One-Space-Fits-All: The Problems of Universal Approaches to Distanced Learning
Among the many sectors of daily life that the pandemic has brought to a halt, schools and universities have had to find innovative solutions to continue educating students and providing vital services that bind communities together. From prestigious universities that conduct groundbreaking research, fuel local economies, and gather deafening crowds for athletic competitions to the local elementary school where children are learning the fundamentals of core subjects, and how to interact with the world around them, schools are the nexus of ingenuity and facilitate the structure of daily life for people of all ages. COVID-19 has clarified the many roles these institutions play and exacerbated the inequalities that education seeks to address. Schools of all levels can provide housing, meals, mentors, therapists, safe spaces, and physical spaces for communities to gather and organize. Moving to an online forum exposes who lacks access to these necessities and who has the resources to fill in the gaps that online learning entails. In addition, online learning has problems of its own. Coined not so endearingly by college students as “Zoom University,” online conference platforms are essential but also exhausting ways to learn. As a result of online learning, students have been confined to small spaces and are forced to practice increased discipline in order to both work and rest successfully in the same space. Coupled with immense academic pressure and the other stresses of life in a pandemic, university students struggle to protect their wellbeing under a hellacious work-life structure. Public safety requires our society to function in this altered, uncertain state until the pandemic is under control, yet the impacts of COVID-19 can be felt especially hard in the education sector; university students in the U.S. and around the world have had to adapt this “one-space-fits-all” learning and living environment.
UCLA announced their decision to switch to an entirely online model of learning for the fall quarter in late August after slowly reducing the amount of in-person classes until only about 8% remained. According to anecdotal evidence gathered through a survey conducted by UNA at UCLA, 91.4% of UCLA student participants wrote that online classes negatively impacted their ability to learn. The statistics indicated that a significant majority of students feel that they are unable to learn as successfully in an online environment as they did through in-person instruction. Reasons listed for COVID’s negative impact span from a lack of motivation to a dependency on faulty and unreliable internet. Additionally, 75.9% of student participants noted that they have had difficulty focusing on their education due to personal and familial struggles caused by the pandemic. The inability to focus in an online environment will likely impact graduates as they may not be learning critical skills to the capacity of earlier cohorts of graduates. Upon graduation, students may not be as prepared for their respective career paths as prior graduates creating a disconnect between COVID-affected students and non-COVID-affected students. A secondary difficulty arises, however, when discussing the question of in-person classes. While two participants in the study attend a university that currently implements a hybrid system of learning, 50.9% of participants responded that they would feel unsafe attending classes in-person given current COVID-19 circumstances. How, then, do universities increase student engagement and educational success while keeping students safe through distance and online learning?
The COVID-19 pandemic has not just affected college students at UCLA, but all learners regardless of age, location, level of education, income, race, or gender. Education plays a significant role in society as a whole, and, as such, the changing form of teaching is something we must face together. Moving the classroom online at all educational levels has presented a new challenge not only to students but to parents and teachers as well. Teachers need to adapt to new pedagogical concepts and modes of teaching, such as using zoom and modifying assignments so they can be completed and submitted over the internet. Parents with young children may have to fill an additional role as an educator in their households while their children are learning from home. Young children are one of the most vulnerable groups and victims of pandemics. In addition to struggling to adapt to their homework and class time being administered virtually, children also need to combat loneliness and a distance from their friends and peers that they have likely never experienced before. Being in a classroom setting surrounded by peers is often an important part of a young student’s social and emotional development. According to writer Erin Digitale, in households where young children have had to leave the classroom, new, heightened demands for one-on-one social interaction will likely fall to parents and siblings, as same-age peers are unavailable. In many ways, this can place exceptional stress and pressure on the parents of young students. They may feel unable to give their children the educational experiences they need and deserve as they juggle their normal work schedule with the added role of acting as their child’s educator during this period of distance learning. They may feel sad for their children who are missing out on certain milestone experiences like a final game of their senior season, graduation, prom, or a school play. They may also find themselves unsure of what to do to create a prosperous learning environment for a child who has developmental or learning disabilities that are usually treated in-person at school with tools the parents may not have access to. Despite these challenges, pediatric psychologist Barbara Bentley, a specialist in developmental and behavioral pediatrics, stresses the need for parents to understand that they are not alone in feeling overwhelmed. She instructs parents, “Being gentle about the expectations for yourself and your child is really important.” Bentley and her colleagues have even compiled a list of resources for parents trying to navigate this trying time.
The effects of COVID-19 have been felt on a global scale, and while each country’s specific situation is different in relation to education, they all have been affected in some way. In the U.S., the pandemic has caused millions of students to transition to remote learning, where about 55 million students in the U.S. under 18 years old had to stay home when the first closures happened. For these, and higher education students, online education can pose substantial difficulties in receiving a quality education. For example, about 60% of low-income students and 90% of high-income students in the U.S. regularly log on to online instruction. There are varying effects of the pandemic on different groups, such as people with different incomes, as seen by the previous example. This economic disparity is furthered when considering that about 1 in 10 of the poorest children in the United States have minimal or no access to technology for remote learning. This makes it challenging for students to get a quality education that sets them up for successful careers. While in-person schools prior to the pandemic still hosted inequalities, online learning has brought heightened disadvantages to the forefront. Not having proper access to the necessary technology for continuing an education poses an extreme threat to students. Without the means to carry out their virtual learning, they are put in a difficult situation where they do not have the ability to receive the quality education their peers may have.
In African countries, the effects of the pandemic on education have worsened already existing inequalities. Many schools were fully closed, which led to some students not receiving any education or very limited interaction with teachers. There have been many instances of teachers not providing the same type of education to students as they would in a classroom setting, which can significantly hinder children’s intellectual development. The closure of schools due to COVID-19 has also worsened the situation of many girls in Africa. Often, girls are expected to assume roles of childcare and housework, so being home has increased their responsibilities to domestic work, which can take away time for their classes. They may even have to help with teaching their younger siblings, distracting them from their own education. This gender disparity in education is further seen through an interview with a 16-year-old girl in Kenya who said that the only way for her science class to receive material and instruction was to go to the teacher’s house. As a girl, she and other female students were fearful of going to their male teacher’s house, preventing them from getting guidance.
There are also many challenges for education in Asia due to the pandemic. In wealthier countries, online platforms have been put in place for students to learn remotely, but in poorer ones in South and Southeast Asia, this remains an issue. Many of these developing countries do not have access to electricity or devices that can be used for remote learning. Rural areas especially are at a disadvantage by not having internet or electricity, which makes online learning next to impossible. In Vietnam, schools are gradually opening to help improve the education of impoverished students who have no access to remote instruction, but this is only because of the country’s relative control over the virus. In the end, access is a large problem in having students learn remotely, which greatly hinders their ability to receive a quality education. With income determining whether many students can even have any education, there are widespread disadvantages that must be addressed.
Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected progress toward quality education for all students. From stunted emotional development to increased anxieties to inequitable access, the effects of the pandemic have caused widespread harm. As we continue to adapt and acclimate to present circumstances, addressing issues of access to technology must be prioritized. Countless students are being left behind with limited abilities to effectively participate in the distanced learning that has become the new normal for millions of people worldwide, making it clear that for online learning, one size truly does not fit all. Students of all ages have had their education and development disrupted and are faced with new challenges to receiving fulfilling instruction while also trying to stay safe. With no certain end to the pandemic in sight, perseverance and optimism are key for remaining motivated amidst feelings of isolation along students’ academic journeys.