Online Education

I will start off by stating that I am not a fan of online learning. I do not think that it is beneficial, and I think the effects it is having on students is extremely detrimental. For starters, I do not think that it is giving students equal opportunities. College acts as an equalizer for students, and this equalization does not occur with virtual learning. A student who is from a low-income neighborhood may not have Wi-Fi at home, so they have to drop their classes because they cannot access their classwork. This is true of younger students as well. They may not have someone to help them with their work or have a parent to make sure that they are attending class and doing their work. It may be hard to see, but this is harming our future society. 

Preschool Promise Dayton Ohio

My aunt works for a not-for-profit company in Dayton, Ohio called Pre-School Promise. The company works to get inner-city students to a certain reading level before third grade because there is huge statistical evidence that correlates with their reading level and their future. Reaching the benchmarks significantly lowers the chance that they will drop out of school, and the number of kids who do not meet the reading level can help to predict how many people will be in jail cells in future years. This program is also used in Chicago, and it has helped to save the city millions of dollars. She was telling me how much online learning is setting back these little kids.

I believe that universities should have a hardship clause for students who are impacted by Covid. Whether it be from medical issues of themselves, someone they are taking care of, or be because of online learning, some students are failing classes they normally would have passed. The university should be more forgiving to these students with a clause that could allow students to drop classes or grades without harm to their transcript. This could be carried out fairly by having a board of people who look at each student applying for it and assessing each situation case-by-case. I believe this to be necessary because I have seen what online learning can do to someone's grades. I struggle with online learning because I am very much a hands-on learner, but I am still able to keep up with my classes. My older sister, however, is on an IEP and has had an awful time trying to learn virtually. She needs that face-to-face instruction. Luckily, the university she is attending had a hardship clause that allowed her to drop some of her classes last spring when everything turned completely virtual. 

There is also so much that can go wrong with online learning. The internet does not always cooperate, which can make it difficult for students and teachers to get things done. Wi-Fi can cut out, programs may not work on people's computers, and Zoom classes can face constant complications. Cheating is also so much harder to monitor when everything is virtual. Other countries are having in-person classes, and I think that they will have an advantage when it comes to the job market. I hope that next year, and possibly even next semester, we will be able tp go back to fully in-person classes because online learning is not doing anyone good.