It's harder for students to learn new information, and even though they sit at the computer, they feel physically tired. Virtual learning fatigue is real and can cause anxiety and stress for both students and teachers. So what happens when these two concepts blur? All of a sudden, children are expected to transfer their school skills home. This is certainly difficult, especially for younger children who rarely need to take homework with them.
For older children who have established a routine of studying and doing homework at home, making this transition isn't that difficult. But can you imagine being told to go on vacation and, instead of relaxing, expecting you to dedicate yourself to your daily work? A lot of us would have problems. They are finding that the change in space and the demands are conflicting. This makes attending classes online as difficult as you would in class.
It's also important to remember that with this change in space also comes differences in distractions. Whether you call it remote learning, online learning, or distance learning, school looks different during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some students are thriving with this form of learning, many don't seem to participate in it. Some students may not be present at all.
Others may be present, but they are not turning in the work or doing more than the bare minimum. So what's stopping your students from getting involved? My online learning experience as a student has been very stressful and irritating. I honestly feel like I'm not learning anything just getting back-to-back tasks. The only thing I like about this is that I can be at home and choose when I want to do the work.
I don't like the fact that I'm not learning anything just by watching YouTube videos and trying to figure out what I'm doing and if it's right. In the future, if I didn't decide to do online learning because I usually hate it and it would only add more stress to me than I already have, plus if I have a question about something, I have to wait for my teacher to answer. And sometimes that answer doesn't come until the next day, when you could have finished the task the same day you were doing it. I also prefer to be in a physical classroom because I can also get help from my peers if I need it and if it's online, no one is going to help me at all.
Playtime has become a distant memory, both online and offline; and the effects are shown. According to a review of more than 80 different studies, social distancing and school closures have increased mental health problems in children and adolescents. Children report higher levels of boredom and frustration. The skills required for online learning are different, although some may overlap with school-based learning, many children have not fully acquired the skills needed to succeed with online learning.
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