Online Learning in The World of COVID-19: A Blessing and A Curse
This essay was submitted as part of the FCSS-FESC’s Beyond the Page Essay Contest. As such, it represents the opinions of Christina Li and is not representative of the official stance of the FCSS-FESC.
Historically speaking, pandemics have left resounding impacts on our world. Whether socially, economically or environmentally, it is impossible to deny the ways in which pandemics have forced society to adapt and reimagine their world anew. COVID-19 is no exception. With our worlds contracted to the limits of our homes, education systems have taken a step back to restructure and redefine learning. As such, in the past year, online learning has been a panacea in the time of COVID-19. Being a student, the shift to online learning has brought me a plethora of new experiences. Even after a year, I am still adjusting to this new “normal”. I personally cannot pinpoint the exact effects of online learning, nor can I quantify the disadvantages and advantages. To me, this different style of learning has been just that — different. Put simply, online learning has been both a blessing and a curse.
As someone who appreciates the theoretical aspects of learning, online learning has provided me with the chance to more deeply understand concepts and explore the reasoning behind why things work. In subjects like chemistry and physics, this learning is often fast-paced and analytical. With no labs or practical applications, my school year has instead been filled with powerpoints and online textbooks, allowing me to work at my own pace.
This being said, the lack of practical learning, such as application of concepts through labs and demonstrations, does come with its losses. This has been especially true for my science courses, which relied on labs and experimental lessons. As outlined in a study by Statistics Canada, when it came to online learning, “academic disruption varied widely by the field of study and was highest for those studying in services (56%), trades (53%), or health care (41%)” (Statistics Canada). As such, although I personally enjoy the shift from practical to theoretical learning, I recognize that this is not the case for others whose courses consist mostly of practical applications. In this way, this just goes to show how unique our experiences and situations are when it comes to the effects of online learning.
Moreover, I feel that this year of online learning has forced both students and teachers alike to reevaluate what learning truly is. The definition Merriam-Webster provides is frustratingly simple, put solely as “knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study” (“Learning”). In truth, through online learning, I have discovered that learning is a concept that is unique to each individual, and thus allows for numerous approaches and methods. As courses have shifted online, many of my teachers have chosen to emphasize various aspects that constitute learning, whether that be assessments, interactive learning or collaboration and group work. For my business course, for example, I found that a greater weight was placed on interaction and communication — from jamboards to breakout rooms, these methods strived to narrow the gap that online learning has created between students. With the continuation of online learning, these new approaches have only become more adept and engaging over time; they remedy the loss in learning by conveying information in a more innovative and compelling way.
However, it is difficult to ignore the limitations that are also associated with these new methods of learning. It goes without saying that online learning cannot truly replicate face-to-face teaching. With more technological distractions, and more difficulty forming connections with my peers and teachers, online learning presents challenges that innovation and new approaches simply cannot solve. What we can best do is learn how to work around these challenges until face-to-face learning is possible again.
Therefore, the question of “is online learning beneficial?” is one that cannot easily be answered — at least, not by my experiences alone. What I can say is that the effects of online learning are perhaps not best defined by statistics, but instead by the unique yet shared experiences among youth and teachers, and all those impacted by this restructuring of the education system. The picture I strive to paint is thus not concrete, but rather a mosaic of my experiences — the challenges and successes of online learning.
This essay was submitted as part of the FCSS-FESC’s Beyond the Page Essay Contest. As such, it represents the opinions of Christina Li and is not representative of the official stance of the FCSS-FESC.
Originally published on April 13, 2021.
