Creating an effective online learning environment, like all issues in the technological world, has underlying factors that need to be assessed when considering solutions. In particular, the reconstruction of remote learning is an issue that requires a highly socio-technical fix. In order to create an effective online learning environment, we must divorce ourselves from the idea of recreating the in person classroom. Instead, we have to understand what made the in person classroom environment so successful. Quickly, we came to the conclusion that the in person classroom environment was a highly social space that supported interactive learning. The in person model of a classroom allowed for social cues that benefitted the flow of the classroom. Online, we do not have those same social cues that stimulate productive learning. In order to build an interactive learning environment online we must force ourselves into situations where we can get back those social cues.
We have found through our research that students are unhappy with current social aspects of online learning. The figure below shows the feelings of current students.
Figure 7. From 2020 study done by the Non-Profit Organization “Digital Promise,” which originated as part of 2008 Congress’s Higher Education Opportunity Act
The data is important because it shows the lack of students’ satisfaction socially of online learning. This can negatively affect a students mental capacity due to emotional factors involving stress from lack of social connections. This stress can in turn negatively affect a student’s concentration and motivation to complete work. What we have encouraged to combat this is our development of the Ideal Online Classroom. Using methods such as active learning techniques, placing an emphasis on small group practice and discussion breakout rooms, and increasing the time spent in the classroom, we can take back the social implications that online learning has previously lacked. This will improve our remote learning experience undoubtedly.
One thing that truly stands in the way of future development of remote learning is the attitudes of changemakers in the education system. Thanks in no small part to the pandemic, digitalization of the learning environment has quickly garnered quite a bad reputation in most learning communities. Additionally, most people aren’t cognisant of the storied modern history remote learning has to pull lessons from. On top of this, COVID has forced the hand of many educators to pull the trigger on loose implementation of poorly thought out ERT programs. Or, in the worst cases, many have left the online implementation of the classroom education entirely up to professors to work out for themselves.
Through our research we found that approaches to online learning are plagued by many false beliefs that permeate through the minds of educators. Digital education is perceived as a lesser form of education when compared to the long developed, varied styles of in person education. Many assumptions, such as digitalization being a temporary, fad solution or that digitzalation is too hard for older generations. While this is not actually true, the pandemic situation has given a concrete example that reinforces this belief in the eyes of many. The negative press and numerous student experiences reinforce this too. To fight back, the hard data about the value of remote learning needs to be made public. Even once this pandemic ends, remote learning can still provide for unsersevred students who cannot attend school. This has already been one of the main purposes of past remote experiences, but they have vast room for improvement. Getting policymakers on board is hard without a stellar example of success. Lafayette College can be that success. We have the resources and are small enough to quickly adapt to the Ideal Online Classroom. If Lafayette can execute the theoretical classroom into reality then perhaps remote learning can gain more of a foothold as a long term alternative to traditional schooling.
The economic context in which digital learning lives in is a difficult reality. In the midst of a pandemic, institutions and individuals are facing many short falls. Families are forced to reconsider their jobs and hours to support their children’s education from home. Work hours are being cut if not lost completely due to the shutdown of businesses. Institutions are losing considerable amounts of income due to students not residing on campuses and being able to take advantage of the resources they have paid for. Most students aren’t paying full tuition and thus the school is forced to cut budgets and compensate in other areas all while attempting to create additional resources specific to creating a better remote learning environment. As a result, significant salary cuts are inevitable. For Lafayette College in particular, we suggest redistributing our funds in the places we have found could make a significant difference in success such as personal support services to lighten the impact emotionally, so students and educators can put their best foot forward.
Putting this theory into practice is not aimless either. Using data collected from students during the pandemic, there are clear focus areas on which to improve the remote experience to improve the quality of education at Lafayette. From the multi college survey Lafayette took part in earlier this year, it’s quite clear that students need to be active players in their classroom and college communities to get value out of their education. Students don’t feel supported by their learning institutions during COVID. Lafayette needs to make it’s mental health and education advising services fully compatible with the online environment to properly assuage student’s stresses while they are stuck at home. Stress is at an all time high right now among students and this should be acknowledged. Additionally, the student community should be allowed greater input into how online classes function. The classroom should fit the earlier mentioned Ideal Online Classroom; high student vocal engagement, no one sided lecturing and work that connects people on an individual level. Work that isolates students for long periods of time has to be reduced, as a majority of students find themselves stressed and disconnected from college. The aim of each class should be clearly spelt out by educators so as to reduce stress on students who may feel they don’t quite grasp the full picture. A focus on classroom learning through interaction and transparent goal setting would provide more opportunities for students to teach each other, also reducing stress on the faculty who similarly report feeling overwhelmed. Entering a remote classroom should always be a time to bring people together for communal activity that energizes students to learn. Lafayette’s classrooms already often operated this way when offline, so it shouldn’t be difficult to communicate why it is important to recapture that essence. We can communicate it as going back to the old way of learning with new mindful techniques of education.
Our research additionally showed that the economic impacts are affecting society inequality and the disproportions have significant long-term implications to individuals and the economy at large. Black, Hispanic, and low income individuals are especially at a disadvantage with the transition. With our proposed focus on creating a better quality learning environment with more substance, we hope to combat some of the inequality and thus create better economic stability all around.
In terms of challenges relating to creating a digital learning environment, there were a few things that we noted. Most obvious and most prominently, in this day and age people have become accustomed to a personal and social education system. The overall consensus is that digital learning is, and will not be considered as ‘ideal’ anytime soon. Humans are creatures of habit and although we do see the benefits it is simply not a habit in our society. We can research and implement new ways of running our academic institutions to create better successful outcomes but, at the end of the day we cannot change the pre-existing bias of students who were ‘forced’ to engage in an online learning environment.
Furtherly, as we can encourage institutions to engage in a better ‘classroom’ setting online, we cannot guarantee that students will take to it. A dual understanding of both the institution and its students is necessary for this to work. To a certain extent, our ideas will provide a better environment for this however, does not guarantee students will participate to the extent that will make them as successful as our intentions. For example, with increased opportunity for student-student dialogue yes, this should increase engagement however, students still could very well keep their camera off, sit back and let other students speak. A large part of our project was analyzing the very real and impactful problems with this type of learning but, we did this to increase awareness. Our research was done in hopes to motivate institutions, educators, and students, so we hope that this awareness will result in that dual understanding absolutely necessary to create successful outcomes. Again, we can not guarantee that formatting classes will change the mindsets of students.
Our biggest challenge was probably the fact that this transition to digital learning and the unclear future it holds it is happening now. Due to this, there isn’t a lot of confirmed research for the subject. A majority of the studies are just coming out now and can not give completely accurate predictions and information as the future is so uncertain. Fortunately, these studie are taking place as the impacts on society are evident. With this reality, it is also difficult to grasp the importance of these changes to those not being affected or to those who don’t realize the magnitude of the potential impacts a satisfactory digital learning engagement has. During this pandemic everyday people wake up hoping it is coming to an end. Although the near future is promising that doesn’t mean we should ignore the fact that students aren’t performing at the same rates, emotional well-being is being affected, and there are detrimental effects on our economy and society at large.
Moving forward, we want to bring attention to our research at Lafayette College. We are fortunate enough to have a smaller and closer knit college community and with this brings the advantage of being heard. We hope that we can, as a unit, recognize our short falls in terms of transitioning to a digital learning environment. As an institution we never want to fall behind other institutions as our research showed that if we don’t take action now, we will thus become at a competitive disadvantage and end up putting forth more resources in the long term. We are confident in Lafayette College’s determination to yield successful students and flourish as a community and functioning unit in general.
After we can recognize the issue as an institution we hope the college will conduct a survey in advance to the next digital learning semester. The survey should be administered with the intention of recognizing student preferences and past student experiences with the school’s specific approach to remote learning. With an upwards of about two semesters with remote leaning under students’ belt, this input has the potential to be extremely impactful and is a valuable asset we should take advantage of. We hope our input will inspire an even deeper conversion and student specific conversation as we work together to improve our communities system in particular.
In conclusion, doing our research has shed much light on the issue of remote learning. We feel we discovered some very good information and were able to put it together in an effective manner for the betterment of the students’ experience at Lafayette College. We hope that the CITLS department at Lafayette College can use this report in their mission for our educational development. It is of the utmost importance to understand that the issue of remote learning is one that is sociotechnical. We feel that if we can properly adjust the social aspect to remote learning we can develop a process that is highly engaging and beneficial to the students. We want to thank those at the CITLS department with their help in our study. And we hope that the administration of Lafayette College hears our voice.