How Remote Learning is Affecting Students and Colleges
Introduction
A
At the beginning of the year 2020, a pandemic swept across the world. With no history of diagnosis, no cure, and very little information about it, several people succumbed to it. This disease was no other than COVID-19, a coronavirus strain that has wreaked havoc worldwide. Originating from Wuhan, China, COVID-19 rapidly spread across the world, sending billions of individuals into a lockdown. As of the 7th of August, 2020, there are 19,076,745 cases of coronavirus globally, with the number increasing as infections rise (ECDC, 2020). Various education stakeholders and governments decided that it was necessary to close academic institutions to prevent the spread of the virus. The move was an essential prevention measure for students, teachers, and other staff against COVID -19. The disease spreads through close contact, especially in crowded places (WHO, 2020); therefore, schools were a hotspot for infection. This essay seeks to analyze the effects of remote learning on students and learning institutions.
Pending semesters forced schools to transition to an online learning basis. While some adapted to the transformation, several continue to face the difficulties strung along with remote learning. There exist disagreements on what lecturers and tutors should teach, what time they should lecture, the number of students required, and the required capital for online tutoring. With thousands of laid-off tutors and staff, schools are a significant contributor to the current unemployment rate, which stood at 14.7 percent in April. Such led to a contraction of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by over 35 percent (Lambert, 2020). COVID- 19 looks like it may be around for quite a while (Kenny, 2020), meaning that schools will have to look for ways to navigate these challenges. The high unemployment rate also means that some students may not have the required financial resources for online learning. Therefore, some of them may miss crucial classes and fall behind on their academic progress.
B
Schools are increasingly adopting video conferencing applications such as Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts to hold lessons (Kamenetz, 2020). The app requires a smartphone or laptop to work, which some students may not afford. Cathy & Farah (2020) state that global investments in technology in 2019 stood at approximately $18.66 billion, with the projected budget for online education estimated at $350 billion by 2025. Such means that the learning sector requires a massive injection of funds by students, tutors, and academic institutions. Some of these stakeholders possess limited or no resources to sustain this type of learning.
However, there exist multiple sources of information online, which encourages students to learn. Students can also interact through online discussions and exchange information concerning their subjects.
C
The pandemic has affected students and tutors globally as they struggle to adapt to the switch from conventional educational methods. The effects have come in financial and mental form, with quarantines reported to increase anxiety amid fears of infection. Schools that lack the necessary technology continue struggling to find a solution for the halted teaching amid pressure from stakeholders to finish pending academic periods. Therefore, despite the multiple benefits of remote learning, there is a need for more assessment into the pros and cons of online learning.
Effects of remote learning on students
According to Horn (2020), many institutions transferred to online learning without much support from stakeholders, including students. Therefore, some students have asked for fee refunds stating the inefficacy of online education. However, there exist both positive and negative effects of remote training, which include:
Advantages
- a) Reduced Costs: Remote learning arguably decreases the costs incurred by students in various ways. One way is by eliminating accommodation expenses. Piletic (2018) states that by 2013, the U.S. Federal Reserve estimated student loan debts at $902 billion. This figure received attribution to the significant tuition costs charged by college couples with household expenses. During this period, unemployment levels pegged at 10 percent, which was abnormally high. In 2020, unemployment stood at 14.7 percent in April, with more Americans losing their jobs as infections rise. Businesses also continue closing with several declaring bankruptcy. Most individuals view education as an investment and expect a return on capital by earning their qualifications through jobs. Therefore, they are open to spending on the high costs of learning as they wait to pay back their student loans in the future. With the high rate of unemployment, students complain that the cost and student debt they incur in college haunts them for several years, some even into old age. Remote learning eliminates the cost of accommodation since a student can learn from anywhere. Moreover, most online courses offer lower tuition prices as compared to school-based education.
Students who live off-campus are also to commute to school using their means. Online learning eliminates this hurdle since one may attend classes remotely.
- b) Flexibility: Online classes allow one to attend class from anywhere in the world. All they need are the logins to their student canvas, laptop, and good internet, after which they can get all the information taught. Students are therefore flexible in movement and not affixed to a central position on the school campus.
- c) Online learning opens a world of possibilities for students: When students learn online, they acquire the skill of looking for resources on the internet. In their quest for such, they may come across excellent opportunities such as summer internships, online jobs, and more skills through short courses. Online learning helps a student expand their mind through the fantastic world of the internet.
Disadvantages
- Technical Difficulties: Sitzmann et al. (2010) state that technical barriers are significant holdback to online learning progress. This challenge is especially common among adult students who are not conversant with modern devices. Students also experience low bandwidth and slow internet speeds, which may interrupt significant learning activities such as examinations. Some software used for learning, such as Zoom, may even challenge some individuals who have no idea their access methods.
- Time Management Complications: Due to lack of supervision or discipline, students may find it challenging to navigate through the required time for online classes. Todorov (2017) states that learning at one’s pace presents the challenge of procrastination, where an individual postpones attending class to undertake another activity.
- Distraction: The school environment is conducive to learning with minimal distractions. However, learning at home is coupled with home chores and several family members who may sway one from studying remotely.
- Digital divide: Lack of proper resources such as the internet and a networking device may prevent students from engaging in remote learning, leading to marginalization (Smith, 2009).
Economic Effects
Remote learning reduces the amount of money earned by academic institutions. Schools often make more money through accommodation and high tuition payments, which online learning eliminates. College football tournaments and other co-curricular activities also bring forth significant earnings to schools. Remote learning only supports a virtual learning environment that supports digital competitions, therefore cutting off some crucial financial channels for academic institutions.
Some students study abroad through scholarships, which enable them to gain live, work, and study programs. Their families back home may depend on the little stipend they earn from their activities. The COVID-19 pandemic rendered such programs unsustainable as many institutions laid off non-essential workers, which directly affects students who benefit from living, work, and study programs. Such in turn affects their families who depend on them.
Workers such as bus drivers and other school staff lost their jobs when the pandemic struck. When schools turned to remote learning, they didn’t require several workers as there were a minimal foot and auto traffic to these institutions. The lost jobs suppressed these individuals financially and, in turn, affected the economy in terms of lost taxes and low money supply due to reduced spending activities. Such persons strive to save every penny they have; therefore, they buy lesser final goods and services, leading to a reduction in the US GDP.
The economic effects of remote learning are not only negative; there also exist some upsides. Schools that embrace e-learning increase the accessibility of their courses to multiple individuals globally. Marengo & Marengo (2005) state that highly scalable academic programs are a financial benefit to scholarly institutions. With reduced expenses incurred conducting remote learning, schools gain a full pool of funds.
Swisher (2020) states that the quarantine measures brought along by the COVID-19 pandemic saw an increase in food delivery services. Students under remote learning may lack time to engage in cooking and order food from a restaurant. A high number of students making such orders increases the money earned by such services; thus, they indirectly contribute to economic improvement.
Costs and Benefits
The costs imposed by remote learning from COVID-19 include lack of socialization by students, lost jobs, reduced earnings by schools, and difficulty in learning.
The benefits include staying healthy from the disease, increased exposure to the online environment by students, reduced costs, flexibility in learning, and an increase in self-discipline.
Effects on Professors and Tutors
Advantages
- Flexibility: Tutors can engage with their students from anywhere worldwide; they don’t have to attend classes physically on campus.
- Efficiency: With the multiple teaching tools available online and digitally, teachers and professors can plan their lessons with more efficacy. They can also advance their skills through short courses available online. Professors may also record and review their lessons to point out areas that need improvement.
Disadvantages
- Remote learning presents the challenge of student-teacher interaction. During the lesson, some students may find it challenging to post a question to their professors.
- Technical difficulties: Some professors may encounter barriers in setting up online teaching software’s and devices, therefore holding back swift advancement of remote learning.
- Increased costs: Professors have to pay more in terms of electricity and internet bills as they conduct their lessons at home.
Effects on Schools
Advantages
- Reduced costs: Remote learning meant that schools had to let go of several employees as a measure of sustainability, which reduced overhead expenses on salaries. Moreover, the lack of students and workers means that schools spend less on maintenance costs such as cleaning and cooking. Utility prices on electricity, water, and sanitation services also reduced.
Disadvantages
- Reduced revenue: Elimination of key financial channels such as accommodation and tuition costs negatively impacted academic institutions. Such means that they have to find alternative ways of attaining lost funds.
- Schools unable to implement remote learning or who offer low-quality e-learning programs may see mass transfers of students from these institutions.
Conclusion
COVID-19 has taught the academic world that the future in learning might be digital. The pandemic caught stakeholders across the education industry unawares and indicated the dire need for more technology investment. The future in knowledge will undoubtedly see the development of diverse and progressive learning tools such as language apps and virtual learning software. There is a rapid acceleration in transforming online learning by academic institutions. As much as professors and students may want to stick to the original system, they have no option but to join the bandwagon. Therefore, schools must invest in the necessary tools to equip students and teachers with proper resources for remote learning.
Infographic
Evolution of U.S. Unemployment rate in percentage as of April 2020. Dec 2019-3.5%. Jan 2020- 3.6 %. April 2020- 14.7%.
The cost of remote learning rose gradually as facilities transitioned. There was a peak in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced most institutions to switch to this mode of learning. They will incur significant setup costs but as people begin to embrace remote learning, costs will lower.
Cost
0 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Years
References
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Swisher, C (2020). Food delivery services see increase in orders during COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.weau.com/2020/07/02/food-delivery-services-see-increase-in-orders-during-covid-19-pandemic/
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