Saturday, 22 May 2021

STEP 2

 IDENTIFY PROBLEM AND ANALYSIS


What Is Online Distance Learning (ODL) ?


     Online distance learning is an educational process where students receive instruction through online classes, video recordings, video conferencing, or any other audio/visual technology medium. It enables people to receive education without having to be physically present in a classroom. There are two kinds of online distance learning which is synchronous and asynchronous. 

     Synchronous means students still have direct interaction with their peer friends and lecturers. While, the asynchronous is the opposite of the synchronous. In the perspective of the students, they will see the effect of the pandemic with various benefits and also disadvantages. It always depends on the students themselves whether they will use the asynchronous or synchronous effectively and gain something from it or not. 

     Throughout the world, online learning has been established allowing students to pursue their education in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Most universities use online learning to keep students from having to come to class in person. Online learning encourages student to remain engaged in class with no physical attending and protects students from having into touch with COVID-19. Students can engage in their normal lessons via online learning by using a number of various ways such as Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Zoom, and so on.


Reference : https://uplbperspective.org/2020/09/19/three-students-commit-suicide-three-months-into-online-learning/


Cause 1 : 
Problem During Online Classes 


     There are many problems with online classes. One of them is students are having a hard time focusing on the lecturer or easily distracted. This is because of the unsuitable environment the student is sitting in. Compare to the environment that is being held in a classroom, where students are supposed to gather and learn together, the environment students have to sit in really gives a bad vibe to the students. It let students feel lazy to learn or easily distracted by objects nearby. This worsens their focus, thus do not gain what the lecturers are teaching in the class.

     Another problem that frequently happened during online classes is that students tend to have a weak internet connection. This is portraited when students often get disconnected during lecturer. This problem interrupts the focus of the student, thus increasing frustration among students. A disturbed mind of a student gives a bad sign to his/her education. This will lead to stress, depression and even suicide. This problem can get even worse if the students are having a group discussion, presentation or anything that requires the students’ responses, the video will freeze frequently and the audio often stuck. As a result, the students are getting bad results for their assessments. This shows that having a good internet connection matters to gain good result for their assessments.

     The last problem that students are always tired throughout the day. It may happen when students got a ton of assignments especially for those who take up to 9 subjects for the sem. The assignments pile up and students have to burn the midnight oil to finish the assignments. This will be worsening when the understanding of that particular students limited due to whether lack of focus in class or the lecturer’s lecture is not understandable. The struggle students must face is tense.  As a result, students wake up in a bad condition, mentally and physically tired to even start the day. This fatigue will stack up day after day and will influence the student’s performance drastically.


Cause 2 :
Learning Environment 


     During the movement control order or most commonly known as (MCO), all of the student around our country have been forced to learn with a new way of learning which is the hybrid learning. The hybrid learning is a way to prevent the spread of the Covid-19. During this pandemic period, student have to learn using any gadget such as phone or laptop to connect to the online classroom such as google meet or google classroom. 

     During the online class, students tend to be expose to the various learning environment that can disturb them from focusing on learning. The example of the negative learning environment that can affect the student's learning is the family problem and also limited spaces. When we talk about the family problem that may occur between parents, it will disturb student's mind and affect the mental condition and naturally will negatively impact the result of the learning. 

     This will happen if the family problem such as parents keep arguing with each other in front of their children. On the other hand, when there is only a limited space that provided for the student that can be used for the online learning sessions such as narrow table, poor air ventilation and also place that have many noises, students will not be able to learn comfortably and will not be able to focus during the online learning sessions.


Cause 3 :
Mental Health 


     Many schools and institutes of education around the Malaysians have shifted from traditional, in-person classes to online learning in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As students continue their education, they are placed in a much different environment than the one they’re used to. While this alternative route to learning has been beneficial for some students, others are facing mental health issues. 

     Mental health problems can affect many areas of students’ lives, reducing their quality of life, academic achievement, physical health, and satisfaction. With students cooped up all day, it can have many negative effects on their mental health. Online distance learning (ODL) has taken away the face-to-face interactions with fellow students and teachers. For some students, this lack of social interaction can lead to feelings of isolation. 

     While social distancing is an effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19, it leads to many mental health issues, including Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia and Dementia. Apart from that, some students may have a difficult time grasping new concepts and material given to them. They may lose motivation when their tasks are overwhelming, which can cause stress and anxiety. When students don’t understand an assignment, it’s not as easy as raising their hand or walking up to the teacher whenever they can. With remote learning, students have to email their teacher and wait for a response, which could take hours.


Reference : https://www.sprc.org/colleges-universities/consequences


Cause 4 :
Social Impact 


     Online learning system is presently being used in education leads students to experience contemplation, isolation, and a lack of engagement. As a result, many students and teachers who eventually spend a significant amount of time online may begin to exhibit indications of social isolation as a result of a lack of human interaction in their life. 

     Social isolation is a situation that people are currently facing due to pandemic Covid-19 as the way to prevent the spread of the disease. Thus, this isolation is really impactful to everyone especially students who could not return to their university or campus and they need to study their courses by Online Distance Learning (ODL) instead of face-to-face learning. This is undoubtedly such a negative impact of Online Distance Learning because students could not meet and communicate to each other physically and this could lead to an unfriendly relationship among students. With that, there will be no physical interaction between students even though they still can keep in touch with each other via any social medias, but it is undeniably not the same. 

     Many students discover that studying is not just an academic activity, but also a social one. They may miss face-to-face relationships with their classmates. For some students, this lack of social interaction and the accompanying need to be self-motivated to accomplish their assignments can result to feelings of loneliness. For many students, one of the most frustrating aspects of studying online and graduating their courses is a lack of connection with lecturers and classmates. 


Reference : https://e-student.org/disadvantages-of-e-learning/#e-learning-can-cause-social-isolation

Reference : https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/chapter/pros-and-cons-of-online-learning/


Conclusion

     In conclusion, the negative impacts of online class outweigh the positives. Although online learning is helpful in keeping our community safe during COVID-19, the difficulties that arise are much more prominent than the positives. Many negatives presented in online learning outrank the beneficial impacts, therefore it should only be used during a situation where in-person learning is neither viable nor available. Online classes are frequently held throughout the day, when students must attend classes or do their assignments. 

     Most connections with lecturers now place online or via email, and they are frequently interpersonal. It is nearly hard for students to form positive relationships with their lecturers. With limited interaction between students, it might be difficult to form a study group and a relationship with peers. The majority of discussions are happening via email discussion threads and group chats. Thus, face-to-face interaction is minimal. 

     Joining online classes necessitates the use of appropriate technologies, but not all students have accessibility to them. This might be owing to financial restraints. Students are unable to inquire during online classes to express their opinions if the teaching is clear or not, resulting in difficulty in forming connections, making online classes highly ineffective or unproductive at all.


Reference : https://theroswellsting.com/5200/opinion/online-school-has-more-negative-impacts-than-positive/

Reference : https://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/disadvantages-of-online-learning-education-essay.php


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