Why Online Distance Learning is not for Everybody

During quarantine across much of the Philippines, education officials have advocated
using internet platforms to continue the education of millions of Filipino children in the
school year 2020-2021. The Philippines, on the other hand, cannot support online
schooling for the bulk of its pupils, and the endeavor will be futile for the vast majority of
the country Ilona C. Kritz (2020).
It is easy to believe that face to face classes has more advantage than learning online.
After all, Face to Face classes were effective as there would be less distractions than if
we were at home, we will be able to concentrate more on our studying. Many students
have found it difficult to transition from physically attending school to learning
electronically. The new learning technique has made it more difficult for many people to
learn. By the reason of the physical distance between students and teachers created by
the online learning environment, students have found it difficult to connect with their
teachers. It is considerably more difficult to demonstrate to your professors exactly what
you are struggling to understand when working online. This is only one illustration of how
difficult online learning can be.
According to Derik Cumagun (2020) Previously, being able to afford dorm rent or books
was a prerequisite for attending college and High School now, getting an education
appears to be increasingly dependent on whether one has a stable Internet connection a
new prerequisite in a world where Google search has replaced library research, video
projects have replaced written reports, and academic requirements are e-mailed within
the last 10 minutes before midnight rather than handed in the following day. As a result,
when the COVID-19 epidemic reached the Philippines, closing down schools one after
the other, the Internet as a form of home-based remote learning appeared to be a realistic
choice. However, within the first week of the quarantines, students from colleges and
universities across Manila and then all over Luzon began calling for the suspension of
online classes, echoing a common sentiment for the need to be more inclusive for those
less fortunate students and faculty alike who have unreliable or no connections, or who
lack the necessary hardware for video conferencing, or who may have to share a single
gadget among many family members.
These findings from credible research bodies prove one thing: Online distance learning
is not the new normal, Online distance learning is not for everybody. Online class doesn’t
work for everybody. Not for the rich nor for the poor. It illustrates that student learns better
when they are in school in person. Students who get in-person education have less
distractions, improved focus, and can benefit from more direct, tailored learning
experiences, which protect them from falling behind.
Reference:
Natalie Gerold (2020). https://thedispatchonline.net/13118/journalism-1/virtual-learning-
is-hard/
Derik Cumagun (April 2020). https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/opinion/online-classes-
privilege-a2472-20200402-lfrm