen”. Learning virtually benefits many introverts as they like to type and chat rather than speak. On the other hand, extroverts like interacting and going out, so online classes may be uncomfortable for them. I am an introvert so I got used to the online environment pretty quickly, however, it may be difficult for many extroverted students as it has lost its social aspect. While online learning may be favored by some students, other students may find it more challenging as they have to adapt to a new learning environment.

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Online learning has various advantages, and Mehta covers this in his article. As Mehta points out, students are less stressed and worried about their grades while learning online as they are taking “no more than three subjects at a time”. Since students are taking half as many classes online as they would usually take in person, they experience less stress. Some students work and study at the same time, making it very difficult for them to focus on many different subjects. Many of my friends have to go to work so they can provide for their families. It is hard to imagine how difficult it would be to take classes and work at the same time as I am already stressed from all my classes. However, while this may be beneficial for students currently, it will negatively impact them in the long term as many will be behind. This will put a lot of stress on students as the workload will increase, which will put more pressure on students. Although some students can work well under pressure, I do not like working under pressure. When I am stressed, I tend to be anxious and in a rush, which sometimes affects how I do my work. If there are fewer classes, then you have more time to manage what you do throughout the day, however like Mehta points out, this is only temporary. I like the idea that some schools changed their minimum class requirement from six to three because they understand that many people are going through the same stress from so much going on in their personal lives. In my opinion, the coronavirus pandemic may be beneficial as it has eliminated the social anxiety that comes from overloading classes, however, when schools return in person, schools should limit the minimum class requirement so students are less stressed and focus on learning.

Along with being less stressed from taking fewer classes, online classes have helped students form better connections with their teachers. As Jal Mehta points out, “One of the best outcomes of the pandemic is that it forced schools to get off their treadmill and actually talk to students and parents — understand their life circumstances and how those intersected with school expectations”. This is another advantage of online learning as those connections have created a better online environment for students. I agree with Mehta as personally, I have been able to interact with my professors more often than I would have in person. Since I am introverted, I have been more comfortable speaking to the professor over Zoom than in a class full of students. I have been able to ask more questions when I need help as many of my professors have created office hours to encourage students to come and ask more questions if they are confused about a topic. This is another online advantage that teachers have become more approachable over Zoom. This aspect of online learning has created a better online environment for me as the classes have been more enjoyable, which helped me learn better. However, Mehta says that when we transition back to being in-person, these aspects may be lost as many students, especially introverts, will lose that connection with their professors. To help students build a stronger connection with their professors, schools should encourage these interactions when everyone returns to in-person classes.

Learning virtually may be difficult as many of us have to adapt to a different learning environment. Online learning has many pros and cons and Jal Mehta has covered them in his article. He argues that while online learning has not been favorable for all students, it created a better online learning environment by allowing students to take fewer classes and form better connections with their professors. Reflecting on my college experiences, I agree with Mehta’s argument. While the transition to online learning has not been favorable, there are many advantages that have created a better online learning experience by eliminating social anxiety. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward”. Although many people are going through tough times during this pandemic, we have figured out a way to adjust to a new learning environment that satisfies everyone’s needs.

Citations

1. Mehta, Jal. “Make Schools More Human”. The New York Times, 23 Dec. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/opinion/covid-schools-vaccine.html
2. III, Charles A. Barnes. “COMMENTARY: Fly, Run, Walk or Crawl to Advance MLK's Vision”. Courier, The Courier-Post, 12 Jan. 2018, www.courierpostonline.com/story/opinion/readers/2018/01/12/commentary-fly-run-walk-crawl-advance-mlks-vision/1029899001/