Toshilemla Imchen
Immanuel College
Amidst the chaos and confusion of the pandemic, the education of the students had to go on, hence come forth, online classes and online exams. Now the question arises, 'is it really productive online classes and examinations?’ Well, in my opinion it is not, we basically go to schools and colleges because they are an establishment for students to achieve their education so if every students studied from home, there really wouldn't be a need for schools or colleges, but there is. I believe that the environment of our own home and that of the schools or colleges are different, all the more reason that online classes and examinations are a doom.
There comes the issue of network problems where everyone might not get good signal strength for the examinations or classes. Further there arises the most important concern, "EDUCATION”. And as such, online examinations and classes are used by many students to engage in unethical practises, like, cheating and having no sense of fear or skipping the class after the attendance is being given. As a matter of fact, we learn nothing. To be more precise, I would rather prefer physically attended classes and examinations as it is much more helpful and fruitful than online classes. Also the learning process in both the ways are different from one another. Online classes and exams requires more self-motivation because it can be hard for some of the students to stay motivated when they would rather be doing something else. Finding ways to self-motivate and work (assignments or classwork) independently can be hard for the students. Students who do not do well, and the lack of face-to-face interaction without supervision and traditional ways of learning by the teachers/professors, can become tough for them to get used to it.But it is easy and comfortable for the students who are already used to working in a class setting. Thus, current issues with online education is that there is a lack of interpersonal communication because when there are explanations and discussion being given by the lectures through online, if the students are not interested then they can just skip the class or mute it, which I can say is normally done by most of the students. While having a schedule of online class, it can be good for practising time management but for the highly motivated and determined students; it can be a downfall.
Education is not just about bookish knowledge but it is also about developing one's own very personality, social skills and sportsmanship among the students, which is built over the years and which is not solely possible to build through online education. Although online learning had become the preferred method for the majority of the students, it is important not to forget about the benefits of offline learning. With online learning, students and teachers benefit from a more casual, flexible approach. However with offline learning, it is easier to ensure students are paying attention to the training. Some students also finds it easier to retain knowledge and skills they've learnt through offline learning than they do with online learning. Online teaching and learning is different from learning in a face-to-face setting, and it is important to think about our goals, our needs and interest.Online classes or teaching requires self-discipline and time management skills, it also causes social interaction lacking practise based learning and some students also face technical issues.Classroom teaching is important to encourage and motivate collaborative learning.It increases students’ self-awareness about how students learn and enables them to learn more easily and effectively, transforming them into keen learners, inside and beyond the classroom. Classroom teaching enhances student's critical thinking skills. Classroom studying and teaching provides an opportunity for students to engage in live discussions where they can better utilise their critical thinking skills to voice opinions or involve in an argument.Even though the learning process is important, it destroys the morale of the students which is cause by online classes or examinations, I should say, online learning should be seen as a complement and extensions of traditional ways of learning.Not even the best online course can fully replace the personal contact with a teacher,or the human relationships that develop in a group. Though there is no alternative considering the current situation, I strongly believe that online classes and examination will certainly lead to the doom of the students. There is no solution other than staying true to yourself and gaining something out of this experience.
