The current online education system brings to mind the two-way screens described in a certain novel by a bloke called Orwell. The difference being, a telescreen small enough to fit in a pocket has replaced the technological oddity mentioned in that utopian piece. 

 

It is the mornings that hang the heaviest upon the sleep-laden faces of several youngsters. Some are early birds, but the majority are stubborn night owls who have long stopped trying to fix their sleep schedules. But what they all have in common is that tiny telescreen, namely; a smartphone. A device that has replaced the walls, the straight-backed wooden benches, and the blackboards of the conventional lecture theatre, since April 2020. And these very youngsters know that too well, as do those whose echoing voices have been replaced by tinny, network-dependent shells of the original sound. 

 

Various aspects of this virtual class system have by now become obvious to everyone. 

Still, let us point them out:

 

• Net connectivity issues

• The wavering motivation of educators to teach and of students to learn 

• The conceptual understanding of subjects amongst students too is less than that compared to the offline mode of teaching

• The classes are scheduled day-and-night since apparently, online learning need not have any hours

• The uncertainty regarding the future

• The doubts in the practical use of concepts taught, and much more.

 

 Another aspect of the situation that has come to light during the perilous second wave, is that there is a lack of empathy. Online classes have been scheduled almost daily. The students, worried about attendance and other such matters, attend and pay no attention to what is being taught due to the circumstances at home. Although, the fact that some students do so regardless of situations at home, is another matter entirely. 

 

To be fair, it cannot just be students dealing with such matters, it is the faculty too. Perhaps the worst has passed, but not for everyone. 

 

On the other hand, we have an online database of all the subjects the students study in a semester, accessible to them whenever they need it. 

 

• This includes PDFs of study material like prescribed course books and lecture notes, recorded video lectures, assignments, and tutorial questions. 

• Further, students have more time to dedicate to activities other than college academics, such as studying for competitive entrance exams for higher studies or simply pursuing other interests and hobbies. 

• This prolonged period of quarantine has also taught us that contacting educators in out-of-class hours is possible, provided you do so at a reasonable hour.

•  Come to think of it, this system is cheap. No burden of the expensive textbooks or other stationery exists.

 

 In short, distance learning seems to close some of the barriers which were evident in the offline method. However, the majority of the student population would still be more likely to opt for offline classes.

 

There is a general air of dissatisfaction. Virtual has remained just that: virtual. Perhaps it was the matter of a lot of concepts left untaught because it was simply not possible. Perhaps, it was the struggle of coping with new applications and not knowing whether you were muted or not. Both sides of the equation here, the learners and the teachers, can feel this inherently. A lot of students point out how they just cannot take this mode seriously enough. They urge that they have no incentives to do so. 

 

But then again, at the individual level, there are some who are genuinely exerting efforts in order to structure the best of materials and methods to impart knowledge to pupils. Whether that is by learning new software, keeping extra guidance sessions, etc. Some, however, have reduced their quality of teaching in the online medium. Seeing as in recent events, students have been encouraged to fill feedback forms of the faculty teaching them, perhaps some anonymous suggestions could boost them in the right direction.

 

Here’s to learning the on-screen-way. *Virtual clink*.