Challenges in Online Teaching

“Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach.” – Aristotle.

The joy of teaching is an art. It is a profession responsible for almost every man’s success. The art has been continuously evolving, from traditional offline-lecture mode to modern technology driven online teaching.

In this tough time of corona-virus pandemic, a major challenge of teaching virtually has come up, where instructors are left with e-education as the only option to continue the learning-process.

It is a good alternative to study at home while staying safe. But, Is it really a long-term solution? Is online teaching serving the purpose of effectively learning? Are students actually finding virtual classrooms engaging?

Well, the idea is not yielding the desired results. The experiences of the participants of the process (teachers, professors and students) are not in favourof virtual learning.

 

The major challenges with online teaching are infrastructural issues, poor internet connectivity, lack of communication; in-person feel is missing, inconsistency in watching the e-sessions, etc. We have conducted a small survey on challenges of online teaching to understand the issues better and provide an insight on facts which are troubling the students, teachers and parents. A sample of 100 people were taken and the responses were analysed to come up with detailed explanation of the problem.

What are the Challenges in online teaching?

1.   Lack of Two-way Communication

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” James Humes

Communication is an important tool in learning. In an offline setup where children and teachers are physically engaged with each other, the objectives and aims of teaching & learning are well achieved. These sessions tend to be more interactive and engrossing as students are actively involved in discussions and conversations.

 

Source: Eylean

 

While in case of online teaching, learners are passively engaged with each other, and hence effective participation is not insured. In virtual lectures, students are just the receptors of what is being taught.

The results of our survey on e-learning challenges clearly highlights ‘communication gap’ as the major concern. Around 70 percent people raised lack of two-way communication being the biggest challenge in virtual learning.

The questions, doubts & queries of the students go unaddressed.

Especially with recorded lectures students suffer this. Also, instructors have been found making some errors in recording classes. These flaws are difficult to be rectified because the lectures aren’t taped in presence of any faculty or student who can pin point such mistakes.. Even if mistakes are reported by the students on viewing the lecture, the changes are usually not incorporated.

The teachers dealing with the tiny tots (3-7 years), who are not independent and mature enough to attend the classes on their own are struggling the most. They need their parents for taking e-classes. In case of these little ones, there’s even no scope of communication.

It is because toddlers have an attention span of 15-20 minutes for the things which interests them the most. While in case of web-based education, instead of kids their parents are being found attending the classes for them.

Are they actually taking the classes? Are these kids learning? Whether e-learning is engrossing for them?

Well, the answer to this is a big No. The in-person connect, joy, and classroom feel of teaching-learning process, enjoyed by our little ones is missing in online setups.

Hence, the question of raising their concerns will not even stand due to lack of kids involvement in the process.

2.   Irregularity in Attending the classes

“That man who is regular and punctual will get sure success in all walks of life.” - Sivananda Saraswati

Regularity builds on the basis of shaping the personality of individuals. It is therefore taken care of in early years of life. Students are taught to be regular in their classes and lectures with a view to inculcate the habit of regularity in terms of schooling among them as it helps in developing the right attitude towards life.

In case of e-sessions, students have the liberty to attend the classes at comfort because of the facility of recorded lectures. This will disturb their study habits, consistency and punctuality in completing and submitting their assignments on time. Hence, this approach of procrastinating coursework leaves them in trouble when important deadlines approaches.

Students usually prefer not to watch the classes on a daily basis or don’t spend adequate time in studying as required. Even if they attend classes regularly, because of parents’ pressure, they do not take interest in it.

They prefer to devote time in other activities like surfing internet, chatting with friends, playing online games, etc. The study habits, intellectual development and healthy discussions of children are strayed/compromised. Also, it will make children lazy, careless, and builds an outlook of procrastinating things.

In our survey of challenges in online teaching, only 40 percent people are found regular with their networked education while 60 percent are still inconsistent in attending e-classes. It highlights that the children are becoming disorganized, which will affect their lifestyle too. So, with e-education learners loose that connect to stay engaged in attending the classes regularly.

 

3.   Infrastructural Issues

Infrastructural issues include unavailability of electronic devices such as smart phones, laptops, computers, tablets, etc; low network connectivity; problem in operating e-platforms; etc to access online classes.

·       Unavailability of electronic devices

In a developing country like India, where 16 lakh students from poor families in capital city do not have the gadgets to access the virtual classes.

ThePrint in its ‘No gadgets, no studies’ article, has mentioned that Primary Schools students, their parents and MCD school teachers have revealed that they are struggling to bridge the digital gap as many poor families have infrastructural problems.

Some of them have said that they do not know how to WhatsApp, while some of the parents have just one smartphone, which they need as they are into essential services.

The difference is apparent across states too. For example, the proportion of households with access to a computer varies from 4.6% in Bihar to 23.5% in Kerala and 35% in Delhi.

(source: Scroll.in)

 

                                               Source: Delta Collegian

 

·       Poor Internet Connection and Problem in Operating e-platforms

High speed data connections with large consumable data are required in order to access e-classes. Not everyone is in a condition to buy such as they are costlier.

It has been experienced by many students that they are short of data, who used to attend virtual sessions through smartphones. As they usually have limited data of 1-2 giga bites of internet every day. Such data is not enough to watch virtual lectures, do assignments and projects and then submit them online too.

The Niti Aayog, in its “Strategy for New India@75” report, highlighted quality and reliability of the internet as a major bottleneck. It went on to point out that 55,000 villages in the country are without mobile network coverage.

(source: The Indian Express)

 

According to the 2017-’18 National Sample Survey report on education, only 24% of Indian households have an internet facility. While 66% of India’s population lives in villages, only a little over 15% of rural households have access to internet services. For urban households, the proportion is 42%.

(source: The Indian Express)

 

Teachers are also facing the issue of poor internet connection and large consumable data plans as online teaching platforms requires high speed internet and consumes more data.

Most of the teachers (not everyone) are not comfortable in operating computers, also no proper trainings and exposures are being given to them. Schools are also not at fault because they were required to commence e-sessions in a very short span of time. So, they have tried their best to up-skill the instructors to the extent they can.

The University of Hyderabad carried out an in-house survey with about 2,500 students on issues related to online teaching. Though 90 percent of the students have access to mobile phones, about 63 percent could access the infrequently or not at all. Interestingly, among the concerns raised about online instruction, 40 per cent reported unreliable connectivity as being a major deterrent while 30 per cent cited the cost of data. Significantly, 10 per cent reported uncertain electricity supply as a concern.

(source: The Indian Express)

 

The participants of the online teaching are still struggling to use these e-platforms properly.

 

4.   Ineffective Instructional Methods

Teachers are trying their best to make this campaign of online learning a success. They have earlier practised traditional methods of teaching in a physical set up. But now they are coping with the system of networked education to facilitate learning, though having no prior exposure of e-learning.

Colleges and schools have not given proper training and exposure of e-platforms such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc to instructors. 

 

“It’s not a lecture classroom online,”. “It’s an active learning classroom online.” Conrad, a lecturer at the University of California in Berkley clarifies.

The fact that old techniques (lecture method, direct method etc.) are practised by teachers in online setup, makes the process ineffective. Students are losing the interest in taking classes through virtual mode. The mere explanation of topics is what making the learners unengaged and detached with the exercise. They are unable to link their previous knowledge to what is being newly taught to them.

Modern and innovative techniques that encourage learner’s active engagement are not adopted. Interactive and hands on, experiential learning, assigning real life projects, group discussions, topics to promote collaborative and cooperative learning, etc. are not incorporated in virtual classrooms.

Healthy classroom discussions and interactions are missing in online teaching. Students’ involvement and participation in various classroom activities is not taken care of in e-education. Inability to connect the students with the instructor and their fellows is due to the adoption of traditional teaching approaches.

This easily deviate and distract the students in online teaching as they did not find the classes interesting and engrossing enough to make them stay tuned. Hence, there is a need to make the e-sessions riveting and captivating by using innovative approaches and engaging lessons, so that learners stick with the online lectures and make this a great revolution in the era of teaching.

5.   Presence of Distracting Elements

The process of teaching-learning can be a success, if it is an interactive and attentive session. The active engagement of students and instructors is the essence of learning.

Children are unable to keep themselves involved and proactive in online setups as they didn’t find the classes interesting and divert their attentions in other platforms available which attracts them and create hindrance in their learning.

In case of online teaching, students have an access to other distracting elements such as social media applications-Facebook, Instagram; online socially interactive multiplayer games.

Also, it has been noted that even in professional course like MBAs the students used to exercise while the teacher was explaining the topics in the e-class.

There's some window of teachers being disrespected. The students used to place their own picture in video and turnoff their cameras to surf internet or chat with their friends.

The lack of discipline develops negative attitude and inconsistency among the students, as they prefer not to attend e-lectures regularly. This leads to inconsistency in their performance.

Responsible children are the ones who understands the importance of being disciplined and consistent in life. It can be undertaken with the positive attitude and right approach in leading life. All these traits are indicative of a great personality and an influential individual.

The below diagram explains the importance of attention, discipline, consistency and responsibility in formation of a great personality. In case of e-education this whole cycle is broken and hence desirable traits are not developed.

6.   Physical, Mental and Emotional well-being of the children affected to a great extent

Health is not a substitute to anything and hence shouldn’t be compromised.

WHO says that, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

In these tough and challenging times of covid-19, the health is of utmost priority for anybody.

With this frame of mind, online tutoring was adopted as a tool of teaching-learning for schools, colleges and other institutions. It has helped in continuing with the education process while ensuring the safety and health of the children.

Now, learners have to spend a minimum of 4-6 hours everyday on computers, laptops, mobile phones or tablets to watch their e-lectures. In addition, they have to do their coursework online too. Around no less than 8 hours a day, are being spent on e-gadgets by students.

The excessive use of these e-tools disturbs not only the physical but the mental and emotional well-being of children. Our survey results reflected that 82 percent people agree that physical, mental and emotional health of the students is affected by e-mode of learning.

·       Impact on Physical Health

EUPATI (European Patients' Academy) says “Physical health is defined as the condition of your body, taking into consideration everything from the absence of disease to fitness level”.

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” – Joseph Pilates.

Outdoor activities and play are significant in students’ life as their all-around development depends on it. Students’ physical fun and joy in schools is taken well care of through playgrounds, Sports courts, other activities such as dance, music, classroom projects, etc.

While online classrooms provide no opportunities for physical activity of the children, they are not into playing any outdoor games such as badminton, race, basketball, football, hide and seek, etc. There is no sports coaching as well, amid pandemic.

Children aren’t indulged in any recreational activities nor can’t they visit their friends for refreshing themselves. This has affected their physical, mental and social state.  

The issues which can arise due to lack of bodily movement and workout are eye strain, including redness, a feeling of dryness and/or soreness; headache; excess body, postural fatigue-arms, back, thigh, neck and shoulder soreness; obesity; lose muscle strength and have weaker bone; reduced blood circulation; a weakened immune system.

·       Impact on Mental Health

Mental health is person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.

The WHO stress that mental health is “more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.” Peak mental health is about not only avoiding active conditions but also looking after ongoing wellness and happiness.

The risk of mental health issues such as short-tempered, irritable, depression, anxiety, stress, mood swings, etc lies in online teaching. Another emerging problem is lack of concentration and focus among students. Their kids are unable to study with same attention and enthrallment as they earlier used to.

Students who earlier used to spend 2 hours in studying mathematics are now not even willing to study it for half-an-hour. The creative and artistic children are not even ready to learn new works, nor are they wanting to spend enough time in their areas of interest like painting, music, dance, singing, drawing, etc.

Hence, Mental health is emerging as a great concern to be taken care of.

·       Impact on Emotional Health

Emotional health is a state of positive psychological functioning. It can be considered as an extension of mental health. It is an overall experience of wellness in our thoughts, feelings, and acts in all phases of life whether good, happy, sad, difficult, bad, etc.

In online teaching, feel of friendly and competitive classroom learning is skidded, because the sessions are not interactive. There is less scope of development of interpersonal relationships and social skills.

Collaborative learning, team projects, flipped classroom, cooperative learning, brainstorming, etc are not even thought to be adopted.

This has led to emotional disturbances among students. They often look sad, worried, upset, anxious, restless, tired, have sleeping issues, have troubles with memory or focus, and looks hopeless, etc. All this not be taken care of.

All types of health are all interrelated with each other. Hence, if one is affected, the others will automatically get impacted.

7.   Virtual-Classroom Engagement

The most common challenge faced by the students in virtual setup is lack of face-to-face involvement of students with teachers and their peers. The personal touch of the instructors, the feel of classroom, discussions and activities are lacking. The learners don’t feel the urge to be involved even though teachers produce instructions in a variety of ways, using audio- visual methods, presentations or even streaming live sessions.

 

                     

                         Source: Online Course Report

 

The lack of in-person communication can become problematic for students who are struggling to understand course material, according to The New York Times.

It is an alarming issue as the interactivity and the forum to share opinions in physical environment of teaching plays a prominent role in students’ social, intellectual and emotional development.

E-education platforms don’t allow the use of gestures and body language as in case of offline learning. That’s why, most of the learning through online portals is abortive.

Traditional classroom layouts provide the competitive and friendly atmosphere to the students, where their intellect, topic related knowledge and real-life learning is well ensured. While in virtual modes of teaching, they aren’t given the chances to communicate with the instructors and the feel of a lively and interactive session is lacking.

 

8.   Pressure on Working Parents

With this new mode of studying at home using e-platforms, parents are relaxed in terms of their kids’ safety. But there is an enforcement on them for their children’s online learning. Specifically, about the working parents of primary and pre-primary students.

It is to highlight their pressure of managing their office and business tasks along with making their children attend online classes.

In a survey conducted by us, the guardians and parents of kids (3-10 years) have talked about their problem of attending online classes of 2-4 hours with their children. Due to kids’ dependence upon them.

Little ones are quite young to start and operate e-platforms using their login credentials on their own. Also, students are always asked by the teacher to mute themselves while she is teaching, and to unmute when she asks, or to reply in chat box, etc. They are not independent enough to handle such alone.

 

                     Source: Business Insider India

In fact, it is challenging to engage tiny tots in e-sessions due to short attention span ranging 15 to 20 minutes. At times, parents attend the classes as their kids used to sleep during class.

“Much of the hour-long class involves parents dragging the toddlers back to the computer screens and trying to get them interested in what’s happening,” Meghna Saxena (School Teacher) told Quartz.

(source: Scroll.in)

 

 Parents whether working from home or going to offices are therefore in pressure. Homemakers are also struggling as many of them have young kids too, so e-teaching of their children is very demanding for them.

9.   Teachers in Pain

It takes a big heart to shape little minds. The system of learning has no meaning without a teacher. Though we all are criticizing virtual learning, the teachers are grappling the most with it.

The system is equally new to them as to the students. They rather have more pressure in terms of arranging the content, making Power point presentations, lesson planning, arranging other teaching leaning material etc. for delivering the lecture effectively. The teachers are struggling to arrange resources at home due to the sudden shift in the learning mode.

                          Source: Freshworks

 

They have to carry out other tasks such as taking the attendance, preparing the e-assignments, produce worksheets online, projects, homework etc. The job doesn’t get over here, planning virtual classroom activities, checking all the work assigned to the students, addressing their doubts, evaluating students on various parameters and then furnishing the results too.

They have to stay in touch with the parents to discuss the progress of students through online PTMs. They are occupied for almost the entire day since morning 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. in the night. There is no personal time for them as they are busy doing their jobs.

For nearly six weeks now, Delhi-based nursery school teacher Meghna Saxena* has spent over five after-work hours a day only on calls with a colleague. The duo brainstorms ideas and plans for their online classes over the Zoom app. A couple of hours more goes into gathering and preparing the items and props. By the time she’s done, it’s often late in the night.

(source: Scroll.in)

 

They are trying hard with it, but aren’t paid decent or handsome pay in India. Examples of how exhausting and demotivating the experience has been for the grossly overworked and terribly underpaid tribe of teachers in India.

 

                           Source: Times Now via Quart

Even after putting in a lot of effort, teachers are being mocked by the students. Children don't maintain the decorum of the e-classroom and attempt to disturb so. By making fake profiles using pictures of some funny character, and then not responding to the teachers, abusing in the class, etc.

This virtual learning concept is such, that is not yielding the desired results. Online Teaching might looks like a solution during this corona-virus pandemic, but it shouldn’t surely be viewed as an efficacious and constructive mode of learning.