Learning in the context of COVID 19 pandemic has been a challenging task for both students and teachers. One of the most common issues experienced by educators and students is that of weariness and exhaustion. So, how do you identify that you have weariness? Weariness emanates basically from two things:

• Distancing
• Resource scarcity

Let’s try to understand these two concepts.

 

Distancing

Staying in an online space for long hours makes us habitual to the virtual world and this becomes a part of our lives. Gradually and unconsciously we get used to this virtual space and get so occupied in this that we lose our connection with the real world. For example, when we are engaged in an online chat via Whatsapp we don’t feel the need to personally meet up with our colleagues. Even wishes on birthdays, festivities etc. within the group happen via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter etc. Similarly, with online learning, students often resort to online resources on Google, which is because they can get information at their fingertips and as such, they don’t feel the need to go to the library and experience the incredible joy of reading a physical book. This involves a serious ethical issue.

It is no doubt that the internet is a huge storehouse of information and students do get the answers for their queries through the internet, but the knowledge that they gain is superficial and most importantly, the students become reluctant to think and write on their own. Similarly, for the faculty & teachers, it is challenging to get the entire class engaged in the lectures. This may be because the educator cannot have complete control over the student behaviour in an online class. And even if it is initiated, say, for example, asking students to switch on their web camera while in class to get that feeling of connectedness, not many would be willing to do so as they feel it to be a breach to their right to physical privacy. Sometimes, many would be conscious of blurting out something wrong, and hence to protect their self-image many would prefer to be silent rather than to speak. So in such cases, it is an extremely herculean task to get them meaningfully engaged.

 

Resource scarcity

The effort to engage students on an online platform requires a lot of preparation in terms of creating content for the lectures. To add to this, there are several barriers to effective online discourse. For example, in a virtual class, we can pinpoint students and ask them to reciprocate with queries but excepting, a few not many would participate. The reasons for this can be many. Sometimes students do not participate because of boredom and because they are tired of listening to online lectures from morning to evening. Moreover, meeting their peers in person acts as a motivator for students to participate willingly in the class, but unfortunately, this is missing in a virtual classroom. This can lead to nervous tension both for the student and for the educator. Also, just the voice-over and the webcam prove to be inadequate in terms of reaching out to the students and this can create a void in the faculty-student relationship. In such cases the educator needs to be constantly prepared with more resources to manage the session.

So, with these two barriers in online learning it becomes difficult for the teachers to fuel the enthusiasm in learners to learn and participate in online learning. But there are solutions to these ethical issues. Some simple tips can be helpful:

1. Being empathetic
   A very useful tip is being empathetic to the students and creating an environment of trust wherein students can feel free to share their concerns with the educator. Thus, building trust is crucial and this happens only when students feel that the educator has added value to their learning. Also, when educators quickly respond to student queries via email, chats or phone then the trust is retained and they come back for more, thus, sustaining the learning process. In these difficult and challenging times, it is important that educators create psycho-social support for their students and encourage them to be hungry for more learning and gaining knowledge.
   
   
2. Well-planned Lectures
   Educators can also combat their weariness by creating well-planned lectures the are simple and easily understood by the student. Further, practical applications for each topic can be designed so that students believe in what they are learning. For example, if educators talk about sustainability in business practices, then they can engage students in online websites where students can find out how sustainability in business actually counts. There are many websites where students can test their contribution to carbon footprints. So, the crux is a meaningful engagement that retains the students’ penchant for learning. Such activities re-energize the sessions.
   

More so, connecting with students in every possible way is a caring gesture that goes a long way in creating a meaningful and enriching student and educator relationship.

 

Prof. Suprabha Bakshi
Assistant Professor
Alliance School of Business
Alliance University