Optimizing Online Schooling [Part 1/5] Understanding the pain points of students in online schooling

Let me first put forward the pain points of my dear students who as I said at the very beginning are the silent sufferers of the current pandemic.

• Nothing can replace the real teaching-learning process that takes place between the student and the teacher in the classroom. Students are not able to fully understand and grasp the subject matter taught by the teacher from a computer screen however hard a teacher tries.
• There is a big difference between the online learning that a student does and an online course undertaken by an adult. The adult is intrinsically motivated to undertake the course and complete it which is not what happens in the case of a student. A student is rarely motivated to study in his home setting. The school environment and the classroom ambience play an important role in helping the student get into learning mode.
• What about the joy of talking and playing with friends? Most of them have been seeing their friends only in the blocks of the Zoom meetings screen. Schools not only impart academic education to students but also provide them with a conducive environment for socialization with peers. They are missing all the fun, the playing, the competitions and also the rivalries – all a part of growing up. Imagine missing out on the fun of playing pranks with friends in the school bus or during the tiffin break. Imagine teenage boys and girls in high school not getting to interact with each other! It’s indeed a pity.
• Apart from the academic subjects, a student undertakes many extracurricular activities during school hours. Dance, music, games, art clubs, and many other activities that contribute to the holistic development of a student are all being missed by them.
• The wide variety of competitions that happen in the schools play an important part in letting the students know where they stand and what they need to do to emerge winners. Many competitions demand teamwork. Our students are missing out on true competitive spirit and teamwork even if teachers are trying their best to arrange different online competitions.
• Another aspect being missed by students in online learning mode is learning by doing. Pre-school students are missing out on activity-based learning experiences while higher class students are missing out on the real understanding that they gain from laboratories and practical work.
• As for me, if I would have been a student in the current situation, my biggest loss would have been not being able to read the books of the best authors from across the world in my school’s library. The school library has always been my most favourite place on the school campus and I would have missed it dearly had I been a student in the current pandemic.
• Another loss for students is the lack of an everyday routine and structure. During regular school days, the students have to follow a disciplined pattern of everyday routine… Waking up early in the morning, wearing a neat school uniform, reaching school on time, doing homework, preparing for tests… Everything has to be done on time… Everything has to be up-to-date… This too is a part of school education that helps to build character and it is being missed dearly. Parents are informing us that their kids are getting undisciplined and rouge day after day.