Online learning modality

THURSDAY 31TH AUGUST 2023. 20:29

Hey! Hello! How are you doing? I am really glad that you are here again to read my post. Today, I will talk about the online learning modality. I am really sure that is something you are familiar with. As you know in recent years we have been studying online because of the coronavirus outbreak and recently because of the "Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe." I know that the beginning of the online learning modality was extremely difficult since we were accustomed to onsite courses. In fact, it was a big change for us college students who never imagined we were going to take courses online. If we talk about online learning modality, we have to mention the advantages and disadvantages of this modality, so I will mention some of them.

Let's begin talking about the inconveniences of online learning modality. (WARNING! Everything that I will mention here is based on my own experience and my own perspective, so you do not need to agree with me on all the points I will touch on and discuss. Feel free to leave your comments.) 

First, online modality had a negative impact on my physical health. Some years ago, I had a spinal cord injury, so spending hours and hours sitting in front of the computer made the pain in my back increase a lot. Last year, I had to get treatment to relieve the pain because I wasn't able to sit for many hours. Thankfully, the treatment I got helped me a lot. This was expensive, but I do not regret having spent money on it.  It was a chiropractic treatment where the doctor moved the bones that were in the wrong position (yes, it was satisfying when I heard my bones snap and move to the correct position) Now, I am doing much better with my spinal cord. Yes, I know I try not to sit for so long and I try to take some breaks and stretch my back to reduce pain. Besides the pain in my back, I usually get eye strain whenever I am working on my laptop. Literally, I do everything on my laptop from looking for information to writing and reading, but whenever I can, I print the material we have to study (I know, it can be expensive to spend money on it, but it is much better studying and reading physical materials.) I remember that last semester my right eye became red and hurt a lot because I had spent many hours in front of the computer and I was not able to use it for about three days. 

Another disadvantage is that this modality affected my mental health. Being at home every day for many months caused me social anxiety. I felt anxious whenever I was taking my online courses, and it was a horrible experience. For example, I remember taking the course Reading and Conversation II in which I couldn't participate as I wanted in the speaking practice because I always had a trembling voice, sweaty hands, and a fast heartbeat whenever I turned on the microphone to speak. (Fortunately, I overcame that anxiety of online courses. Now, I am not afraid of talking and participating). 

A final downside of the online learning modality is that I easily get distracted. Since I am at home, the littlest noise can distract me. Let me tell you that here at home my family is always making noise (for instance, they listen to the radio, they watch television, or my siblings fight for no reason). Now, I will say that I can concentrate and study even though there is background noise. I guess I am already accustomed to it. 

On the other hand, I consider that studying online has many advantages for students. To begin with, we have access to information and course materials whenever we want. Thanks to technology, we can take our courses fast and easily. I know that in the beginning, it was a little complicated because we had never used platforms like Classroom, Google Meet, or Schoology, but now we are experts using these websites. I really like online modality since I can access the internet whenever I do not understand a topic we are studying. Believe me, the internet has been my best friend in recent years. I love YouTube as I can find valuable information useful to practice my foreign languages. For example, when I was taking the English and French pronunciation course, I found a channel where professors taught you how to correctly produce and articulate English and French sounds. Of course, we also have the opportunity to review and check the recorded classes. 

In addition to that, I would also say that with the online learning modality, I have avoided traffic jams. I am sure that you will agree with me that the worst part of onsite courses is traveling in crowded and noisy buses and being stuck in a traffic jam for one or two hours. I remember once I traveled for around two hours by public transportation to arrive at the university just for the teacher to send us an email saying he was not going to be able to give the course. I mean with online modality, you can get up to ten minutes before the class starts without worrying about being late to the classroom. You can even have breakfast while taking classes, so I feel really comfortable taking online courses.   

Finally, I think that the online learning modality allows me to have better time management. Yes, I know that most of us travel four or five hours on public transport. Valuable hours we could spend studying and reviewing our course materials. Without mentioning that after hours and hours in public buses, you end up exhausted and come back home to rest and recover from your mental and physical fatigue. Fortunately, with online courses, I have more free time to do other things that are not related to college. I have more time to spend on my favorite hobbies. 

To conclude, online learning modality has changed the way students take traditional courses. It is clear that online learning modality can present many disadvantages for students because it can affect their physical and mental health, or they may not have the appropriate environment to take their courses. However, it is undeniably important to highlight the benefits of studying online like easy and fast information retrieval, fewer traffic congestion, and much more free time. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog! I really appreciate it! Let me know in the comments what you think about the online learning modality. I will be more than glad to read your comments. I hope you enjoyed reading it!