Online Classes Allow Too Many Distractions And Not Enough Learning

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives in 2020, the world has embraced online learning. 

Three years later, online classes continue to be a popular option because of their convenience and flexibility. After all, why go to school when you can learn from the comfort of home?

While online education has dramatically improved, we have hit a wall. Virtual learning does not require students to actually learn to pass a class.

It’ve encountered several gaps in the learning process that don’t exist in the brick-and-mortar environment.  

To start, online learning allows students to take classes in odd and distracting settings. It’s not uncommon to see people taking classes while working, cooking or driving. 

Even in a setting like a library, many students use other tabs to play video games, do other assignments or watch YouTube videos while they are in class.

Aside from the fact that being distracted during class is disrespectful to the professor, how can you learn effectively when you are doing something else?

Another issue plaguing online classes is the lack of measures to stop students from cheating. 

Even with tools like Lockdown Browser, which locks a student’s screen and only displays their online test, many students have found ways to cheat. They either take tests in groups or use electronic devices to help them look up answers. 

The introduction of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT has also made it easier for students to quickly produce work they can later pass off as their own. Consequently, many people have begun to use AI to help them complete math homework or write essays. 

I realized the importance of paying attention when I was chatting with a friend and I couldn’t recall anything about a virtual class I took last fall, even though I got an A in the course.

Like many of my peers, I would log in to the class but distract myself with something else. All that I have are a few clouded memories of a topic I supposedly mastered. 

What is the purpose of a college education? Our institution is not here to facilitate cheating or to make it easier for us to be distracted during class. 

College is meant to provide us with the learning and experience needed to succeed as a professional.

The only way we can achieve that is by immersing ourselves in our learning environment—one that is in-person and in a traditional classroom setting.