Table of Contents
COVID-19 pandemic affected all walks of life. It also includes the higher education sector. Since WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020, lockdown, social distancing, work from home, and online classes became part of our life. Virtual classes replaced regular face-to-face classes. Many universities and colleges worldwide suspended classroom teaching due to this pandemic and switched to online teaching. Online education provides an opportunity for self-study, but many students have no access to online teaching due to a lack of instruments and poor economic conditions.
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Covid 19 affect student’s academic life:
Internet connection is the big issue
Students lack concentration, inability to understand the live classes, difficulty in creating projects and assignments by using digital technology. With the help of the internet students and teachers can make connections with each other and communicate with each other. It helps a lot of the students and teachers to easily discuss the education-related materials with each other online through the internet. India is a country with heavy traffic of internet users. But, it is shocking that we are far behind in terms of speed. Here are some of the major factors that you need to know.
The Smartphone Influence
Smartphones have changed the way we use the internet. Honestly, telecommunications companies are unable to match this high level of consumer demand. In other words, networks are overburdened, which influences the maximum speed of the internet in India.
Low Mobile Data Cost
The low cost of data is another significant factor. We want unlimited internet on our phones. But, we don’t want to pay much money for it. Hence, low-quality 4G networks are emerging. Low-cost pricing models do not provide sufficient money for operators to maintain and improve the essential equipment.
Spectrum Allotment
This is thought to be the main factor in India’s slow 4G speeds. India’s spectrum per operator is very much low in comparison to other countries. 4G network speeds are poor. Spectrum like Mobile companies in this country requires government assistance.
Lack of personal attention to every student present in virtual class-
Teachers’ attention spans have shown a marked decline over the last few years. When parents give attention to child’s then only they focused on the current task, can learning happen. It is the individual attention that helps the learner to focus and sustain attention. So, this will make them available classroom time more fruitful. Scattered attention comes in the way of learning. Whole online class instruction may not provide an equal learning opportunity. This leads to disinterest and raises a barrier for further learning. The children with proper instruction and assessment programs to suit their requirements will go a long way to sustain the interest.
Students are not enjoying the online class.
Students are feeling tired while studying online, looking at their gadgets. This is where the differentiation in terms of mode of instruction, content, a product comes into play. Knowing the individual learner needs, and learning styles will help the teacher to plan her daily lessons making the learning process more personalized & creating room for flexibility. The teacher would know exactly who will benefit and would provide for effective teaching. The children will have to learn individual pace that enhances self-esteem and elevates self-awareness. Effective learning requires a congenial atmosphere. Identifying the characteristics of each learner in terms of behavior, physical challenges, emotional needs would help nurture the general health of the classroom. Adjusting seating arrangements during offline class provides appropriate facilities to a student who has difficulty with vision or is easily distracted, and helps in a better classroom environment. But nowadays pandemics affect the mental health of students.
Social media affects students’ lives.
- Some of the biggest social sites include:-
- TikTok
- Negative effects of social media:-
- poor mental health, particularly in young adults.
- Insecurities, especially in teens.
- Experience loneliness and depression.
The Internet affects the concentration and focus of children.
- Disadvantages of the Internet are-
- Addiction, time-waster, and causes distractions.
- Bullying, trolls, stalkers, and crime.
- Spam and advertising.
- Pornographic and violent images.
- Never being able to disconnect from work.
- Identity theft, hacking, viruses, and cheating.
Continuous online classes are increasing boredom.
Boredom can urge a person to feel sad, unhappy, tired, hopeless, not interested, irritable, etc. This is almost impossible to change your circumstances. Boredom has reduced your focus and initiative. Boredom can fabricate you to sick, tedious times may trigger physical woes. It can give you backache, a headache, insomnia, etc.
Covid 19 affect Mental health:
- The lower vision of the eyes.
- Mental pressure due to tight time scheduling by teachers.
- Back pain, serious spinal problem due to sitting in the same position for a long time.
Why do teachers not pay full attention to their students?
According to the teachers, a low level of readiness of the students, learning difficulties, being in adolescence, having a lack of interest in the lesson, aimlessness, and indolent, coming to school without sleep, hungry and tired makes it difficult for students to collect their attention in the classroom.
What are the effects of not paying attention in class?
If there is an attention deficit, the brain fails to prioritize information and the student will be unable to apply concepts learned in school. There are two possible deficits here:
- Lacking the ability to absorb information in the first place.
- Absorb the information but can’t apply it.
- The COVID‑19 crisis is evolving in the context of widespread digitalization.
- The majority of children are spending a significant chunk of their time online. Therefore, the availability of digital tools may mitigate some of the effects of the crisis.
- Digital tools also provide recreational activities as well as psychological and social support from outside.
- They facilitate social interactions among children and contribute to their digital savviness more generally.
- Increased digitalization can also magnify risks such as sexual exploitation and cyber-bullying if internet use is increasingly unsupervised.
- Moreover, increased digitalization is likely to widen inequalities between children, as the poorest children are least likely to have a quiet place in their home to concentrate on their studies and/ or have the tools to access online education.
- The effect of this “education gap” may be long-lasting.
- If appropriate action is not taken, the legacy of COVID‑19’s will be an even wider gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children.
Teachers’ should take some steps during online classes:
- Make participation a part of the grade.
- Reward participation.
- Mental exercise.
- Remove distractions.
- Innovative curriculum.
- Make lessons relevant to life.
- Ask Students to Read Aloud.
Also read: Peer Learning and its Significance
FAQs:
Que 1: Name some factors which affect attention.
Ans: Factors that affect attention:
- Intensity: the more intense a stimulus is (strength of stimulus) the more likely you are to give attention resources to it.
- Size: the bigger a stimulus is the more attention resources it captures.
- Movement: moving stimuli capture more attention than ones that remain static.
Que2: Name some social sites.
Ans: Some of the biggest social sites include:-
- TikTok
