The Top 10 Shortcomings of Online Education
With school closures and containment measures, almost half of the world’s students faced disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the advent of the internet brought dramatic changes in the field of education, especially during the pandemic. Online education has become a new norm with the pandemic lockdowns. About 100 countries closed their educational institutions in 2020 forcing their way to emergency remote learning.
E-learning has brought with it a plethora of opportunities but also exposed people to a lot of risks. Online education is suffering from a variety of problems like adjusting to new pedagogical methods, risks of cyberattacks, etc. While people are still adjusting to the new way of learning, the practical issues and potential risks must be well known to take the necessary precautions. Here are the top 10 shortcomings of online education faced by students:
Vision
Students sitting for long hours on the computer, mobile phone, or tablets cause eyesight problems. The minimum time for the school classes take at least 5 hours, further they have to complete their assignments on the device. Thus, this leads to an increase in the screen time for the students leading to ophthalmic complications at an early age.
Internet Connectivity
In a country like India with various geographical features, internet penetration is not adequate for the smooth functioning of online classes. A lot of students live in areas with poor internet availability. Even in the cities, internet connectivity is an issue with a majority of areas.
Physical Development
The online classes support a student's learning on subjective matters. However, practical classes, sports classes, dance classes, and extracurricular classes have become nearly extinct. The home environment provided by the school is missed in the online classes, hindering the physical development of the student.
Detachment
Online classes have a packed schedule, keeping students from interacting with their friends or classmates in the class. This lack of engagement leads to demotivation among students. Students often felt detached from their peers. These things can result in the introverted mindset of a generation.
Examinations
Examinations are a major breakpoint in the new online teaching method. After a lot of discussion by the authorities, the exams are now conducted online. The students are now well versed with the use of the internet. This enabled them to engage in malpractices such as plagiarism, fake identity, etc.
Distractions
The charm of online education lasted only for a few months. While attending online classes students face several distractions like lack of focus, background noise, monotonous routine, etc. They are often found to be slipping towards distractions while attending a class on a mobile phone.
Accessibility
India's large student population comes from areas that do not have access to top-notch digitized services. They do not even have the basic facilities such as access to digital devices, sufficient internet, electricity, etc for online education. Thus, hampering the holistic growth of a huge number of students.
Technical Impairment
After the advent of online education, everything was onboard digitally. The schools and teachers being new to education technology often struggle to conduct online classes, marking attendance, etc. Conducting extra-curricular activities is also a difficult task. The students also face problems in attending the class, submitting homework, etc.
CyberSecurity
On a bigger scale, educational institutions which onboarded their courses on their websites, fear of safeguarding them was a huge responsibility. Since there are a large number of users in the online learning environment. The login system registered users, and user groups are required to safeguard their access.
Illegitimate Use
Hacking of personal information or sensitive data, bullying, online abuse, pornography, etc have become common issues during this era of online education. As per Microsoft Security Intelligence, online education Malware practices accounted for 61% of the total malware encounters in 2020. The unawareness of the security measures, risks, and threats, makes the students more vulnerable.
Road Ahead
Online education is all about learning from a digital platform, which requires a digital device, internet facility, and basic know-how. Apart from connectivity issues, the absence of holistic classroom environments is a major impediment to online education. While online education is apt for developed countries, its future in India is only sustainable if the necessary precautionary measures are taken.