struggle of online class essay

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✍️Essay on Online Classes: Samples in 100, 150, 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Oct 20, 2023

Online classes, also known as virtual classes, have over time revolutionized education. They are known for providing students with the flexibility to access educational content and at the same time interact with professors in the comfort of their homes. With time, this mode of learning has gained huge popularity due to its accessibility and the ability to cater to diverse learning styles.

In this digital age, online classes have become a fundamental part of education, enabling all individuals to acquire knowledge, skills etc. Are you looking to gain some more information about online classes? Well, you have come to the right place. Here you will get to read some samples of online classes. 

Table of Contents

• 1 What are Online Classes?
• 2 Essay on Online Classes in 100 Words
• 3 Essay on Online Classes in 150 Words
• 4 Essay on Online Classes in 200 Words

Also Read: Online Courses

What are Online Classes?

Online classes are educational courses or learning programs which are conducted over the Internet. They provide students with the opportunity to study and complete their coursework remotely from the comfort of their homes. Online classes are a part of formal education. They can be taken in schools or colleges or can be offered by various online learning platforms. 

Online classes may include a variety of digital resources as well as tools. These may include quizzes, assignments, video lectures, discussion forums, connecting with friends via email, chat video calls etc. This type of learning offers the student flexibility in terms of when and where they can access their coursework and study. It is also helpful for those who study part-time have busy schedules and prefer remote learning. 

With the onset of COVID-19 , online classes became a huge hit hence the evolution of online classes. It offers one with different levels of education, skill training and much more. 

Essay on Online Classes in 100 Words

Online classes have become a central aspect of modern education. They offer flexibility, accessibility, and convenience, allowing students to learn from the comfort of their homes. The rise of online classes was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, making a shift from traditional classrooms to virtual learning environments. 

However, there are many disadvantages to online classes. Students may struggle with distractions, lack of in-person interaction, and technical issues. Additionally, they have opened up new avenues for global collaboration and lifelong learning. In an increasingly digital world, online classes are likely to remain a significant part of education.

Essay on Online Classes in 150 Words

Online classes have become a prevalent mode of education, especially in the past two years. These digital platforms offer several advantages. First, they provide flexibility, allowing students to learn from the comfort of their homes. This is especially beneficial for those with busy schedules or who are studying part-time. 

Second, online classes often offer a wider range of courses, enabling learners to explore diverse subjects. Additionally, these classes promote self-discipline and time management skills as students must regulate their own study routines.

However, there are challenges associated with online learning. Technical issues can disrupt classes, and the lack of face-to-face interaction may hinder social development. It can also be isolating for some students.

In conclusion, online classes offer convenience and a variety of courses, but they also present challenges related to technology and socialization. The future of education likely involves a blend of traditional and online learning methods, catering to diverse learning needs.

Also Read: Online Learning

Essay on Online Classes in 200 Words

Online classes have become a prevalent mode of education. However, this shift has brought about both advantages and challenges.

One significant benefit of online classes is accessibility. They allow students from diverse backgrounds and locations to access quality education without any constraints. This inclusivity promotes diversity and global learning experiences. Additionally, online classes often offer flexible schedules, enabling students to balance their studies with other responsibilities.

However, online classes present challenges too. Technical issues and a lack of face-to-face interaction can hinder effective learning. Students may even struggle with self-discipline and motivation, leading to a decline in academic performance. Moreover, the absence of physical facilities like libraries and laboratories can limit hands-on learning opportunities.

In conclusion, online classes have revolutionized education by providing accessibility and flexibility. Yet, they also pose challenges related to technical issues, motivation, and practical experiences. 

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Every student has their own pace of study, and this is where distance learning’s benefits really shine. You can go at your own speed in online classes, go over the material as needed, and complete the work in a method that best suits your learning preferences.

Online courses can be successful provided they are well-designed and delivered, just like any other course or programme. However, this depends from person to person as not every student is meant for online classes. 

In online education, students get to study online using a computer/laptop and only need a proper internet connection. 

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Instructional Design

7 top challenges with online learning for students (and solutions), share this article.

We'll discuss the biggest challenges of online learning and possible solutions to these problems to create a more impactful experience for students.

We live in a world where anything and everything you could ever want to know is ~ literally ~ at your fingertips. Thanks to the internet and the rapid growth of technology, online learning has never been more popular and effective. 

While there are some great perks associated with online learning, such as accessibility, flexibility, and affordability, that’s not to say that online learning doesn’t come with its downsides… online learning can be challenging to get accustomed to at first, and there are some obstacles that come with the territory. 

In this blog we will go into depth on the different problems encountered in online learning, and provide valuable solutions for the problems faced by students in online classes. This way, if you’re a teacher, you’ll know how to support students who are struggling. And if you’re a student, you’ll know what to do when you face challenges with online learning. 

Continue reading or jump ahead: 

• Types of online learning  

Synchronous learning

Asynchronous learning, microlearning, mobile learning (m learning).

• Gamification  
• Isolation  
• Lack of motivation 

Time management 

Distractions .

• Technical issues  
• Communication 

Personal barriers 

Overview of top solutions to overcome online learning challenges.

Check out: Thinkific Online Learning Trends 2024

What is online learning?

Before we dive into all of the problems faced by students in online classes, let’s go over exactly what online learning consists of, and break down the different types of online learning out there. 

Online learning – also commonly referred to as eLearning – has rapidly grown in popularity over the past few years, and eLearning is essentially any kind of learning you can do from your own device and an internet connection. The best part is that you can be anywhere in the world while learning online. 

Online learning has earned its seat in the education industry as it provides more accessibility and flexibility for students, allowing them to choose a learning style that works best for them. It can also be more cost efficient for both students and teachers, cutting back on the overhead expenses that are associated with in-person learning. 

Think of online learning as an umbrella term for all of the different types of eLearning out there. There are multiple ways in which you can learn or teach online, and there is no one right way to approach online education. 

Below we have listed some of the most common forms of online learning that are currently being offered. 

Types of online learning 

First off, there are two ways in which you can consume information online: asynchronous or synchronous learning. 

Asynchronous online learning involves a self-paced learning environment where learners can access the course material and complete assignments at any time and from any place in the world. This is a major appeal for most people when it comes to online learning. 

On the other hand, synchronous online learning is an interactive and live teaching style that mimics in-person instruction, and uses real-time participation and active discussions to facilitate learning goals, regardless of location. This is very similar to learning in-person, however with the added convenience of not having to leave your bed if you don’t wish to!   

Here are some other common forms of online learning: 

• Microlearning – Short-form lessons that mainly involve bite-sized, digestible content. The goal of microlearning is to focus on learning core concepts and theories, while consuming this information within 5 and 10 minutes for better understanding. This style of eLearning weeds out the fluff and unnecessary details, so that students can grasp key points more efficiently.   
• Mobile learning (M Learning) – The use of mobile technology like smartphones to facilitate  educational purposes. With M Learning,  students are able to learn on-the-go through videos, podcasts, and bite-sized lessons. Students are more likely to take up M Learning as it is flexible and convenient, and it’s easy to form a habit or routine this way. 
• Gamification – Involves the use of game elements in the learning process. Examples of this include point systems, leaderboards, and rewards to incentivize learning. This style boots student engagement and creates an immersive environment where learning doesn’t have to feel like a chore. 

Related: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning in Online Classes in 2023

Top challenges with online learning 

Now that we’ve covered our basis and explored the various types of online learning, let’s go deeper into some of the challenges faced with these specific modalities of eLearning. 

While distance education and short-form learning techniques have lowered costs, increased flexibility, and reduced the need for physical infrastructure for both students and teachers, it does not come without its downsides. Listed below are some common challenges with online learning. 

Synchronous learning is great for student participation, however there are some key challenges that are worth noting. This particular online learning style closely mimics in-person lectures, so for those who learn best in-person, this is your next best option as there is an emphasis on live lectures and student participation. 

However, synchronous courses don’t always have the flexibility that is often desired when it comes to online learning. In fact, it can be tough for those in different timezones to engage with this type of eLearning. It can also be difficult for some students to find a quiet and private environment to be fully engaged with lectures. As well, if there are any internet troubles, then you are potentially missing out on valuable class time, especially if lectures aren’t recorded.  

Asynchronous classes can be very similar to synchronous learning, just without the live “in-person” component. While there are deadlines and due dates to meet, students have more flexibility with how and when they learn, and can allocate their time in a way that works with their schedule. 

The top problem with asynchronous learning is the lack of personal interactions and peer-to-peer support. Another big challenge is that it can be tough to receive immediate instructor feedback or help – there will most likely be a d elay before an instructor can respond to a query, which negatively impacts the learning experience. Asynchronous courses are also known for having a lack of structure, which can make learning confusing and unmotivating for students.

Microlearning caters to those looking to quickly grasp the concept of a subject, and is generally for learners with limited time. Due to this time constraint, it is challenging to learn complex problems or skill development with microlearning. This limits microlearning to only a few concepts, or more of a surface-level learning experience. 

Microlearning also runs a high risk of fragmented learning if the course is not managed correctly, which can be frustrating for learners. Because of this, it can sometimes be a struggle to keep track of student success and progress with microlearning. 

Worldwide, there are approximately 6.94 billion smartphones – which means that M Learning is only increasing in popularity. The ability to learn from your smartphone is a huge breakthrough in the online learning industry, however there are some noteworthy challenges with this learning style. 

A major challenge is content compatibility. Most times, content created for eLearning doesn’t always smoothly transfer over to mobile devices, affecting both the student and instructor. In this case, content has to be refurbished or recreated so mobile learners can access it properly, which can be very time-consuming.  

Other challenges include small screens, difficulty reading text, and learner retention. M Learning typically produces ultra-short-form content, also making it difficult to learn in-depth concepts. 

Gamification 

Gamification learning uses play for educational goals, and many smartphone apps have mastered the art of game-based learning. While this is a fantastic short-form learning technique that is rapidly growing, some challenges include it being seen as “mandatory fun,” difficulty boosting user engagement, and misaligned motivation to earn rewards instead of retaining core concepts. 

Gamification can also be prone to technological issues such as accessibility, usability, and reliability – which can easily deter potential learners. 

Related: Top Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Learning

Problems faced by students in online classes

Now that we’ve gone over some of the problems encountered in online learning, let’s switch gears to the more specific problems faced by students in online classes. 

Noting these challenges will be beneficial for both students and teachers, which is why we will also provide some key solutions to overcome these challenges with online learning. 

Listed below are some of the most common challenges (and solutions) with online learning that students face: 

Humans, by nature, are social animals. One of the biggest obstacles to overcome with online learning is isolation – it can be incredibly lonely to enroll in an online course, and students can often feel disconnected from their peers and instructors. Although students sometimes get to interact with their classmates over Zoom or Google Meet, it is not the same as physical interaction.  

Feeling isolated can lead to students feeling disconnected from class, and they may not engage the way they normally would in an in-person setting. This is especially prevalent with asynchronous learning, where there is even less of a chance to interact with other students.

It’s easy to get frustrated when you can’t talk to your teachers and classmates face-to-face and voice the concerns you have immediately. However, there are things you can do to power through, including:  

• Find out if your course has a student support system in place. Some online courses have advisors who guide and support students throughout the duration of their online program .
• Check if your course offers networking opportunities for students. Some courses allow students to interact with their peers via chats and forums. It’s similar to interacting with classmates in a physical class, except it requires a little more effort to reach out. 
• Interact with your teachers and classmates during your online classes as much as possible. You can do this through social media outlets like Facebook groups and WhatsApp, email chat rooms, and classroom forums. To facilitate more interactions, be sure to ask lots of questions, organize group projects, and participate in discussions with your peers.

Combating isolation with online learning will take some effort on the students’ behalf, however once you’ve laid the foundation of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to communicate with others, the rest will be easy! 

Online instructors, you can also help students overcome feelings of isolation by creating group projects and encouraging classmate interactions. As well, try to make yourself available at certain hours for students who want to reach you.

Lack of motivation

Feeling isolated also trickles into our next big problem that online students face, which is a lack of motivation to participate. Lack of motivation is a common issue amongst students. It requires a significant amount of self-discipline to learn online, and this is often a skill that needs to be consistently worked on. 

Due to a lack of face-to-face interaction, some students find it hard to focus during online classes. The physical absence of teachers or classmates takes away the sense of urgency to attend classes on time, meet deadlines, and make progress. This could lead to procrastination and declining grades. 

Staring at a screen for hours on end – even outside of online classes – can also deter learners from attending classes and completing their coursework in a timely manner. Learning online is not always as exciting as in-person lessons, so it can take a while to adjust. 

Here are some ways that students can increase their motivation to learn online and succeed academically: 

• Set realistic short-term and long-term goals to help stay on track with classes, assignments, and projects. To-do lists are great reminders for meeting deadlines, and crossing activities off a to-do list can be highly motivating.
• Reach out to a classmate (this also helps combating isolation) and hold each other accountable for attending online lectures, completing coursework, and finishing assignments and projects. 
• Practicing positive affirmations will help increase your motivation and drive to succeed with online learning. Giving yourself short pep-talk to affirm that you can do whatever you set your mind to will help keep you on track during tough times. 
• Regularly participating in class can provide a sense of belonging that keeps you motivated to continue learning. Ask questions, share your opinions, and engage in healthy debate. 

Teachers can also incorporate gamification in their online courses to motivate their students to attend and participate during online classes.

It’s hard enough to juggle your normal day-to-day activities without being a student. Adding online learning into the mix can make it even more of a challenge to navigate all these responsibilities. 

While online learning provides students with unparalleled flexibility to do other activities, the tradeoff is being able to manage your time in a responsible and effective manner. It can be extremely easy to fall into the habit of letting things slip, and before you know it you’ll be struggling to keep up with your online course. 

Time management is an important skill that helps students stay focused and disciplined – keeping your priorities in line will help you not only with online courses, but in all aspects of your life. 

Here are some ways to manage your time better for online classes: 

• Set a schedule and stick to it. This will help build discipline and keep yourself accountable. Make sure to include lots of mini breaks so that you don’t exhaust yourself!
• Create a priorities list, and work from most to least important. With time, this habit will increase your overall productivity.
• Set early deadlines so that you’re not scrambling to stay on top of your assignments. 
• Break tasks into smaller chunks instead of trying to complete them all at once. Trust us, your brain will thank you!

Teachers can also try to make it a priority to check-in on students, especially with asynchronous learning.  

We all know how easy it is to become distracted, nevermind learning online at home with ALL the distractions that you could ever imagine present! It takes some serious dedication and commitment to work successfully from the comfort of your own space. 

Along with in-person distractions, such as your TV, bed, making food, or roommates, there are also online distractions to be wary of. As wonderful as the internet is for learning purposes, it also comes with constant notifications from blogs, videos, and social media platforms. This can easily distract students from their classes and assignments, and it’s dangerous territory for falling into that rabbithole of mindless scrolling. 

If you’re getting distracted by your surroundings or procrastinating with social media, here are some things you can do to focus: 

• Dedicate a quiet area of your home that is free of distractions. This will help focus your mindset on the task at hand, which are your online classes. 
• Turn on social media blockers during classes and when you are working on assignments .
• Tell people around you about your daily schedule. You become more accountable when you tell others about your commitments and plans. Think of these people like human alarm clocks. 
• Leave your phone (and any other distractions) in a different room while you complete your coursework. You will feel less compelled to procrastinate, leaving you with a more efficient study sesh. 

If you are an instructor, you can help combat any learning distractions by using a dynamic learning design to make classes engaging for students . Encouraging your students to build things, take surveys, and have debates can help them concentrate more on their studies.

Technical issues 

Technical issues are the culprit of disengagement for online learning. Learning online requires teachers and students to understand how to use multiple forms of technology – some of which have steep learning curves.

From low internet bandwidth, spotty reception, and video glitches (to name a few), these issues disrupt the flow of learning and make it a tedious task.

With online learning, students need to find proactive ways to become their own IT department, as technological assistance may not always be available right away. 

To reduce technical issues that students and teachers experience during online classes, here’s some preventative measures to take: 

• Before enrolling in an online class, students should check if they have access to the necessary technology they need to succeed at home. If they don’t, they should check if the school offers technical help (via phone, email, and live chat) to online students.
• When attending online classes, students and teachers should use a high-quality internet service provider (ISP) for fast connection. If they don’t have access to a good ISP at home, they can use free Wi-Fi at a public library or coffee shop nearby. 
• As an online student, search engines are your best friend! More often than not, you can find the answer to your tech problem by plugging your question into Google. 

Teachers should provide a comprehensive guide that contains IT information and digital literacy guidelines to streamline the process for students if something goes wrong. It’s also very helpful for teachers to record class sessions in case some students miss lectures due to tech issues.

Communication

It can be more challenging for students to communicate with their peers and instructor in an online environment. Learning online doesn’t come with the option to walk up to the teacher after class (unless your instructor allows questions in synchronous classes), so students can feel more alone if they are confused. 

Even when a student asks a question online, they might not receive a response right away depending on the availability and timezone of their instructor. 

• Most of the time, the answers will be in the student syllabus. Make sure you carefully go over the course outline, as you may have missed the answer you are looking for. 
• Post your questions in student groups. Chances are, one of your peers will be able to help you out, especially if they’ve already asked the same question or have taken the course before. 
• Take advantage of online office hours if the teacher provides them. Then you know an exact time for when your instructor can provide assistance. 

As a teacher, you will want to be proactive when planning your course. Be sure to provide you students with an in-depth outline of the course that covers common questions and solutions. This will help in the long run, so you don’t have a herd of students banging on your virtual door looking for answers!

Some students may have problems with online classes due to learning difficulties or disabilities. Students with dyslexia, autism, poor vision, hearing impairment, and other disabilities need extra attention to succeed academically. 

Online learning is praised for its adaptability and inclusivity, which means that if you inquire about accommodations, the course creator or institution could most likely work with you to improve usability. 

As an instructor, here are some ways you can make your online course more universally accessible to all learners, including those with learning disabilities: 

• Include captions to your audio and video content for students with hearing impairments.
• Have voice-over descriptions of text and images.
• Provide alternative learning options like keyboard shortcuts for certain exercises.
• Use AI-powered personal assistants for students with special needs.
• Hold extra office hours for those who need extra assistance.
• Offer assignment extensions.

Related: The Most Common Barriers to Learning – And How to Overcome Them

Since we’ve covered A LOT of information in this post on how to overcome challenges with online learning, here is a summary of the most important takeaways: 

• Practice self-discipline by creating an online learning schedule 
• Connect with classmates to motivate each other 
• Increase motivation by practicing good online study habits 
• Take study breaks to avoid burnout and lower screen-time levels 
• Dedicate a quiet study space with no distractions
• Be proactive when looking for answers – but don’t be shy when asking questions
• Set early deadlines to stay on top of assignments 
• Become familiar with online support systems in place 

There you have it! A complete overview of the top challenges with online learning, and how to effectively manage these obstacles.

We hope you are able to implement these solutions into your online learning journey, and embrace online education with confidence. 

If you’re an online creator looking to break into the lucrative industry of online teaching, try Thinkific today. 

This blog was originally published in August 2022, it’s since been updated in April 2024 to become even more useful.

Highly creative and curious about life, Megan is a blog writer and content creator who loves to inspire and uplift people with the written word. During her free time she is an avid yogi, travel junkie, beach enthusiast, and reader.

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Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines

• Published: 28 May 2021
• Volume 26 , pages 7321–7338, ( 2021 )

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• Jessie S. Barrot   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8517-4058 1 ,
• Ian I. Llenares 1 &
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Recently, the education system has faced an unprecedented health crisis that has shaken up its foundation. Given today’s uncertainties, it is vital to gain a nuanced understanding of students’ online learning experience in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many studies have investigated this area, limited information is available regarding the challenges and the specific strategies that students employ to overcome them. Thus, this study attempts to fill in the void. Using a mixed-methods approach, the findings revealed that the online learning challenges of college students varied in terms of type and extent. Their greatest challenge was linked to their learning environment at home, while their least challenge was technological literacy and competency. The findings further revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had the greatest impact on the quality of the learning experience and students’ mental health. In terms of strategies employed by students, the most frequently used were resource management and utilization, help-seeking, technical aptitude enhancement, time management, and learning environment control. Implications for classroom practice, policy-making, and future research are discussed.

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

1 Introduction

Since the 1990s, the world has seen significant changes in the landscape of education as a result of the ever-expanding influence of technology. One such development is the adoption of online learning across different learning contexts, whether formal or informal, academic and non-academic, and residential or remotely. We began to witness schools, teachers, and students increasingly adopt e-learning technologies that allow teachers to deliver instruction interactively, share resources seamlessly, and facilitate student collaboration and interaction (Elaish et al., 2019 ; Garcia et al., 2018 ). Although the efficacy of online learning has long been acknowledged by the education community (Barrot, 2020 , 2021 ; Cavanaugh et al., 2009 ; Kebritchi et al., 2017 ; Tallent-Runnels et al., 2006 ; Wallace, 2003 ), evidence on the challenges in its implementation continues to build up (e.g., Boelens et al., 2017 ; Rasheed et al., 2020 ).

Recently, the education system has faced an unprecedented health crisis (i.e., COVID-19 pandemic) that has shaken up its foundation. Thus, various governments across the globe have launched a crisis response to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic on education. This response includes, but is not limited to, curriculum revisions, provision for technological resources and infrastructure, shifts in the academic calendar, and policies on instructional delivery and assessment. Inevitably, these developments compelled educational institutions to migrate to full online learning until face-to-face instruction is allowed. The current circumstance is unique as it could aggravate the challenges experienced during online learning due to restrictions in movement and health protocols (Gonzales et al., 2020 ; Kapasia et al., 2020 ). Given today’s uncertainties, it is vital to gain a nuanced understanding of students’ online learning experience in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, many studies have investigated this area with a focus on students’ mental health (Copeland et al., 2021 ; Fawaz et al., 2021 ), home learning (Suryaman et al., 2020 ), self-regulation (Carter et al., 2020 ), virtual learning environment (Almaiah et al., 2020 ; Hew et al., 2020 ; Tang et al., 2020 ), and students’ overall learning experience (e.g., Adarkwah, 2021 ; Day et al., 2021 ; Khalil et al., 2020 ; Singh et al., 2020 ). There are two key differences that set the current study apart from the previous studies. First, it sheds light on the direct impact of the pandemic on the challenges that students experience in an online learning space. Second, the current study explores students’ coping strategies in this new learning setup. Addressing these areas would shed light on the extent of challenges that students experience in a full online learning space, particularly within the context of the pandemic. Meanwhile, our nuanced understanding of the strategies that students use to overcome their challenges would provide relevant information to school administrators and teachers to better support the online learning needs of students. This information would also be critical in revisiting the typology of strategies in an online learning environment.

2 Literature review

2.1 education and the covid-19 pandemic.

In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, occurred in China and has spread rapidly across the globe within a few months. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus that attacks the respiratory system (World Health Organization, 2020 ). As of January 2021, COVID-19 has infected 94 million people and has caused 2 million deaths in 191 countries and territories (John Hopkins University, 2021 ). This pandemic has created a massive disruption of the educational systems, affecting over 1.5 billion students. It has forced the government to cancel national examinations and the schools to temporarily close, cease face-to-face instruction, and strictly observe physical distancing. These events have sparked the digital transformation of higher education and challenged its ability to respond promptly and effectively. Schools adopted relevant technologies, prepared learning and staff resources, set systems and infrastructure, established new teaching protocols, and adjusted their curricula. However, the transition was smooth for some schools but rough for others, particularly those from developing countries with limited infrastructure (Pham & Nguyen, 2020 ; Simbulan, 2020 ).

Inevitably, schools and other learning spaces were forced to migrate to full online learning as the world continues the battle to control the vicious spread of the virus. Online learning refers to a learning environment that uses the Internet and other technological devices and tools for synchronous and asynchronous instructional delivery and management of academic programs (Usher & Barak, 2020 ; Huang, 2019 ). Synchronous online learning involves real-time interactions between the teacher and the students, while asynchronous online learning occurs without a strict schedule for different students (Singh & Thurman, 2019 ). Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has taken the status of interim remote teaching that serves as a response to an exigency. However, the migration to a new learning space has faced several major concerns relating to policy, pedagogy, logistics, socioeconomic factors, technology, and psychosocial factors (Donitsa-Schmidt & Ramot, 2020 ; Khalil et al., 2020 ; Varea & González-Calvo, 2020 ). With reference to policies, government education agencies and schools scrambled to create fool-proof policies on governance structure, teacher management, and student management. Teachers, who were used to conventional teaching delivery, were also obliged to embrace technology despite their lack of technological literacy. To address this problem, online learning webinars and peer support systems were launched. On the part of the students, dropout rates increased due to economic, psychological, and academic reasons. Academically, although it is virtually possible for students to learn anything online, learning may perhaps be less than optimal, especially in courses that require face-to-face contact and direct interactions (Franchi, 2020 ).

2.2 Related studies

Recently, there has been an explosion of studies relating to the new normal in education. While many focused on national policies, professional development, and curriculum, others zeroed in on the specific learning experience of students during the pandemic. Among these are Copeland et al. ( 2021 ) and Fawaz et al. ( 2021 ) who examined the impact of COVID-19 on college students’ mental health and their coping mechanisms. Copeland et al. ( 2021 ) reported that the pandemic adversely affected students’ behavioral and emotional functioning, particularly attention and externalizing problems (i.e., mood and wellness behavior), which were caused by isolation, economic/health effects, and uncertainties. In Fawaz et al.’s ( 2021 ) study, students raised their concerns on learning and evaluation methods, overwhelming task load, technical difficulties, and confinement. To cope with these problems, students actively dealt with the situation by seeking help from their teachers and relatives and engaging in recreational activities. These active-oriented coping mechanisms of students were aligned with Carter et al.’s ( 2020 ), who explored students’ self-regulation strategies.

In another study, Tang et al. ( 2020 ) examined the efficacy of different online teaching modes among engineering students. Using a questionnaire, the results revealed that students were dissatisfied with online learning in general, particularly in the aspect of communication and question-and-answer modes. Nonetheless, the combined model of online teaching with flipped classrooms improved students’ attention, academic performance, and course evaluation. A parallel study was undertaken by Hew et al. ( 2020 ), who transformed conventional flipped classrooms into fully online flipped classes through a cloud-based video conferencing app. Their findings suggested that these two types of learning environments were equally effective. They also offered ways on how to effectively adopt videoconferencing-assisted online flipped classrooms. Unlike the two studies, Suryaman et al. ( 2020 ) looked into how learning occurred at home during the pandemic. Their findings showed that students faced many obstacles in a home learning environment, such as lack of mastery of technology, high Internet cost, and limited interaction/socialization between and among students. In a related study, Kapasia et al. ( 2020 ) investigated how lockdown impacts students’ learning performance. Their findings revealed that the lockdown made significant disruptions in students’ learning experience. The students also reported some challenges that they faced during their online classes. These include anxiety, depression, poor Internet service, and unfavorable home learning environment, which were aggravated when students are marginalized and from remote areas. Contrary to Kapasia et al.’s ( 2020 ) findings, Gonzales et al. ( 2020 ) found that confinement of students during the pandemic had significant positive effects on their performance. They attributed these results to students’ continuous use of learning strategies which, in turn, improved their learning efficiency.

Finally, there are those that focused on students’ overall online learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. One such study was that of Singh et al. ( 2020 ), who examined students’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic using a quantitative descriptive approach. Their findings indicated that students appreciated the use of online learning during the pandemic. However, half of them believed that the traditional classroom setting was more effective than the online learning platform. Methodologically, the researchers acknowledge that the quantitative nature of their study restricts a deeper interpretation of the findings. Unlike the above study, Khalil et al. ( 2020 ) qualitatively explored the efficacy of synchronized online learning in a medical school in Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that students generally perceive synchronous online learning positively, particularly in terms of time management and efficacy. However, they also reported technical (internet connectivity and poor utility of tools), methodological (content delivery), and behavioral (individual personality) challenges. Their findings also highlighted the failure of the online learning environment to address the needs of courses that require hands-on practice despite efforts to adopt virtual laboratories. In a parallel study, Adarkwah ( 2021 ) examined students’ online learning experience during the pandemic using a narrative inquiry approach. The findings indicated that Ghanaian students considered online learning as ineffective due to several challenges that they encountered. Among these were lack of social interaction among students, poor communication, lack of ICT resources, and poor learning outcomes. More recently, Day et al. ( 2021 ) examined the immediate impact of COVID-19 on students’ learning experience. Evidence from six institutions across three countries revealed some positive experiences and pre-existing inequities. Among the reported challenges are lack of appropriate devices, poor learning space at home, stress among students, and lack of fieldwork and access to laboratories.

Although there are few studies that report the online learning challenges that higher education students experience during the pandemic, limited information is available regarding the specific strategies that they use to overcome them. It is in this context that the current study was undertaken. This mixed-methods study investigates students’ online learning experience in higher education. Specifically, the following research questions are addressed: (1) What is the extent of challenges that students experience in an online learning environment? (2) How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the online learning challenges that students experience? (3) What strategies did students use to overcome the challenges?

2.3 Conceptual framework

The typology of challenges examined in this study is largely based on Rasheed et al.’s ( 2020 ) review of students’ experience in an online learning environment. These challenges are grouped into five general clusters, namely self-regulation (SRC), technological literacy and competency (TLCC), student isolation (SIC), technological sufficiency (TSC), and technological complexity (TCC) challenges (Rasheed et al., 2020 , p. 5). SRC refers to a set of behavior by which students exercise control over their emotions, actions, and thoughts to achieve learning objectives. TLCC relates to a set of challenges about students’ ability to effectively use technology for learning purposes. SIC relates to the emotional discomfort that students experience as a result of being lonely and secluded from their peers. TSC refers to a set of challenges that students experience when accessing available online technologies for learning. Finally, there is TCC which involves challenges that students experience when exposed to complex and over-sufficient technologies for online learning.

To extend Rasheed et al. ( 2020 ) categories and to cover other potential challenges during online classes, two more clusters were added, namely learning resource challenges (LRC) and learning environment challenges (LEC) (Buehler, 2004 ; Recker et al., 2004 ; Seplaki et al., 2014 ; Xue et al., 2020 ). LRC refers to a set of challenges that students face relating to their use of library resources and instructional materials, whereas LEC is a set of challenges that students experience related to the condition of their learning space that shapes their learning experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. Since learning environment at home and learning resources available to students has been reported to significantly impact the quality of learning and their achievement of learning outcomes (Drane et al., 2020 ; Suryaman et al., 2020 ), the inclusion of LRC and LEC would allow us to capture other important challenges that students experience during the pandemic, particularly those from developing regions. This comprehensive list would provide us a clearer and detailed picture of students’ experiences when engaged in online learning in an emergency. Given the restrictions in mobility at macro and micro levels during the pandemic, it is also expected that such conditions would aggravate these challenges. Therefore, this paper intends to understand these challenges from students’ perspectives since they are the ones that are ultimately impacted when the issue is about the learning experience. We also seek to explore areas that provide inconclusive findings, thereby setting the path for future research.

3 Material and methods

The present study adopted a descriptive, mixed-methods approach to address the research questions. This approach allowed the researchers to collect complex data about students’ experience in an online learning environment and to clearly understand the phenomena from their perspective.

3.1 Participants

This study involved 200 (66 male and 134 female) students from a private higher education institution in the Philippines. These participants were Psychology, Physical Education, and Sports Management majors whose ages ranged from 17 to 25 ( x̅  = 19.81; SD  = 1.80). The students have been engaged in online learning for at least two terms in both synchronous and asynchronous modes. The students belonged to low- and middle-income groups but were equipped with the basic online learning equipment (e.g., computer, headset, speakers) and computer skills necessary for their participation in online classes. Table 1 shows the primary and secondary platforms that students used during their online classes. The primary platforms are those that are formally adopted by teachers and students in a structured academic context, whereas the secondary platforms are those that are informally and spontaneously used by students and teachers for informal learning and to supplement instructional delivery. Note that almost all students identified MS Teams as their primary platform because it is the official learning management system of the university.

Informed consent was sought from the participants prior to their involvement. Before students signed the informed consent form, they were oriented about the objectives of the study and the extent of their involvement. They were also briefed about the confidentiality of information, their anonymity, and their right to refuse to participate in the investigation. Finally, the participants were informed that they would incur no additional cost from their participation.

3.2 Instrument and data collection

The data were collected using a retrospective self-report questionnaire and a focused group discussion (FGD). A self-report questionnaire was considered appropriate because the indicators relate to affective responses and attitude (Araujo et al., 2017 ; Barrot, 2016 ; Spector, 1994 ). Although the participants may tell more than what they know or do in a self-report survey (Matsumoto, 1994 ), this challenge was addressed by explaining to them in detail each of the indicators and using methodological triangulation through FGD. The questionnaire was divided into four sections: (1) participant’s personal information section, (2) the background information on the online learning environment, (3) the rating scale section for the online learning challenges, (4) the open-ended section. The personal information section asked about the students’ personal information (name, school, course, age, and sex), while the background information section explored the online learning mode and platforms (primary and secondary) used in class, and students’ length of engagement in online classes. The rating scale section contained 37 items that relate to SRC (6 items), TLCC (10 items), SIC (4 items), TSC (6 items), TCC (3 items), LRC (4 items), and LEC (4 items). The Likert scale uses six scores (i.e., 5– to a very great extent , 4– to a great extent , 3– to a moderate extent , 2– to some extent , 1– to a small extent , and 0 –not at all/negligible ) assigned to each of the 37 items. Finally, the open-ended questions asked about other challenges that students experienced, the impact of the pandemic on the intensity or extent of the challenges they experienced, and the strategies that the participants employed to overcome the eight different types of challenges during online learning. Two experienced educators and researchers reviewed the questionnaire for clarity, accuracy, and content and face validity. The piloting of the instrument revealed that the tool had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.96).

The FGD protocol contains two major sections: the participants’ background information and the main questions. The background information section asked about the students’ names, age, courses being taken, online learning mode used in class. The items in the main questions section covered questions relating to the students’ overall attitude toward online learning during the pandemic, the reasons for the scores they assigned to each of the challenges they experienced, the impact of the pandemic on students’ challenges, and the strategies they employed to address the challenges. The same experts identified above validated the FGD protocol.

Both the questionnaire and the FGD were conducted online via Google survey and MS Teams, respectively. It took approximately 20 min to complete the questionnaire, while the FGD lasted for about 90 min. Students were allowed to ask for clarification and additional explanations relating to the questionnaire content, FGD, and procedure. Online surveys and interview were used because of the ongoing lockdown in the city. For the purpose of triangulation, 20 (10 from Psychology and 10 from Physical Education and Sports Management) randomly selected students were invited to participate in the FGD. Two separate FGDs were scheduled for each group and were facilitated by researcher 2 and researcher 3, respectively. The interviewers ensured that the participants were comfortable and open to talk freely during the FGD to avoid social desirability biases (Bergen & Labonté, 2020 ). These were done by informing the participants that there are no wrong responses and that their identity and responses would be handled with the utmost confidentiality. With the permission of the participants, the FGD was recorded to ensure that all relevant information was accurately captured for transcription and analysis.

3.3 Data analysis

To address the research questions, we used both quantitative and qualitative analyses. For the quantitative analysis, we entered all the data into an excel spreadsheet. Then, we computed the mean scores ( M ) and standard deviations ( SD ) to determine the level of challenges experienced by students during online learning. The mean score for each descriptor was interpreted using the following scheme: 4.18 to 5.00 ( to a very great extent ), 3.34 to 4.17 ( to a great extent ), 2.51 to 3.33 ( to a moderate extent ), 1.68 to 2.50 ( to some extent ), 0.84 to 1.67 ( to a small extent ), and 0 to 0.83 ( not at all/negligible ). The equal interval was adopted because it produces more reliable and valid information than other types of scales (Cicchetti et al., 2006 ).

For the qualitative data, we analyzed the students’ responses in the open-ended questions and the transcribed FGD using the predetermined categories in the conceptual framework. Specifically, we used multilevel coding in classifying the codes from the transcripts (Birks & Mills, 2011 ). To do this, we identified the relevant codes from the responses of the participants and categorized these codes based on the similarities or relatedness of their properties and dimensions. Then, we performed a constant comparative and progressive analysis of cases to allow the initially identified subcategories to emerge and take shape. To ensure the reliability of the analysis, two coders independently analyzed the qualitative data. Both coders familiarize themselves with the purpose, research questions, research method, and codes and coding scheme of the study. They also had a calibration session and discussed ways on how they could consistently analyze the qualitative data. Percent of agreement between the two coders was 86 percent. Any disagreements in the analysis were discussed by the coders until an agreement was achieved.

This study investigated students’ online learning experience in higher education within the context of the pandemic. Specifically, we identified the extent of challenges that students experienced, how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their online learning experience, and the strategies that they used to confront these challenges.

4.1 The extent of students’ online learning challenges

Table 2 presents the mean scores and SD for the extent of challenges that students’ experienced during online learning. Overall, the students experienced the identified challenges to a moderate extent ( x̅  = 2.62, SD  = 1.03) with scores ranging from x̅  = 1.72 ( to some extent ) to x̅  = 3.58 ( to a great extent ). More specifically, the greatest challenge that students experienced was related to the learning environment ( x̅  = 3.49, SD  = 1.27), particularly on distractions at home, limitations in completing the requirements for certain subjects, and difficulties in selecting the learning areas and study schedule. It is, however, found that the least challenge was on technological literacy and competency ( x̅  = 2.10, SD  = 1.13), particularly on knowledge and training in the use of technology, technological intimidation, and resistance to learning technologies. Other areas that students experienced the least challenge are Internet access under TSC and procrastination under SRC. Nonetheless, nearly half of the students’ responses per indicator rated the challenges they experienced as moderate (14 of the 37 indicators), particularly in TCC ( x̅  = 2.51, SD  = 1.31), SIC ( x̅  = 2.77, SD  = 1.34), and LRC ( x̅  = 2.93, SD  = 1.31).

Out of 200 students, 181 responded to the question about other challenges that they experienced. Most of their responses were already covered by the seven predetermined categories, except for 18 responses related to physical discomfort ( N  = 5) and financial challenges ( N  = 13). For instance, S108 commented that “when it comes to eyes and head, my eyes and head get ache if the session of class was 3 h straight in front of my gadget.” In the same vein, S194 reported that “the long exposure to gadgets especially laptop, resulting in body pain & headaches.” With reference to physical financial challenges, S66 noted that “not all the time I have money to load”, while S121 claimed that “I don't know until when are we going to afford budgeting our money instead of buying essentials.”

4.2 Impact of the pandemic on students’ online learning challenges

Another objective of this study was to identify how COVID-19 influenced the online learning challenges that students experienced. As shown in Table 3 , most of the students’ responses were related to teaching and learning quality ( N  = 86) and anxiety and other mental health issues ( N  = 52). Regarding the adverse impact on teaching and learning quality, most of the comments relate to the lack of preparation for the transition to online platforms (e.g., S23, S64), limited infrastructure (e.g., S13, S65, S99, S117), and poor Internet service (e.g., S3, S9, S17, S41, S65, S99). For the anxiety and mental health issues, most students reported that the anxiety, boredom, sadness, and isolation they experienced had adversely impacted the way they learn (e.g., S11, S130), completing their tasks/activities (e.g., S56, S156), and their motivation to continue studying (e.g., S122, S192). The data also reveal that COVID-19 aggravated the financial difficulties experienced by some students ( N  = 16), consequently affecting their online learning experience. This financial impact mainly revolved around the lack of funding for their online classes as a result of their parents’ unemployment and the high cost of Internet data (e.g., S18, S113, S167). Meanwhile, few concerns were raised in relation to COVID-19’s impact on mobility ( N  = 7) and face-to-face interactions ( N  = 7). For instance, some commented that the lack of face-to-face interaction with her classmates had a detrimental effect on her learning (S46) and socialization skills (S36), while others reported that restrictions in mobility limited their learning experience (S78, S110). Very few comments were related to no effect ( N  = 4) and positive effect ( N  = 2). The above findings suggest the pandemic had additive adverse effects on students’ online learning experience.

4.3 Students’ strategies to overcome challenges in an online learning environment

The third objective of this study is to identify the strategies that students employed to overcome the different online learning challenges they experienced. Table 4 presents that the most commonly used strategies used by students were resource management and utilization ( N  = 181), help-seeking ( N  = 155), technical aptitude enhancement ( N  = 122), time management ( N  = 98), and learning environment control ( N  = 73). Not surprisingly, the top two strategies were also the most consistently used across different challenges. However, looking closely at each of the seven challenges, the frequency of using a particular strategy varies. For TSC and LRC, the most frequently used strategy was resource management and utilization ( N  = 52, N  = 89, respectively), whereas technical aptitude enhancement was the students’ most preferred strategy to address TLCC ( N  = 77) and TCC ( N  = 38). In the case of SRC, SIC, and LEC, the most frequently employed strategies were time management ( N  = 71), psychological support ( N  = 53), and learning environment control ( N  = 60). In terms of consistency, help-seeking appears to be the most consistent across the different challenges in an online learning environment. Table 4 further reveals that strategies used by students within a specific type of challenge vary.

5 Discussion and conclusions

The current study explores the challenges that students experienced in an online learning environment and how the pandemic impacted their online learning experience. The findings revealed that the online learning challenges of students varied in terms of type and extent. Their greatest challenge was linked to their learning environment at home, while their least challenge was technological literacy and competency. Based on the students’ responses, their challenges were also found to be aggravated by the pandemic, especially in terms of quality of learning experience, mental health, finances, interaction, and mobility. With reference to previous studies (i.e., Adarkwah, 2021 ; Copeland et al., 2021 ; Day et al., 2021 ; Fawaz et al., 2021 ; Kapasia et al., 2020 ; Khalil et al., 2020 ; Singh et al., 2020 ), the current study has complemented their findings on the pedagogical, logistical, socioeconomic, technological, and psychosocial online learning challenges that students experience within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this study extended previous studies and our understanding of students’ online learning experience by identifying both the presence and extent of online learning challenges and by shedding light on the specific strategies they employed to overcome them.

Overall findings indicate that the extent of challenges and strategies varied from one student to another. Hence, they should be viewed as a consequence of interaction several many factors. Students’ responses suggest that their online learning challenges and strategies were mediated by the resources available to them, their interaction with their teachers and peers, and the school’s existing policies and guidelines for online learning. In the context of the pandemic, the imposed lockdowns and students’ socioeconomic condition aggravated the challenges that students experience.

While most studies revealed that technology use and competency were the most common challenges that students face during the online classes (see Rasheed et al., 2020 ), the case is a bit different in developing countries in times of pandemic. As the findings have shown, the learning environment is the greatest challenge that students needed to hurdle, particularly distractions at home (e.g., noise) and limitations in learning space and facilities. This data suggests that online learning challenges during the pandemic somehow vary from the typical challenges that students experience in a pre-pandemic online learning environment. One possible explanation for this result is that restriction in mobility may have aggravated this challenge since they could not go to the school or other learning spaces beyond the vicinity of their respective houses. As shown in the data, the imposition of lockdown restricted students’ learning experience (e.g., internship and laboratory experiments), limited their interaction with peers and teachers, caused depression, stress, and anxiety among students, and depleted the financial resources of those who belong to lower-income group. All of these adversely impacted students’ learning experience. This finding complemented earlier reports on the adverse impact of lockdown on students’ learning experience and the challenges posed by the home learning environment (e.g., Day et al., 2021 ; Kapasia et al., 2020 ). Nonetheless, further studies are required to validate the impact of restrictions on mobility on students’ online learning experience. The second reason that may explain the findings relates to students’ socioeconomic profile. Consistent with the findings of Adarkwah ( 2021 ) and Day et al. ( 2021 ), the current study reveals that the pandemic somehow exposed the many inequities in the educational systems within and across countries. In the case of a developing country, families from lower socioeconomic strata (as in the case of the students in this study) have limited learning space at home, access to quality Internet service, and online learning resources. This is the reason the learning environment and learning resources recorded the highest level of challenges. The socioeconomic profile of the students (i.e., low and middle-income group) is the same reason financial problems frequently surfaced from their responses. These students frequently linked the lack of financial resources to their access to the Internet, educational materials, and equipment necessary for online learning. Therefore, caution should be made when interpreting and extending the findings of this study to other contexts, particularly those from higher socioeconomic strata.

Among all the different online learning challenges, the students experienced the least challenge on technological literacy and competency. This is not surprising considering a plethora of research confirming Gen Z students’ (born since 1996) high technological and digital literacy (Barrot, 2018 ; Ng, 2012 ; Roblek et al., 2019 ). Regarding the impact of COVID-19 on students’ online learning experience, the findings reveal that teaching and learning quality and students’ mental health were the most affected. The anxiety that students experienced does not only come from the threats of COVID-19 itself but also from social and physical restrictions, unfamiliarity with new learning platforms, technical issues, and concerns about financial resources. These findings are consistent with that of Copeland et al. ( 2021 ) and Fawaz et al. ( 2021 ), who reported the adverse effects of the pandemic on students’ mental and emotional well-being. This data highlights the need to provide serious attention to the mediating effects of mental health, restrictions in mobility, and preparedness in delivering online learning.

Nonetheless, students employed a variety of strategies to overcome the challenges they faced during online learning. For instance, to address the home learning environment problems, students talked to their family (e.g., S12, S24), transferred to a quieter place (e.g., S7, S 26), studied at late night where all family members are sleeping already (e.g., S51), and consulted with their classmates and teachers (e.g., S3, S9, S156, S193). To overcome the challenges in learning resources, students used the Internet (e.g., S20, S27, S54, S91), joined Facebook groups that share free resources (e.g., S5), asked help from family members (e.g., S16), used resources available at home (e.g., S32), and consulted with the teachers (e.g., S124). The varying strategies of students confirmed earlier reports on the active orientation that students take when faced with academic- and non-academic-related issues in an online learning space (see Fawaz et al., 2021 ). The specific strategies that each student adopted may have been shaped by different factors surrounding him/her, such as available resources, student personality, family structure, relationship with peers and teacher, and aptitude. To expand this study, researchers may further investigate this area and explore how and why different factors shape their use of certain strategies.

Several implications can be drawn from the findings of this study. First, this study highlighted the importance of emergency response capability and readiness of higher education institutions in case another crisis strikes again. Critical areas that need utmost attention include (but not limited to) national and institutional policies, protocol and guidelines, technological infrastructure and resources, instructional delivery, staff development, potential inequalities, and collaboration among key stakeholders (i.e., parents, students, teachers, school leaders, industry, government education agencies, and community). Second, the findings have expanded our understanding of the different challenges that students might confront when we abruptly shift to full online learning, particularly those from countries with limited resources, poor Internet infrastructure, and poor home learning environment. Schools with a similar learning context could use the findings of this study in developing and enhancing their respective learning continuity plans to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic. This study would also provide students relevant information needed to reflect on the possible strategies that they may employ to overcome the challenges. These are critical information necessary for effective policymaking, decision-making, and future implementation of online learning. Third, teachers may find the results useful in providing proper interventions to address the reported challenges, particularly in the most critical areas. Finally, the findings provided us a nuanced understanding of the interdependence of learning tools, learners, and learning outcomes within an online learning environment; thus, giving us a multiperspective of hows and whys of a successful migration to full online learning.

Some limitations in this study need to be acknowledged and addressed in future studies. One limitation of this study is that it exclusively focused on students’ perspectives. Future studies may widen the sample by including all other actors taking part in the teaching–learning process. Researchers may go deeper by investigating teachers’ views and experience to have a complete view of the situation and how different elements interact between them or affect the others. Future studies may also identify some teacher-related factors that could influence students’ online learning experience. In the case of students, their age, sex, and degree programs may be examined in relation to the specific challenges and strategies they experience. Although the study involved a relatively large sample size, the participants were limited to college students from a Philippine university. To increase the robustness of the findings, future studies may expand the learning context to K-12 and several higher education institutions from different geographical regions. As a final note, this pandemic has undoubtedly reshaped and pushed the education system to its limits. However, this unprecedented event is the same thing that will make the education system stronger and survive future threats.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Jessie S. Barrot, Ian I. Llenares & Leo S. del Rosario

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Barrot, J.S., Llenares, I.I. & del Rosario, L.S. Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines. Educ Inf Technol 26 , 7321–7338 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x

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The Digital Divide: Researching the Challenges of Online Learning for Many Students

In this lesson plan, students will learn about what remote learning means for children without stable housing. Then, they will research the online education plan in their region.

By Nicole Daniels

Find all our Lessons of the Day here.

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “ She’s 10, Homeless and Eager to Learn. But She Has No Internet. ” by Nikita Stewart

In recent weeks, many schools have turned to online learning in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. On March 23, the New York City public school system moved its 1,800 schools online. However, the city has an estimated 114,000 children who live in shelters and unstable housing, which makes offering accessible online education a challenge.

In this lesson you will read about several New York City kids who are navigating online education while living in homeless shelters or homes without internet access. Then, you will create a “one-pager” response to the article, or research your region’s plan for providing online education for students who are homeless.

The featured article profiles six children and teenagers in New York City, beginning with this three-minute video focusing on one child: Allia Phillips. As you watch the video, write down your responses:

One quote from the video that you found moving or insightful.

Two questions or ideas that you have after watching the video.

Three images or stills that you found interesting or meaningful.

She’s an Honors Student. And Homeless. Will the Virtual Classroom Reach Her?

This week new york city’s public schools began remote learning. but for the more than 100,000 students who are homeless, virtual education may be out of reach..

“Can you move just a little bit to this way? Perfect.” “A-L-L-I-A, my name is Allia Phillips. I am 10 years old. I live in New York, New York. And I live in a shelter. And I love playing violin. OK, I’m going to have to stand up for this. A lot of things are really happening right now, like Covid-19. [Violin playing] I’ve heard that it is a very contagious virus. And when people get it, a lot of people have to go to the hospital. But some of them have to get isolated. It’s changed my life because now, we don’t get to go in school. My teacher told us that she didn’t know if it was going to close for the whole year. Ta-da.” “You’ve got blanky fuzz in your hair. Right now, me and Allia are actually living in a family shelter.” “I don’t like the way you brush it. You brush it so hard. Basically, it’s one room with a bathroom, and then one bed and a bunk bed. I guess, it’s now my classroom, too.” “I got contacted by her school to go pick up her iPad device. And her iPad does not have internet. The shelter that we’re in, they do not allow internet. What classroom stuff are we going to do today? Math?” “Well, science is already too hard. It keeps on pausing itself, just freezing.” “Oh OK, I will look into that in a little bit.” “Across the room.” “And see what’s going on. I have a cellphone. We use the hot spot. I don’t have a lot of data. And it’s a little spotty and slow. Essentially, that’s just where we’ve been is puttering outside to get a better signal, hoping it gets better.” “A school has 17 tables in the cafeteria. Each table has 12 seats.” “I am worried that children are going to get left behind because they don’t have their devices or they didn’t have the access to the internet. Let’s try that one again.” “So we’ll probably have to redo our whole grade, and relearn everything we already know.” “Right now, my biggest worry for Allia would be the social interaction. My mother, who’s disabled, and her service animal lives with us. So we’re all in this really tiny space.” “Yeah. I’m worried about that because my grandmother, she is really old. And if she gets it or if my mother gets sick, they could get hurt. And if they both get it, who’s going to take care of me that day? And then if we’re all locked in the same room, how are we going to be safe?”

Now, read the featured article in its entirety to learn more about Allia and other young people in New York City who are also navigating online education without having permanent housing.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article , then answer the following questions:

1. In your own words, summarize the different struggles that students, parents and school administrators have faced during New York City’s move to online education. Then, summarize some of the attempted solutions and their effectiveness.

2. Richard Carranza, the schools chancellor, and Christine Quinn, executive director of the nonprofit Win, expressed two very different outlooks on the remote-learning situation in New York City. How would you characterize their perspectives? Why do you think they see things so differently?

3. What did Estrella Montanez, the director of the Nelson Avenue Family Residence in the Bronx, notice when she and her staff went door-to-door in the shelter where they work? What different solutions has she been exploring?

4. What are some of the questions and concerns that Jennifer March, executive director of the Citizens’ Committee for Children, has raised? What do you think of her solutions? Do you have other ideas of what could be done?

5. The article profiles six New York City kids: Allia Phillips; the sisters Kamiyah Williams and Chastity Battle; the brothers Khalil and Tahir; and J’Marion Brown. Choose one young person to focus on and answer:

How has their living situation affected their online education experience?

What solutions have they and their families explored and implemented?

What more do you think could be done to offer support? Who do you think is responsible for providing additional support or services?

Going Further

Option I: One-Pager

What is your emotional reaction to reading the article? Are you able to empathize — “sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling” — with any of the young people featured in the article? Does the article make you think of anything you have ever gone through, or of anything someone you care about has gone through? Or, do the stories feel very different from anything you’ve experienced? If the latter, are you able to imagine what the children and teenagers in the article might feel?

Now, create an emotional and visual response to the article by designing a One-Pager. Look back through the article and choose:

A quote that was meaningful to you.

A striking image.

A question you have that the article did not address.

You can organize your selections on this One-Pager worksheet . If you have more time, design a visually compelling one-pager and explain the importance of the article. If you choose this option, you can add:

An additional quote and image.

A phrase from the article that can serve as the border of your one-pager.

The theme of the article, in your own words, along with problems and solutions.

A feeling that you are left with after reading the article.

Option II: Take Action

If public schools in your area are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, do you know how students without housing or stable living situations are being supported in online learning? If schools in your area have not yet closed, do you know anything about your district’s plan to support those students in the event schools close?

To answer these questions, conduct some research by looking on your school district’s website and in local newspapers. Once you have an understanding of the services that are, or will be, offered to students without stable housing, answer the following questions:

Summarize your district’s plan for providing educational services to students without housing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Evaluate the plan based on what you learned about the struggles in New York City:

Is there a plan in place for distributing devices such as laptops or iPads?

Is there a way to ensure that all students will have reliable access to the internet?

Has any work been done to ensure that students can have a quiet and safe place to work during the day?

What is being offered for children who struggle in school or need more support in certain subjects, like J’Marion Brown discussed in the article?

Based on your evaluation, write a letter to your district’s superintendent offering suggestions on how he or she can best accommodate the learning needs of students without housing during the pandemic.

Nicole Daniels joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2019 after working in museum education, curriculum writing and bilingual education. More about Nicole Daniels

Tackle Challenges of Online Classes Due to COVID-19

College students should proactively contact professors or support staff with any questions about the transition, experts say.

Tackling Online Classes During COVID-19

Hero Images | Getty Images

College students in online classes face challenges like distractions, technical issues and lack of in-person interaction.

Like many college students nationwide, 21-year-old Alyssa Ashford is facing the challenges of unexpectedly switching to online classes due to the coronavirus outbreak. The junior premed student at Washington University in St. Louis is finishing the semester remotely from her home in St. Louis.

During the week, Ashford's father goes to work for an essential job, while her mother stays home to watch her 4-year-old and 7-month-old cousins, which can cause distractions while she's studying. She sometimes goes to her grandfather's house so she can focus. Juggling family responsibilities with her coursework is also a challenge, which is why Ashford carefully plans out every day.

"I write down my most important tasks for the entire month, and then I also write a weekly planner that lists my goals, and then I write a daily planner to accomplish those goals," Ashford says. "And with the transition from in person to online, I had to make sure that I kept a rigid schedule now that I really do have to go to class on my own time."

In the middle of the spring semester, undergraduate students across the U.S. had to suddenly pack up their belongings and finish their courses away from campus , an adjustment for many who are accustomed to in-person classes. Some colleges have announced they will continue offering only online classes through the summer semester, but many have yet to decide on the fall.

In a survey of more than 400 college students whose schools recently switched over to online education – conducted in March by Barnes & Noble College Insights – 60% of students said they felt at least somewhat prepared for the change. This was particularly true among students who previously took an online course. Still, 64% of survey respondents expressed concerns about being able to focus and maintaining the self-discipline needed to study remotely.

More recent polling from College Reaction/Axios in April showed that 77% of more than 800 college students surveyed said they felt distance learning is worse or much worse than in-person classes.

Here are some of the most common challenges undergraduate students are currently facing with online classes along with specific tips on how to address them:

• Technical issues.
• Distractions and time management.
• Staying motivated.
• Understanding course expectations.
• Lack of in-person interaction.
• Adapting to unfamiliar technology.
• Uncertainty about the future.

Technical Issues

Unfortunately, experts say, technical issues are bound to happen in an online-only environment. Ashford says that while attending one of her classes live through videoconferencing, her computer suddenly shut down and she needed to restart the device. There are also moments when her Wi-Fi is spotty.

The solution: The most important step is to stay in touch with professors and inform them about what's happening, experts say. They will hopefully understand and be flexible about the situation, perhaps even recording class sessions as a backup.

"There will be technology issues, and I think it's important that every student understands they're not alone in that, to allow themselves the patience to work through the problem," says Dawn Coder, director of academic advising and student disability services at the online Pennsylvania State University—World Campus . She adds that there's usually a fix for whatever issue arises. A school's technical support services can be a valuable resource, Coder says.

Distractions and Time Management

While studying from home or wherever students may be, there can be more distractions than usual, especially with family and possibly younger siblings around, says Reggie Smith III, CEO and executive director of the nonprofit United States Distance Learning Association.

As a result of these distractions – and possibly having additional responsibilities – time management becomes more challenging.

The solution: "Try to think about building a schedule – figuring out when you're going to do what you're going to do and then sharing that with the other people in your house," says Beth Martin, senior lecturer in environmental studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Students should still prioritize their physical and mental health , even if life is busier than usual, she adds.

Students should also try to identify a quiet time and place in their house to complete their coursework, if possible – even if that time is late at night, Smith says. If their other responsibilities become too overwhelming, students should consider talking with their academic adviser about course load options for the semester, he says.

For instance, some schools are allowing students to switch at least some classes to a pass-fail grading system for the spring, which could help ease some anxieties, experts say – though the policy changes vary across colleges.

Staying Motivated

Given that students may not be attending class at a set time on a physical campus, finding the motivation to get started on coursework can be difficult, experts say.

"When you don't see your home as a space of work, it's kind of a struggle to get in that mindset," says Emily Effren, a senior at Texas Tech University majoring in journalism as well as electronic media and communications. "But I have different places in my house, where my room will be my little oasis, but my downstairs kitchen table is where I'll sit down and get my work done."

The solution: In addition to creating a daily schedule and finding a productive workspace, Coder says it can also help to simply focus on the ultimate goal.

"At the end of the day, look back on the day and check mark off all of those items that you've completed. Knowing that you did will help to motivate you as well," Coder says.

She adds that staying in touch with classmates, in addition to reaching out to faculty or academic staff as needed, can also help motivate students.

Understanding Course Expectations

The sudden switch to online learning has left some students confused about some course requirements for the rest of the semester. They may wonder, for instance, if a final group presentation is still happening given that students can no longer meet on campus, or if they need to complete labs for science classes.

Students may also wonder whether their classes will have live lectures through videoconferencing at a set time on a certain day, or whether students are expected to learn the material on their own time.

The solution: Experts say students should be proactive in asking their professors questions about course expectations for the spring and whether there are any changes to requirements given the transition. Whether classes will be held live varies depending on the school, professor and discipline.

"Knowing the expectations as an online learner will help with time management because, again, you can plan out and schedule what's really needed week after week," Coder says.

Lack of In-Person Interaction

The lack of in-person interaction with both instructors and classmates can be particularly challenging. Allison Proszowski, a senior at Rutgers University—New Brunswick , is taking her spring classes online from her off-campus residence near the school. The chemical engineering major usually leads a study group for younger students on campus.

On campus, "It would be about me and 20 students taking the class. So you have that in-person, face-to-face interaction; it's a smaller group, you talk to the students, they talk to each other," Proszowski says. "And now transitioning that to an online environment has just not been the same."

The adjustment can be particularly difficult for students taking classes that are better suited for the face-to-face format, like those with science lab components.

"I'm a hands-on person," says Ashford, who now watches physics labs in a digital recording and then takes a quiz afterward. "I consider myself a visual learner as well, but I prefer to play around with the materials as well as converse with other students to understand the material better."

The solution: Experts say students should take advantage of the tools at their disposal. While not ideal for all learners, the best alternative to actual face-to-face interaction may be videoconferencing programs like Zoom, Skype or FaceTime. Talking on the phone with classmates or a professor is also an option.

Proszowski says she has attended virtual office hours to speak with her professors directly. "You have your video on, the professor has their video on, and you can kind of talk to them and get a little bit of additional help," she says.

Adapting to Unfamiliar Technology

Given the transition to online classes, Martin and her students are now adapting to some digital tools, she says.

"I think all of us have had to learn to use technology in the last couple months that some of us have never heard of, some of us may have used just a little bit of," says Martin, who typically teaches classes on campus.

The solution: Use the resources available through the school, Coder says. While this can include reaching out to technical support, students should determine whether they can save themselves time by looking up answers to their technology questions online or watching a video tutorial.

Uncertainty About the Future

The sudden switch to online classes for the spring semester – and the summer, in some cases – has caused anxiety and raised questions among students about their academic futures. Some are considering taking the fall semester off if their school continues to stick with online classes, for instance, while others are concerned about upholding a full course load while juggling family responsibilities at home.

The solution: Smith recommends students speak with an adviser or student support services as needed to determine whether adjustments can be made to their spring course schedule or a future semester if needed. For example, he says, a student may want to take fewer course credits in a future semester if his or her school continues offering only online classes and the student finds this format challenging.

Regardless of the challenges that come with the transition to online classes, students should remember that assistance is available, Coder says.

"It can be a difficult transition," Coder says. "But it doesn't have to be because there are many people who are willing and able to help with it."

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Remote students are more stressed than their peers in the classroom, study shows

As debates rage across the country over whether schools should teach online or in person, students like Sean Vargas-Arcia have experienced the pros and cons of both.

“I’m much happier in person,” said Sean, 16, a junior at Yonkers Middle High School in New York. As Covid-19 rates have fluctuated, he has gone back and forth between online classes and attending in person two days per week.

It’s stressful worrying about contracting the coronavirus at school, said Sean, who has health issues including epilepsy and a grandmother who lives with his family. But his online classes wear him down.

“When I’m at home, fully remote, it’s more like a sluggish feeling,” he said. “I’m usually feeling distressed and tired and I just don’t want anything to do with school anymore.”

There’s no question that the pandemic has been hard on children , whether or not their schools have reopened. A flood of research in recent months has found alarming spikes in depression and anxiety among children and their parents. Multiple studies have found that students — especially those with disabilities and from low-income families — are learning less than they should.

But a new study from NBC News and Challenge Success , a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, is one of the first to shed light on the differences between students whose classes have been exclusively online and those who’ve been able to attend in person at least one day per week.

All this week, watch “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and the "TODAY" show for more on “Kids Under Pressure," a series examining the impact of the pandemic on children

The survey last fall of more than 10,000 students in 12 U.S. high schools, including Yonkers, found that students who’d spent time in the classroom reported lower rates of stress and worry than their online peers.

While just over half of all students surveyed said they were more stressed about school in 2020 than they had been previously, the issue was more pronounced among remote students. Eighty-four percent of remote students reported exhaustion, headaches, insomnia or other stress-related ailments, compared to 82 percent of students who were in the classroom on some days and 78 percent of students who were in the classroom full time.

Remote students were also slightly less likely to say they had an adult they could go to with a personal problem and slightly more likely to fret about grades than their peers in the classroom. And the remote students did more homework, reporting an average of 90 additional minutes per week, the study found.

“Remote learning — and I don’t think this is a surprise to anyone — is just more challenging,” said Sarah Miles, the director of research and programs at Challenge Success and one of the leaders of the study. “It’s harder for kids to feel connected. It’s harder for teachers, for the adults in the school, to connect and that’s a foundational element. In order for kids to learn, they need to feel safe and connected. Everything else rests on top of that.”

Challenge Success, an education research and school support organization, surveys most students in dozens of schools a year to help teachers and administrators better meet their needs. The 12 schools surveyed last fall, in Arizona, Texas, New York and the Midwest, are demographically similar to the nation in terms of student family income, though not necessarily in terms of race, Miles said.

The debate around reopening U.S. schools has become increasingly fraught, with parents and political leaders including President Joe Biden loudly calling for schools to reopen and teachers in some parts of the country threatening to walk off the job over safety concerns . On Friday, the Biden administration released guidelines for how to safely reopen schools, advising precautions including masks, social distancing and contact tracing.

Miles said the new research doesn't mean that schools should rush to reopen before putting safety protocols in place. Instead, she said, it shows the importance of making sure teachers and staff members feel comfortable returning to the classroom.

“If they don’t feel safe and supported, kids won’t feel safe and supported,” she said.

But, at the same time, she said, the study underscores the damage online learning is doing.

“We need to prioritize getting to a place where everyone feels comfortable going back to school,” Miles said, “because it’s urgent.”

‘A bit of magic’ in the classroom

All of Jordan Salhoobi’s chemistry students at Yonkers Middle High School are getting the same lessons at the same time.

The ones wearing masks in his classroom hear the same lectures and see the same demonstrations as students watching the livestream at home. When he writes or draws on his computer tablet, students at home see the same images on their screens that students in the classroom see projected on the wall.

But Salhoobi’s students are not getting the same benefits, he said.

“In the room, you get more eye contact,” he said. “On the screen, oftentimes the kid could be sitting in front of a window. You can’t see them, so it’s hard to make sure they’re attentive.”

While it’s difficult to compare his students’ performance, Salhoobi said his in-person students sometimes stay after class for extra help that online students rarely ask for. Online students seem more reluctant to raise their hands and they often look tired.

“I think that actually coming to school and getting dressed makes kids feel more like they have a purpose in life,” he said.

When Yonkers started offering a hybrid option in October that allows students to attend in person either Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday, most students chose to remain online. Only about a third of students are currently in the hybrid program, a Yonkers district spokeswoman said, leaving many classrooms with just a handful of students.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Yonkers principal Jade Sharp said that she hasn’t seen significant differences in grades or test scores between remote and hybrid students, but that she wasn’t surprised to see survey data showing that her remote students are more stressed.

“I feel sorry for our students in this Covid situation,” she said, noting that many of her 1,100 high school students have responsibilities at home such as caring for younger siblings in addition to their schoolwork. Three-quarters come from families the state considers economically disadvantaged, including many from immigrant families. Some have parents who’ve lost jobs. Some lost loved ones to Covid-19. And many are reeling from the social and political tensions of the past year.

The school goes out of its way to support students, Sharp said, limiting instruction to half days on “wellness Wednesdays,” and hosting after-school clubs focused on mental health.

But none of that offers what even a couple of days in the classroom interacting with teachers and peers can do, said Tara O’Sullivan, who teaches U.S. history at Yonkers.

“There’s a bit of magic that can happen in a classroom,” O’Sullivan said. “There’s nothing like the rapport and energy of kids working with each other, the sort of flow of conversation and bouncing off ideas that’s obviously present in person.”

Headaches and eye strain

Tanya Palmer, 16, a Yonkers junior, has managed to keep up her grades this year — but only because she puts in extra time to make up for what she’s missing in class.

“I don't feel like I'm really learning much,” said Tanya, who chose to stay remote to protect her 75-year-old grandfather, who lives with her family. “There’s a lot of teaching myself things.”

Things have gotten better since the beginning of the school year when technical glitches were more common and teachers were still adjusting. But when she finishes her five hours of online classes each day, she’s often staring down hours of extra research and reading to actually learn the material.

“I get a lot of headaches and eye strain,” she said. “My eyes are so dry, and I get back pain, too.”

The NBC News and Challenge Success study found that online-only students in Yonkers reported an average of 31 minutes more homework on the weekend and 70 more minutes during the week than their classmates in the hybrid program. Though most students were not getting anywhere close to the nine hours of sleep recommended for adolescents, reporting just over six hours, the hybrid students reported sleeping an average of about 10 minutes more per night than their online peers.

“It’s 10 o’clock and I see her on the computer,” said Tanya Gonzalez, Tanya’s mother. “I get close to her, thinking maybe she’s watching a video, but no, she’s doing classwork.”

Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak

Sean Vargas-Arcia had more energy when he was in school two days a week, and more ways to understand his coursework, he said, recalling how he struggled last semester to visualize the molecular structure of fatty acids known as lipids until he saw a 3-D model in his biology classroom.

“I was like, ‘Oh, that helps,’ because I could actually see it,” he said.

These days, however, Sean is back to being fully online. So few students returned when the school reopened last month after closing for a few weeks because of higher infection rates that he was the only student in some of his classes. He decided there wasn’t much point, so now he wakes up, walks across his room and sits down in front of a computer from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. without a break. A quirk in his schedule put his lunch hour at the end of the day.

With college applications looming, Sean worries his grades in online classes will suffer, costing him his shot at his first-choice, Brown University, next year.

“There’s a lot of anxiety that surrounds thinking about my future,” he said.

He’s also struggling with isolation from his friends. He used the quiet hours over the summer for reflection and, in September, came out to family and friends as transgender. He announced his name change on social media, but most of his classmates haven’t seen him in person since then.

Everything has been more difficult this year for students at Yonkers, an academically selective school that draws a diverse mix of students — half Latino, 20 percent white, 15 percent Asian, 13 percent Black — from the city of the same name just north of New York City. Sports and after-school programs are largely gone, and school events, like the gala Yonkers traditionally throws in the spring to celebrate the many cultures in the school, have been canceled.

For some students, it’s a small price to pay to keep their families safe, said Emma Maher, 17, a junior who chose the online option because her sister has asthma and her grandmother has a compromised immune system.

“The sacrifice is worth it,” she said, “because I value the health of my family and loved ones.”

But educators worry about the long-term impact on a generation of children who are stressed out, struggling to learn and missing their friends.

“You took away so much from these kids,” said Salhoobi, the chemistry teacher. “You took away sports. You took away interactions. It’s kind of like kids are in jail now when they’re 100 percent online.”

Erin Einhorn is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Detroit. 

Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Adapting to change: the challenges of online teaching, and learning..

Last Spring, as physical distancing measures were implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19, NC State University announced in mid-March that campus would not reopen.  Spring Break was extended a week to allow instructors and students to adjust to what would become the new normal, with all lectures and labs to be delivered and received online. Zoom, the online meeting application, became a household word. Now, as we near completion of Fall semester which was almost entirely online, instructors and students continue to adapt.

The most challenging aspect of online learning for me has been sticking to a routine. Previously, going to class and other activities provided a nice structure that I could rely on to organize my day. Now as I’ve shifted into online learning, being in my room for a majority of the day has blurred the lines between work and leisure. This is something that I’ve had to focus on, and I feel I’ve gotten better at as the semester progressed.        Carter Howe, Senior in Civil Engineering

The sudden switch to online classes has been challenging for students AND instructors.  Instead of lecturing or learning in a classroom, people found themselves working and learning from home. Concerns included locating a reliable wi-fi connection, finding a space to set up a home office that was private, quiet and well lit, and learning to work around the schedules of your family and/or housemates. Beyond process considerations, there was also an emotional toll for many instructors and students. Lecturing to a sea of digital faces on Zoom offered little feedback for instructors, and students reported feeling isolated and de-motivated.

I tried to garner engagement from students during lectures on Zoom, but you can’t force it. If you try to force interaction and it doesn’t work, now you’re hanging on a ledge. You have to learn to strike a balance.  Steve Welton, Lecturer

At the end of the Spring semester, the Undergraduate Program Committee (UPC) conducted a survey of CCEE instructors to gather information about the experiences and lessons learned related to converting their teaching to online. “We gathered information about hardware used, teaching methods, exams, quizzes and homework assignments,” said Dr. Min Liu, who oversaw the survey. “Although there is plenty of information available about online teaching, it was valuable to share our own experiences in the department, because we teach similar groups of students on closely related topics.”

Based on survey results and informal sharing, UPC conducted a 1.5 hour workshop entitled “Sharing Our Own Experience – Online Teaching Workshop” for CCEE instructors. Drs. Tarek Aziz and Johnathan Miller, and Lecturer Steve Welton, shared their methods as related to streaming platforms Zoom and Mediasite – a classroom capture program that NC State has a license to use. They also shared their individual ways of recording or streaming their lectures, often using two cameras so that one camera captures the instructor while another shows relevant documents. They shared tips about how to set up the cameras to keep students’ attention. There was also discussion about how to engage students and encourage participation.

“One way of keeping students engaged is to create assignments, such as guided problems, that have to be completed during class time,” Aziz relayed.   He went on to explain that one of the biggest challenges he faced during Spring semester was administering exams. “I use Moodle to administer exams that include both short quizzes with multiple choice answers, and longer written portions, with time limits that students have to follow,” Aziz said.  Moodle is a free and open-source learning management system. He explained that exams can be graded in Moodle or an application called Gradescope.

Welton said the hardest part for him was the lack of interaction and engagement from students without the face-to-face connection. “Students can become extremely passive with online lectures, so I tried to develop problems that we worked in class. I would get their help to run numbers and gradually build a problem with their input.  I used a document camera to build the problem during the lecture,” Welton said. In the case of large class sizes, he created breakout rooms, which is available on the Zoom platform. The idea was to encourage student participation in smaller groups. “What I found was that, in the higher-level classes where you have juniors and seniors who already know their colleagues, it can work well. If you throw freshman and sophomores together, who are strangers, it can be a tough situation,” Welton said.

The online workshop organized by UPC was recorded and made available to all CCEE instructors who could not attend the initial session. Dr. Min Liu also shared a summary of the workshop at a faculty meeting. “Some of the general findings that came out of the survey and the workshop was the need to provide students with plenty of information about the structure of the course, and a schedule with important dates such as quizzes and exams, and set those up in Moodle,” Liu said. “We also encouraged all our lecturers to survey their students at the beginning of the semester to be aware of any internet accessibility challenges. All lectures should be recorded for later viewing in case there were problems with signals or schedules for any reason. We also want to make sure we encourage all our students to ask questions, and we reminded ourselves to be patient and understanding during this time.”

For me, the most challenging aspect of online learning is being alert and motivated to learn from a place where I would usually rest and relax. My instructors have done well with keeping the class engaged and interested despite not being in the same room. Some professors could do better with offering incentives to be in class with graded participation. Chloe Stokes, Senior in Environmental Engineering  

Most common challenges undergraduate students face during online classes.

• Technical issues.
• Distractions and time management.
• Staying motivated.
• Understanding course expectations.
• Lack of in-person interaction.
• Adapting to unfamiliar technology.
• Uncertainty about the future.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

‘My Online Learning Experience as a Student This Fall Has Been Great’

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This series highlights contributions from students in my classes.

In Part One , Cathy Liu, Julia Yang, Eliseo Angulo Lopez, and Masihullah Shafiq shared their thoughts.

In Part Two , Luis Diaz, Samantha Nicole Vicedo, Cheyenne Lo, and Manpreet Rana contribute their commentaries.

Today, Lyna Nguyen, Nono Loek, and Rachel Anjel “wrap up” this series...

Teachers ‘have been really understanding’

Lyna Nguyen is a junior at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif.

My online learning experience as a student this fall has been great. What’s working for me is I like the 40 minutes in class and 40 minutes asynchronous time to work on our assignments. I feel like teachers have been really understanding and helpful of what we’re going through and how difficult it can be. I find it more relaxing for me because everything is organized through Google Classroom, and it puts a little stress off of me because I disliked feeling disorganized and anxious.

What is not working for me is sometimes my time management is off, and it can be a little stressful how teachers assign work really close to the due date of other class assignments. I’d rather have the assignments’ due dates spread out throughout the week. Sometimes, there are technology difficulties, which can interrupt my learning experience. Everything is also online, so it can take a while communicating with teachers. Overall, communication is delayed, and it can be difficult reaching out to teachers and asking for assistance. Even when I need help with a certain assignment, it can be difficult learning and processing information through a screen. Other than that, I appreciate teachers trying their best to make everything work during this pandemic.

‘Internet classes save time’

Nono Loek is a senior at Luther Burbank High School:

In my experience with internet classes, the good far outweighs the bad. Internet classes save time, and saving time is important to me. The studies are structured much better than I expected. I don’t really see a difference between the online and offline structures. Group work is done in separate rooms, and I think it’s not that bad, because we also learn a lot in online classes.

I sometimes miss the interaction with people, making long-lasting friendships, which is extremely important for all of us. At home, it’s hard to force yourself to take a break. I think this pandemic has t probably transformed education. Most of the things we found to be impossible have now proven to be possible.

I actually really enjoy distance learning, but sometimes I want everything to go back to normal. I also like how I don’t have to wake up at 6 every morning. I like that with learning online, I can relax more, as well as think more. What I don’t like about online learning is that it can take me up to a whole school day (6-7 hours) to finish assignments.

‘I understand teachers are trying to keep us safe’

Rachel Anjel is a senior at Luther Burbank High School:

My online experience this year is kind of boring because I don’t really get to see friends in school anymore. And I thought it was going to be fun using Chromebooks. Sometimes it can be difficult because sometimes the Wi-Fi doesn’t work or it can be slow. I sometimes feel bored because I can’t spend or hang out with my friends.

A good thing is that we have this app called FaceTime, so whenever I’m bored, I can just call my friends. We talk and play while we do our homework and have fun. But at the same time, I think having an online school is bad because I hate sitting in my room the whole six hrs. I remember saying I like online school, but now it’s getting boring. I think it would be better if we went to school. But I understand teachers are trying to keep us safe.

Thanks to Lyna, Nono, and Rachel for their contributions!

(This is the final post in a multipart series. You can see Part One here and Part Two here .)

The question-of-the-week:

What has your online learning experience been as a student this fall? What is working for you and why? What is not working for you and why?

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching .

If you missed any of the highlights from the first eight years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn’t include ones from this current year.

• This Year’s Most Popular Q&A Posts
• Race & Racism in Schools
• School Closures & the Coronavirus Crisis
• Classroom-Management Advice
• Best Ways to Begin the School Year
• Best Ways to End the School Year
• Student Motivation & Social-Emotional Learning
• Implementing the Common Core
• Facing Gender Challenges in Education
• Teaching Social Studies.
• Cooperative & Collaborative Learning
• Using Tech in the Classroom
• Student Voices
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• Teaching English-Language Learners
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• Best of Classroom Q&A
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I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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14 Struggles Only Online Students Would Understand

By Aaron Lawrence on 04/20/2015

When Daniel DiGriz is asked about his experiences with online learning, his immediate reaction is to flash a big smile because he knows he made the right decision.

In fact, he was so fond of his time as an online student that he went on to become an online teacher and currently develops online courses as the director of digital strategy at MadPipe . Needless to say, he knows the first-hand struggles of an online student.

Online learning definitely has its perks , but it’s not for everyone. There are some common complications that many online students face and it’s helpful to know what to expect. If you’re considering becoming an online student and want to know if you have what it takes to overcome the obstacles, this article is for you.

We enlisted a handful of online students who were once in your shoes to share some of the struggles they encountered.

14 Common struggles online students overcome

1. you can’t just raise your hand.

Online students enjoy the flexibility of working their classwork into their busy schedules. But when it’s midnight and you have a question on an assignment due in the morning, an email or phone call to your instructor is out of the question.

But you’re not completely out of luck, according to Orun Bhuiyan, co-founder of SEOcial . He says it’s perfectly appropriate to reach out to a classmate via social media, even if you don’t know them extremely well.

2. It can be difficult to stay motivated

“In an online environment, you are your own boss and you are given a lot of freedom,” says Abigail Mason, founder of Hey Abigail . She says this can be both a blessing and a curse. Online students need to be self-motivated because you won’t have your peers or instructors leaning over your shoulder holding you accountable.

3. Weekends can be busy

Evenings and weekends tend to be busier for online students because so much of the week is taken up by professional responsibilities, according to Cameron DeJong, founder of Campaign Joy . While it may put a damper on your social life, DeJong says the flexibility of online learning will help you develop personal accountability.

4. Technology can fail

Online courses are dependent on technology and the reality is that technology isn’t always reliable. Former online student Amber Hunt is an author and journalist who recalls a few instances when a site was down and she didn’t give herself enough of a cushion to deal with it. She says those frustrating situations served as a lesson to never procrastinate.

5. There are more distractions at home

The distractions at home are the toughest, according to DiGriz. Not to mention Instagram, Twitter and every other social media site are only a click away. His advice for combating these distractions is setting up a clearly defined office space and maintaining 'office hours' in your home for learning.

6. Quality of participation can’t always be measured

Online students can’t really earn brownie points from instructors by sitting in the front row, taking notes and being actively engaged during class, which is not always the case with online students. When logged in to a live lecture, your instructor won’t know if you’re listening intently or playing Candy Crush in a different browser. Though you may not get the recognition for the effort you put forth, you can rest assured knowing you are acquiring the knowledge you’ll need to pursue your ideal career.

7. You might second-guess your decision

“The worst part of taking classes online is purely psychological,” says Adam Kirby, an online student and associate at Caveo Learning . He says there will likely be times when you’ll wonder if you couldn’t just acquire the same level of education by reading a few books or watching some YouTube videos. But in the end, he believes it’s worth it because online students have an exceptional learning experience.

8. You won’t get the “full college experience”

Online students miss out on all of the stereotypical college experiences like dorm rooms, football games and fraternities. If these things appeal to you, online classes are probably not the best choice. For others, like Hunt, that’s not the case. “Now that I’m a mom as well as a full-time professional, it feels like a virtual classroom is my best bet,” she says.

9. You’ll have to combat the stigma of online coursework

“You always hear myths or misconceptions about the value of an online education,” says Sandra Rand, director of marketing at OrionCKB . “I truly felt that I was challenged and worked hard to earn [my degree].” She says many employers will recognize your go-getter attitude and self-motivated personality once they know you committed to earning a degree online.

10. Small assignments can slip through the cracks

You probably won’t forget about the midterm exam or 10-page paper, but it’s easy to overlook small, routine assignments. Mason says there are often discussion board posts or relatively simple tasks that can fall off of your radar, resulting in a loss of easy points. Online students tend to sharpen their organization skills and attention to detail, which will both set you up for success in the real world.

11. You may also be working full time

Many online college students understand what it’s like working full time while earning their degree. Hunt claims the busy workload was well worth it, citing that balancing school and work allowed her to earn her degree in two years instead of four.

12. You might feel isolated

Rand remembers the feeling of seclusion when she was an online student. If she was studying for an exam and had a question or wanted to clarify something, reaching out for help wasn’t always simple. She says to remember that you’re not alone. It may take a little extra effort, but most instructors are available to help via phone or email.

13. Plagiarism can be tempting

“Take online learning seriously. Don't plagiarize just because the web is a cut and paste environment,” DiGriz says. It’s easy to turn to Google to find an answer or an example, especially when you’re not under the direct supervision of others. Translate everything into your own ideas and avoid relying too heavily on the Internet for assignments.

14. Group projects can be tricky

Learning to communicate and effectively use technology to work as a team can be challenging, according to Matthew Vestal, communications director at Perimeter Church . Your group members may be in different cities or even time zones, so a little extra coordination will be necessary. But Vestal says this experience will prepare you for working in today’s digital work environment.

They did it … so can YOU!

Many assume that online learning is the easy route, but you can see that isn’t the case. There will inevitably be some snags along the way, but all of these veterans agree that the advantages far outweigh the struggles.

If you’re confident you can overcome these obstacles like they did, find out if you’re ready to become an online student.

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Student essay: Why online 'learning' could never compare to the real deal

Editor's Note:   This research paper was written by a Nordonia High School senior enrolled in College Writing 1, a dual-enrollment course with college credit awarded through Kent State University.  It has been edited due to space limitations. The views expressed are those of the student and not necessarily of Nordonia High School or the News Leader. 

Online learning is one of the biggest cop-outs schools have come up with to date. Schools that think giving kids worksheets to fill out or video lessons to watch can measure up to in-person schooling, are doing it wrong. Students have countless barriers to climb through when experiencing online “learning” and yet expectations are kept the same. And those who believe a video call can compare to a lesson given in the flesh are obviously not up to date on the drawbacks of online courses. Even though COVID-19 has forced some schools into a fully remote learning model, the way it is being conducted is not acceptable for the students and teachers involved.

Students have enough distractions in classrooms already. Stick them at home and it is like a little kid at an amusement park. Looking past their cell phones, students also now have access to TVs, video games, and the most problematic distraction for many students - their beds. With all the options at hand, it is not hard to see why students often struggle with setting priorities. Eight A.M. online class vs sleeping until noon…I know which one I would choose, but that does not mean the same for all students.

Three psychologists, Rachael Blasiman, Donald Larabee, and Dianah Fabry conducted a study of the effect of six different distractions on students’ test scores (including folding laundry, playing a computer video game, texting on a cell phone, engaging in conversation, watching a low-arousal video, and watching a high-arousal video). They found an average of 25% decrease on test scores across all distractions tested. Therefore, showing that no matter the length of time, or mindlessness of the distractions, they can still have a serious effect on the knowledge a student can acquire while preoccupied.

Although multitasking is encouraged in some light, doing so while trying to learn online is not a smart idea for students. I find myself in the same predicaments. I put on a video lesson and think I can make myself lunch or play video games while this is on and still understand the material. It typically results in having to replay the video multiple times to understand the lesson being “taught.” If I, a senior in high school, can be so easily distracted from my online classes, how are middle school and elementary students expected to learn from videos? Without a teacher keeping them focused face-to-face, it is not hard to see why their short attention spans will get the better of them. Even the best of the best students in high school find themselves getting easily diverted from their work. With no classroom environment and in-person instructors to keep students engaged in learning and on track, interruptions find their way to the top of the priority list and less learning is occurring.

School is not just about academics. For many people, it is their main source of social interaction. Whether that is being student to teacher, student to student, or even teacher to teacher. Just being around others is enough motivation for some individuals to come back each day. Online “learning” takes this away. Some instructors use “breakout rooms” during lessons as a means for interaction between students, but it is not the same (and coming from a student’s perspective, nothing productive happens in those rooms). Other teachers use group projects to practically force students to find a way to communicate with other students in their class. But with today’s technology, students simply text one another, and no real form of social connection takes place.

Without face to face interaction regularly, the mental health of both students and teachers can be greatly affected. A study of 12 students with a diagnosed mental health disability showed that the barriers produced from online learning can largely impact the already bad mental health of some students. The study indicated that the students involved chose to do online learning because of what they thought would be a better environment for themselves but discovered that the online schooling more negatively impacted them than they believed it would. Some effects the participants noticed were memory difficulties, disrupted study patterns, and increased stress and anxiety. These effects can be boiled down to the sense of isolation online learning creates and the lack of social support usually received by other students and teachers in a physical classroom. Being on a video call does not compare to the interaction in a classroom setting, and that is one of the mistakes that schools are making when they plan their remote “learning” schedules.

The temptations of the positive side of remote instruction are sometimes too good to resist. It seems so easy to just pop online, give directions to students, and tell them to finish their work. Students who are sick can participate. Students in other countries or states can participate. All at the same time a greater feeling of safety is felt by all those involved. The University of Illinois at Springfield says, “the main advantage of asynchronous online learning is that it allows students to participate in high quality learning situations when distance and schedule make on-ground learning difficult-to-impossible,” which in cases like online colleges, where courses have been perfected for years on end and students know what they signed up for, this statement is most likely true. But for high schools affected by COVID-19, the same methods more often have flaws when they are thrown together for both the students and teachers. It is incredibly hard to keep students engaged and valuing their learning when they signed up for an in-person class in the spring and now must try and be excited about a Zoom class every day. Although these are unexpected and difficult times, our nation is made up of millions of creative and intelligent individuals, and by settling for simple online meetings and worksheets, we are doing our students and teachers an incredible disservice.

From an outside perspective, it could easily be assumed that students are the only ones suffering from the lack of “learning” that goes on in the online classroom model. Teachers, however, are equally, if not, more affected during these times. They must work to please students, parents, administration, and their colleagues while also trying to preserve their morals of teaching and learning. Parker J. Palmer, an expert on education who has written many books about the teaching profession, states, “Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.”

Providing “good teaching” in a normal classroom setting is hard enough, but then put teachers in front of 30 kids with their cameras and microphones off and it must be extremely difficult to keep their identity and integrity as instructors intact. Most teachers enter the profession because they enjoy teaching their content area and they want to help children learn. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to watch students’ value of learning decline so rapidly with the input and option of online schooling.

Even though this is “just another year” for educators, whereas students are missing a year they only get to experience once (senior year, freshman year, etc.), it still must be difficult for teachers to know their students this year are not getting the full experience and knowledge of in-class learning. In order to try and compensate for the lack of excitement and engagement among students, teachers have to put in more than maximum effort to redesign their lessons for an online learning environment.

For teachers to feel content with the amount and quality of instruction they are giving to students, they need to make sure the lessons are as effective through a screen as they would be in person, and that is often extremely difficult to accomplish. Hence, it is not hard to see why many teachers are struggling with how exactly to go about teaching on their new online platforms.

Another disadvantage to both teachers and students in an online schooling environment lies in the limitations and requirements that come with technology. Our society has advanced so that the technology tools available today were not even imagined as possible in the past. Even with new innovative devices, however, there are many obstacles that those involved must face when dealing with technology all day. In-the-flesh classes allow teachers to give students a break from technology with activities that do not require it. Online schooling, on the other hand, whether it being group work over a Zoom call, a task on a website, or just checking in with a teacher (on Google Classroom or any other site) to see what the work for the day is, requires students to use technology for every class, every day. There is only so much one can do with the technology available to them; students do not have unlimited access to whatever type of machinery they’d like. Some students do not even have enough internet connection at home to use the computer given to them by their school. And on the teacher’s side, the technology available cannot be deemed 100% reliable for everything they want to accomplish with their students. A study of 200 learners across 16 organizations and 14 countries reported that 68% of participants participated in online courses at their desks and 77% revealed they were unable to complete or pass the course in one attempt. The learners in this study were out of high school, either in college, or doing an online course for a workplace, so if adults, like the ones in this study, had trouble completing an online course in one try (for many reasons), how can the expectations be the same, or even greater, for high school or middle school students?

The moral of the story is that students may be listening during online classes, but they are not learning. Teachers can try their best to adjust their instructions and find technology-friendly activities, but without the interaction and the relationships of a face-to-face classroom, it is extremely difficult for students to understand and ultimately learn the material. Some administrators and those “in charge” of teachers most likely get frustrated with feedback they receive from both students and teachers (that is, if they ask all those involved) about the effectiveness of online schooling, but from any outside perspective, it may not look as strenuous and ineffective as it is. “In-person meetings provide a sense of intimacy, connection and empathy that is difficult to replicate via video” says Brandon Wu, a staff writer from The Paly Voice, “It’s much easier to ask for attentive listening and presence, which creates the psychological safety that people need to sense in order to engage and participate fully.” 

Online schooling cannot measure up to the real thing, and both government officials and administrators of the schools themselves should take into consideration the importance of in-person schooling when making educational decisions. If those in the highest positions devalue the significance of face-to-face learning, students will go along and do that right with them.

Essay on Online Education During The COVID – 19 for Students

Essay on online education during the covid – 19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on daily life, including school closures. It has affected over 240 million school-aged children in the country. Extended school closures may cause huge learning losses. This meant that schools needed to not only remodel and reimagine how they taught and learned, but also implement a suitable method of teaching and learning that combined home and school-based education. Students who are mature, self-disciplined, motivated, well-organised, and possess a high degree of time management skills have found online education to be an extremely effective alternative method of education. But it is an ineffective learning environment for more dependent learners who struggle to assume the responsibilities required by online education.

Online education, or digital education, has a number of advantages over traditional classroom instruction. It is one of the most effective methods for ensuring school education continuity. While online or digital education cannot completely replace face-to-face instruction, it does have some advantages. It enables adaptive and personalised learning at the learner’s pace, and content can be enhanced and expanded continuously through digital means. Rapid internet adoption and various government initiatives, such as the Digital India campaign, have facilitated the transition to digital education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schools. Students face a unique situation with no clear future. Disruptions in academic space are alarming. Unfavorable circumstances forced undergraduate and graduate students to drop out. The pandemic situation evoked exclusion, highlighting academic inequity. As a result, online education can help instructors and students learn more effectively and efficiently while reducing stress. While online and classroom education produce similar learning outcomes, online education is perceived as less interactive.

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Online education offers increased flexibility and learning opportunities: easy access to experts, exposure to educational environments, a wide range of course types, and joining student communities. Online education has several disadvantages, such as internet browsing issues, computer compatibility issues, and technical issues.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students had to adjust their daily routines to an environment of isolation. Those studying abroad had to return home, but many were unable to do so due to airport and border closures. The lack of socialisation harmed students’ social-emotional balance, especially those with pre-existing issues. Anxiety and depression were cited as main effects of isolation .

Online education is a rapidly evolving field concerned primarily with the process of teaching and learning via digital media. This has progressed from activities such as sharing text resources and submitting online assignments to the availability of various types of content such as audio, video, and multimedia resources. The continuous advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) and the internet has made multiple modes of digital education possible.

The process of preparing teachers for digital education is twofold. The first is the requirement for teacher preparation in order for them to teach students effectively using digital technology. The second is to utilise digital media to stay current on educational developments in order to further their professional development. Teachers must be prepared to take advantage of digital technology’s potential to stay current professionally. The instructor may:

• Investigate digital technologies e.g., LMSs, apps, web portals, and digital labs, as well as a repository of Open Educational Resources on a National/State/Global Scale.

• Attend webinars, online training programmes, and online courses on a variety of topics related to ICT, pedagogy, and content integration.

• Connect with peers and learn about how other countries approach digital education by participating in forums, interest groups, and online communities.

• Acquaint yourself with both copylefted and open-source (FOSS) electronic content as well as educational tools. Teachers can be educated on the value of open resources, as not everything on the Internet is freely downloadable or shareable.

Transitioning to digital modes of education is fraught with difficulties in a country like India, which is characterised by a wealth of diversity and resource constraints (ICT infrastructure, electricity, budget, and skilled manpower). Local, decentralised planning and implementation are required, and various State/UT-level organisations such as SCERTs, School Boards, DIETs, BIETs, CTEs, and IASEs, as well as national-level organisations such as NCERT, CBSE, NIOS, KVS, and NVS, must collaborate to ensure that the change is sustainable post-COVID-19. This type of collaboration will enable us to continuously improve the quality of education and skill development for our large student population and will position us to benefit from the demographic dividend in the coming years.

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Online Learning: Common Struggles for Diverse Learners

Jennifer sullivan.

For students who think and learn differently, education can be a struggle in general. When learning takes place in a virtual environment, students’ learning challenges can be exacerbated.

Students who were familiar with talking to a teacher and asking for help in person now need to write an email and wait for a professor’s virtual office hours. Students who excelled in classroom group projects and hands-on activities now need to “do school” entirely on a computer.

If you're the parent of a high school or college student who is learning remotely this year and they're frustrated, they are not alone! Here are five common struggles that diverse learners might have during online learning and how you can support them.

1. “I have trouble keeping track of time, and underestimate (or overestimate) how much time things take.”

Different environments signal to our brain that it's time to shift gears and stop working on one subject and switch to another. Students who struggle with executive functioning skills (organization, time management, prioritization, task initiation) often find it challenging to organize their time without physical indicators such as a school bell, moving from classroom to classroom, etc.

During the first week or two of class, I encourage students to use a timer to record how long they are working on each subject. Your teen may be surprised to learn they can complete an assignment in 30 minutes when it feels like it takes three hours!

Conversely, after recording their time spent, students may realize that one subject is consuming the majority of their time. This "investigation" can help students create a realistic picture of time. Then a plan can be made to help them allocate and prioritize their time.

Learning remotely can make time seem intangible. Tools to help students “feel” the passing of time are important. Teens can set alarms on their phone, use a voice-activated assistant to set alarms, or use computer timer apps.

2. “I feel unmotivated and unfocused taking class online.”

If your student feels unmotivated, try offering this advice: "Pretend that you're physically going to class and prepare in the same way you would as if you were on campus or in a classroom." In other words,

• Wake up in the morning and shower
• Get dressed in clothes (that aren’t pajamas)
• Gather your materials (binders, computer, textbooks)
• Have breakfast, coffee, etc.

We need to train our body in daily routines using external signals such as changing our clothes or sitting in a location in our house that we sit at only when it is time for “school.” Encourage your teen to create (and stick to) a morning routine.

Diverse learners can also be particularly sensitive to (and hyper aware of) common distractions at home. Other siblings in the house who are also learning at home, family pets, or noises such as the neighbor’s lawn mower can be distracting. I encourage students to invest in a good pair of noise cancelling headphones, or allow your teen to listen to music while working — this is one of the perks of not being in the classroom!

And parents, sometimes we are a distraction. We unintentionally create blurred home/school boundaries when talking to our teens or asking them family-related questions such as “Did you do your laundry?” or “What do you want for dinner?” during their school or class time. It can be hard for parents and other family members to know when a student is “on” or “off,” when they are “in class” or “just hanging out.”

We may be able to set those boundaries as adults (for example, if we are working at home), but your teen may struggle to do this. If they can’t physically separate themselves at home, a sign can help them set boundaries with others in your home. One creative strategy is to create a color-coded card that designates when your teenager is “in class” and unavailable. A green card signals that your teen is working but able to be interrupted for a quick question. A red card indicates they are in class and not available.

3. “I’m overwhelmed by everything I need to do.”

Time management is one of the most common struggles for diverse learners taking class online. Without physical boundaries or physical location changes it can be hard for students to organize their thoughts and time and know when to switch their attention from one subject to another.

I recommend that students create a schedule to help manage their time. Online calendars such as Free College Schedule Maker are great for visual learners who like to color code their classes and appointments. Colleges like Rochester Institute of Technology have academic success centers with free time management resources available on their website . Using an online calendar such as Google Calendar can be effective as well, but I do prefer calendars that can be printed and hung on a wall, readily accessible and visible 100% of the time in a student’s home “school space.”

Starting with a brain dump at the beginning of each day can help students empty their mind of all of their to-dos. Once the list is created, they can take the next step to prioritize the tasks. One tool to organize and prioritize items by urgency and importance is the Eisenhower Matrix .

4. “Once I sit down to work, I have trouble getting started."

Research shows that our brains are the most alert for a period of time after we wake up in the morning and we are least alert when neurotransmitters decrease around 3:00 p.m. For this reason, your student should take advantage of their body's natural rhythm and do difficult assignments or urgent tasks in the morning.

It also can be advantageous for them to record their body’s energy and alertness during the day. Using a notebook or notepad app on their phone can help them determine when they're most alert and focused and then complete homework during this time.

Another strategy to getting started is for your teen to share their goals for the day or week with a parent, classmate or friend. Accountability is such an important and motivating tool for students who struggle with initiating tasks. Verbally saying goals out loud can inspire persistence to a task. Parents, you could ask your teen to identify two goals for the day and write them down or share them with you. At the end of the school day, ask them to reflect on whether they met their goals, and if not, create a new list to carry over a goal(s) to the next day.

5. “I feel like I should be working constantly. I'm gonna burn out."

Diverse learners can sometimes hyper focus on tasks or projects to the point of burning themselves out. Teens with anxiety may feel guilty about taking breaks from coursework or think that breaks are ineffective and cause them to lose precious homework time.

According to this article in Psychology Today, the truth is that people who take short breaks are more productive and can get more done in less time! I remind students that brain breaks are not just important, they're necessary. Our brains needs to rest and switch gears to another topic — for example, transitioning from a reading task to a hands-on project such as making flashcards. Taking breaks is important, and going for a walk outside or even making lunch/dinner is necessary when learning remotely.

The nature of online learning puts many unique demands on students.

Increased online academic responsibilities can feel overwhelming for diverse thinking students in particular. By minimizing distractions, creating structured morning routines and using visual calendars and timers, all students can create habits for a successful semester online!

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The Class Struggle Throughout the History Essay

Looking at the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that all human societies from the most primitive of Paleolithic and Neolithic eras to the most modern technological ones of contemporary times have been socially stratified since ever. Sociological researches also reveal the very fact that even during ancient times different classes existed in every culture and civilization. Tumin has supported the existence of social classes in primitive ages.

According to historical and archaeological records, he states, stratification was present even in the small wandering bands that characterized society in the earliest days of man. In such primitive conditions, according to him, both age and sex in combination with physical strength must have been important criteria of stratification. (1978: 16). This stratification is based on caste, class, clan, community, region, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, and age groups.

There always exists a struggle between different groups of society for capturing more and more privileges and rights, which gives birth to class conflict. Thus, social conflict is often based on socioeconomic differentiation as well as unequal distribution of wealth, opportunities, and resources. All these conflicts on communal, national, and international levels have caused civil wars, anarchy and even great wars are also the outcomes of conflict and rivalries among individuals, groups, societies, and nations. There are many advantages and disadvantages of conflicts.

Various philosophers and intellectuals maintain different views regarding class struggle. Since they are the brains of society, their theories are looked into with great curiosity. “The philosophical personalities”, Thomas & Thomas view, “represent an adventure in thinking; and when we examine the lives of the philosophers we find that the procession of a man’s thoughts can be as exciting a spectacle as the pageantry of a man’s deeds.

Our world becomes wider, our imagination richer and our life more colorful and zestful as a result of our companionship with the travelers of the spirit and the pioneers of thought.” (1960:1). Jean Jacques Rousseau, the renowned French philosopher of the 18 th century has discussed class struggle and its causes in his famous “Social Contract”. Rousseau has demarcated human nature and society and declares natural tendencies among them as the purest ones.

He is of the view that it is society and environment that corrupts the “noble savage” i.e. human being. Rousseau favors the class struggle and declares it imperative to seek social justice and equal opportunity of growth and opinion within a social setup. Freedom of thought and individual liberty give birth to class differentiation. The deprivation of rights results in the class struggle between haves and haves-not. “Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” (Book I, Chap I) Society’s negative attitude towards an individual or class creates feelings of self-love among themselves and hatred for other strata of society. Thus, the class struggle starts taking place for the just division of rights and obligations.

The advantages of class struggle include the end of social inequality and feelings of deprivation among the individuals. Class struggle, according to Rousseau, stops one social group to exploit the others. Rousseau’s notions have been made in the background of the French revolution where 1% privileged class consists of nobility and clergy had been enjoying over 95% of the resources of the nation. There was a monarchical state of government and the people had no share in the affairs of the state.

The peasantry was looked down upon and was undergoing a cruel class system. Rousseau’s writings showed the individuals a new ray of hope and they broke the shackles of slavery by revolting against the unjust political and social system. Rousseau has declared disadvantages of class struggle too. Class struggle, according to him, may divide the nation to a greater extent by creating polarization everywhere. The feelings of patriotism start declining and the law of might is right may take the place of the law of the people. Rousseau submits that the government of a state must be run on the principle of the general will, where every individual should participate in the affairs of the government personally or through his representative in the assembly.

In a society, which is not offering justice and equality to its masses, a conflict would arise paving the way towards the struggle of snatching the rights from the exploiters and the privileged classes. Consequently, revolution is at hand, which may give birth to liberty, equality, and fraternity by breaking the walls of differentiation between haves and haves-not. The remarkable French Revolution of 1789 was the result of the philosophic ideas of Rousseau and people sought imperative inspiration from his ideas.

The same is the case with renowned philosopher of Victorian times John Stuart Mill, who has left indelible, imprints on the pages of history by dint of his intellect, valuable philosophical works, and theoretical frames. Mill has discussed the wide range of philosophical thoughts in his famous “Autobiography”. The most influential of his works include “Utilitarianism”, “On Liberty” and “On Representative Governments”.

The main theme behind the famous work of J. S. Mill under the title “On Liberty” is collective and social liberty of thought and action. It is one of the greatest versions ever written on the subject of liberty. The treatise looks into the nature of the limitations imposed on an individual by the forces of society. “The struggle between Liberty and Authority”, Mill submits, “is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar, particularly in that of Greece, Rome, and England.” (1859: 2).

At the beginning of the book, he describes how cruel had been the governments of ancient times, who were always ready to perturb the wishes and views of the helpless subjects. He declares such rulers as the ‘flock of vultures’ sucking the blood of the people. Then he expresses his opinion over political governments, which are, according to him far better than those of tyrannical governments. Nevertheless, he condemns the tyranny of the majority over the minority in a democratic setup.

Mill stands for complete and unconditional civil liberty for each and every individual provided it can harm the other. He also supports the notion of class struggle and submits it as an essential part of the life cycle of every society. It is Mill who first time introduced the ‘principle of harm’ in his works. An individual must be given full freedom of thought to exercise the best of his qualities within a social structure so that it can provide maximum benefit on an individual and collective basis.

Society can only intervene if an action taken by an individual is harmful to the other members of society, but should make no interferences if these actions harm the individual himself. “Mill’s teleological notion of man as a progressive being runs strongly through his economic thinking, as well as his political writings. Despite his views of man as a scraping, selfish player in an impersonal and unforgiving marketplace, Mill ultimately champions capitalism for reasons informed and guided by the same perfectionist ideals he holds in the political realm.” (Chiu, 2005).

Mill takes liberty in a vast sense and does not see eye to eye with the notion that liberty stands for mere freedom from the tyranny of political government as it was considered in ancient times as well as medieval ages. Freedom of thought though is especially needed in a political setup, yet man must be free of unnecessary and unlimited social bindings too. The individuals should have been provided with enough freedom to celebrate their religious and cultural ceremonies as well as perform their religious and social obligations. He censures the interference of legislation and executive powers within private conduct, which he thinks inappropriate.

He laments on the unavailability of any recognized principle to test the propriety of the interference of government into private affairs. “Despotism is”, he writes, “a legitimate mode of government in dealing with the barbarians, provided the end be their improvement, and the means justified by actually effecting that end.” (1859: 17).

Social groups are not only divided into different classes in respect of socio-economic status and different occupations and professions but also distribution of a society is based on age, gender, and religion too. Social inequalities are found in all fields of life and all the institutions prevailing in a society. In this pretext, the Feminist perspective theory came into existence. The idea of division of labor on the basis of gender gave birth to feminism.

It was a strong voice against the inequalities between men and women in respect of social status, division of power as well as work and gender discrimination. Canadian feminist novelist Margaret Atwood has also elaborated on class struggle in her novel “The Handmaid’s Tale”. The novel portrays the subjugation and exploitation of women folk at the hands of male dominating society. The novel views that class struggle is not only inevitable but also it is the only solution to maintain an equal status of women in society. The character of Offred depicts how miserably women have been treated and they have to act against their will.

The existence of conflict in each and every society is inevitable and every group finds its challenger class since its own birth and creation. Lockwood insists on the presence of some mechanism in all societies resulting in inexorable conflict among its individuals (1956:134). The mechanism of such kind serves as a natural check and is responsible for the survival and solidarity of societies and cultures. Marx has linked social stratification to the means of production.

The major modern classes are, according to him, the owners merely of labor-power, owners of capital, and landowners, whose respective sources of income are wages, profit, and ground-rent. Different individuals make up the production of an organization, but the major profit goes to the upper class or bourgeoisie only, which struggles far less than the labor classes. The deprivation of rights arises the sentiments of revenge in the labor class and conflict arises in society.

Marxism perspective shows that Karl Marx lists a number of classes and (antagonistic) social relationships such as freeman and slave, lord and serf, oppressor and oppressed in describing different classes in a society that characterize different historical stages or modes of production. George Ritzer, a famous contemporary sociologist, obtains some different views on Marx’s conflict theory. In his works, he has criticized Marx and declares his sociological thought a failure especially in respect of being unable to see the positive points and bright aspects of Capitalism.

Marx has failed to foresee, Ritzer submits, how well capitalism would adapt itself to worker demands (through such mechanisms as legalized labor unions, workers’ compensation, minimum wage, workplace safety, and other standards for worker protection). (2003). Coser’s broad definition of the Marxist Conflict Perspective, Turner writes, serves his intellectual purpose to demonstrate the ubiquity of conflict and to document its functions for system integration. (Turner, 1978: 181). Dahrendorf’s definition of the term Conflict is consistent with his dialectical assumptions.

He uses this term for contests, competitions, disputes, and tensions. (1957:135). On the other hand, Coser views conflict as violent confrontations. Conflict can be antagonistic or potentially antagonistic, he opines. These antagonisms have promoted integration and adaptations among the parties to the conflict. Fink, like other sociologists, also supports Coser’s broad definition of conflict. Theorists opine that Dahrendorf’s statement of the concept of conflict is limited and narrow. In his work, “Some Conceptual Difficulties”, Fink argues conflict as a social situation or process in which two or more entities are linked by at least one form of antagonistic psychological relation. (1968:456)

Arnstein, Walter L. (1988). British Yesterday and Today. 1830 to the Present. Fifth Edition. D.C. Heath & Company. Toronto.

Chiu, Y. (2005) Perfectionism in J.S. Mill’s Economic Thought Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois. Web.

Mill, John Stuart. (1873). Autobiography.

Thomas, Henry. & Thomas, Dana Lee. (1960). Great Philosophers. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.

Turner, Jonathan H. (1978). The Structure of Sociological Theory. The Dorsey Press, Homewood, Illinois.

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IvyPanda. (2021, September 14). The Class Struggle Throughout the History. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-class-struggle-throughout-the-history/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Class Struggle Throughout the History." September 14, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-class-struggle-throughout-the-history/.

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