Introduction
Online education involves conducting class sessions over the internet platforms. The element has grown over time since the Covid-19 period, whereby multiple countries enforced lockdowns and social distancing strategies to minimize the spread of the disease. As a result, online classes began during this period and have been adopted across multiple regions and education platforms (Abou-Khalil, 2021). Online education is a vital innovation in technology and learning because it fosters knowledge among students despite the distance and time differences. The strategy has multiple benefits and various limitations globally. One of the primary elements includes a lack of interaction and reduced student engagement during class periods.
Issue related to online education
One of the significant issues facing the online education systems includes the significant decrease in student engagement and interaction with their professors and tutors. The ideology of the concept is critical in learning platforms because knowledge is key to development and innovation in society. As a result, the decrease in interaction and student engagement implies that the learners may need to grasp the knowledge more effectively. The lack of engagement is also a sign of distractions among the students, adversely impacting the learning process. This issue is crucial because, in traditional learning systems involving classrooms, the teachers and professors can monitor the student’s engagement effectively. Also, the educators could determine the attentive students and those that have yet to understand various concepts. Therefore, lacking engagement is a significant problem in online education systems.
Online education is experiencing an issue in replicating the real-time monitoring of learners. The ideology of the concept is that the students need to interact with their peers during discussions, contribute ideologies, offer various perspectives to theoretical questions and inquire for clarifications from their peers. Engagement and interaction are vital in creating a suitable community and collaboration among the learners, improving overall learning experiences. Besides, with the lack of engagement among students, some learners feel isolated and disconnected from their classmates. This issue impacts the overall growth of the students in terms of expressing their ideologies to other people that are not their close family and friends. It affects their courage, ideation process and expression of different perspectives.
Additionally, a lack of student engagement and interaction leads to a lack of structure. The originality of the matter is that the traditional classroom settings consist of a specific program for learning, including schedules for classes, breaks, lunch periods and games. Online education needs more essential schedules because some learning platforms have prerecorded materials and documents that one should watch, read and submit the assignments effectively. As a result, the learners can take their lessons any time of the day, including at night, during the daytime, at events, and during travels, among other elements. Despite the flexibility in time, the learning process needs more structure and accountability for various elements (Dwivedi, 2019). Learners need more guidance and time management to deliver their assignments effectively. Also, the learners will only acquire a practical understanding of the reading process is easy. Students may also need more motivation to read and research past the class reading materials.
Technical issues contribute to the need for more engagement and interaction within online education platforms. This factor is critical for learners because modern learning platforms require internet connectivity, power supply, and software and hardware components, among other elements. As a result, students may need to engage more effectively during class periods, including real-time scheduling through Zoom and the school’s learning platforms. The originality of the matter is that one may experience a limitation in factors such as poor internet connectivity, software and hardware malfunctions, and power outages, among other issues. This element prevents students from engaging effectively with their peers and educators during class periods. Also, these students will be forced to watch the recorded videos and read the source materials to catch up with their peers. This element impacts the learning process adversely (Soffer, 2019).
Another significant issue contributing to the need for more engagement and interaction in online education platforms is social presence. The ideology is vital in enhancing learners’ need to study and support one another. This element is crucial because, in traditional learning systems, learners can engage one another in different elements, including having lunch and playing various games in the field after class periods. This system allows the learners to encourage one another, converse effectively and offer each other help in various academic challenges (Moubayed, 2020). The online platforms need more social connectivity among the students, impacting their communication and problem-solving techniques. Some online education platforms may not support individuals to participate in a class simultaneously, promoting solitude and loneliness during studies.
Moreover, time management is a vital factor in a learning platform. The ideology of the concept is that it teaches learners the benefits of planning and scheduling various activities in life. The element is also critical in fostering their dedication to various elements, such as the class activities effectively without giving in to distractions. Traditional learning systems allow learners to manage their time effectively through daytime activities and homework assignments, which keep them dedicated to their studies outside school. However, online learning platforms allow learners to plan for activities with minimal guidance from professors and tutors. This issue contributes to a need for more self-discipline, time management and dedication to the important factors in life. This issue contributes significantly to decreased accountability and engagement with the coursework.
In addition, limited access to resources contributes to a lack of engagement and interaction among students within the online education systems. The problem affects the students from different social strategies whereby infrastructure varies, and affording various resources is a problem. This issue impacts student engagement and interaction because the online platforms require tools, including software and hardware components, internet connectivity and a working station within their homes. Some individuals may need more resources, such as essential software, to participate in an online class environment. The issue impacts the student’s engagement because online education requires resources, skills and expertise in technology to navigate the platforms effectively and attend the classes. Besides, the issue impacts one’s motivation to join the classes and participate with their peers, leading to decreased overall engagement within an online classroom.
Resolution
There are multiple techniques for resolving the need for more interaction and engagement within online education systems. The ideology of the concept is that students and educators require flexible learning schedules and platforms that enhance their overall experience during learning. One of the significant resolutions involves increasing interaction among peers. The ideology is vital in forming connections between the students and their educators. The essential strategies for increasing interaction include video conferences and chat sessions for the learners to communicate, share and discuss. This aspect is essential in handling group assignments, helping one another with challenging class concepts and forming friendship ties. Besides, the students can motivate each other to learn and attend the class sessions effectively, improving overall engagement and interaction within the learning platforms.
Another significant ideology for improving student interactions and engagement within the online-based education system involves utilizing instructional techniques. The element involves projects, case studies, role-plays and simulations, among other factors. The ideology of the concept is that reading course materials and watching videos may not trigger the student’s attention and participation in class activities effectively. As a result, the students become curious about understanding the projects and their roles in various simulations. Besides, utilizing case studies shifts the focus from the theoretical approach to applying the concepts in real-world companies and situations (Lockee, 2021). Besides, multimedia presentations offer a vital experience for learners to grasp various concepts, effectively improving their engagement and interaction.
Technology is an important aspect of contemporary society. The element is vital in connecting individuals regardless of time and distance. This aspect is essential in fostering student engagement and interaction within an online classroom. The aspect entails using forums, quizzes and polls that trigger the student’s attention, hence participating with their peers in answering various questions, commenting and discussing various class concepts. Besides, the tools are essential in allowing the peers to communicate and discuss within the learning platform for effective collaboration on various projects and simulations. This ideation improves student engagement and interaction within the online learning platform, boosting the education process’s success.
Additionally, providing timely feedback to the students is essential in proving their interaction and collaboration within the online education systems. The ideology of the concept is that feedback is vital in learning, growth and collaboration during class activities. Instructors and educators should provide the students with essential responses to questions, concerns and clarifications regarding the class concepts, quizzes and projects. The rate of responding to these individuals increases their attentiveness to the course materials and assignments, hence improving their engagement with the class activities. Besides, immediate responses will foster the overall interactions between the learners and educators effectively.
Creating a supportive learning platform enhances interaction and student engagement within online education. The originality of the matter is that the modern era has significant issues, such as racial and gender bias. Therefore, enhancing inclusivity within these platforms fosters interaction and engagement among students from marginalized communities. Besides, creating the opportunity and allowing the students to participate in class activities fosters their courage and motivation to engage effectively with their peers and educators (Cole, 2021). Besides improving active learning among peers, giving them group assignments and hands-on projects to learn and handle as a class is essential in fostering their collaboration and interaction effects.
Script
Background
A school in Colombia closed the institution to learners and educators during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown. The issue affected multiple schools globally, leading to the invention of various techniques to continue with the learning process. During the pandemic, the school implemented online-based classes to keep the learners safe. After the pandemic, the school’s director got several requests that the school should shift its focus from the traditional learning system to online education. Therefore, the director decided to hold a board and parents meeting to discuss the elements of online education. The management, the teacher’s board and the parents decided to brainstorm various ideologies to foster effective education for the learners. The board meeting was held through the Zoom platform for effective discussion.
Scene 1
The organizer: Hello, everyone. Welcome to today’s meeting. I am Mr. Spitz, the organizer. We aim to make the brainstorming process inclusive, interactive and effective. I will give every parent and teacher a chance with suggestions, concerns and questions so that we can make the most of this meeting. Our main agenda is to determine the continuity of online education. I welcome any ideas and suggestions from participants.
Parent 1: Thank you, Mr Spitz, for welcoming us. I have a concern regarding online education. My significant issue with the platform is that the engagement rate and interactions are significant issues among the children. This issue is affecting my child because the learning is not interactive. It needs to include essential monitoring and discussions among peers.
Parent 2: Indeed, the system does not engage our children effectively. One of the problems that I noticed with the system is that it needs a synchronous learning process. The students take lessons even at night by watching prerecorded videos and reading the uploaded course materials. The child cannot ask questions, request clarifications or even discuss an issue with their professors.
Teacher 1: I agree with these parents because online education lacks vital engagement even within online classrooms. During these periods, students experience varied issues, including internet problems, software and hardware malfunctions and power outages. Therefore, the student engagement rate goes down over time. Currently, I find myself asking a question and needing a student response. This issue is affecting the class performance critically.
Organizer: I have noted those issues. Thank you for contributing to the topic effectively. I would like to ask, does anyone have any other issue apart from the decreased engagement and interaction in the online education approach?
All parents and teachers are silent, implying no one has any other issue with the online learning approach.
Organizer: Okay, since no one has any other issues with the approach, we all brainstormed techniques for resolving it and enhancing the learning process.
Parent 4: Mr Spitz, I suggest that the school implement the video conferencing approach instead of the prerecorded videos and reading materials. I suggest this strategy because it gives the children a learning structure and allows all the students to participate in the class activities simultaneously.
Parent 5: I support the idea of video conferencing classrooms. The school should also create a community platform for communicating with the learners. Teams, Slack and Skype, allow users to create platforms for interacting with groups. This platform will improve the student’s engagement through discussions effectively.
Teacher 2: I suggest that our school’s extra-curricular activities continue regardless of the learning approach. The learners should attend the institution for activities such as games and practical class assignments. Implementing the hybrid learning practice will improve engagement during the online learning platforms.
Silence engulfs the meeting, implying that the participants have exhausted their ideas.
Organizer: Thank you all for the ideas. The silence means that no one else has an idea regarding the issue. So I invite any other individual with a comment, addition or concern.
The participants are silent also during this time. Some parents have started to exit the meeting while leaving their thank you and goodbye messages on the chat feature.
Organizer: Thank you once again for joining us for this meeting. We will discuss the issue and the ideas with the school’s management for effective implementation. The meeting ends here, and you may leave at your pleasure. Have a good day.
Scene 2
The management and school board are meeting to discuss the techniques for implementing the ideologies the parents and teachers generated regarding the online education system. The meeting consists of the director, the meeting organizer and the members. The meeting is held via Zoom conference.
Organizer: Thank you all for joining the meeting, as we requested. We are here to discuss the implementation of the techniques for improving the online learning platform. The parents and some teachers suggested that the school only hold video conferencing classes instead of prerecorded videos. Also, it was suggested that the school should create platforms on the messaging platforms such as Teams and Skype for classes to facilitate communication and effective interaction. Besides, it was also suggested that implementing a hybrid learning system is essential in improving student engagement and interaction in online education. So now, I am allowing all of you to participate with your perspectives.
Board member 1: I agree with the suggestions from the parents and the teachers. The class teachers should be allocated the platform creation task because they know their students.
Board member 2: The video conferencing classes should not be an issue because we pay the teacher well. Therefore, they should conduct their classes using the platform effective immediately. The prerecorded videos will be used as support materials for the student’s study.
The director: That’s very true. Also, the hybrid idea is good because it keeps the students in touch with one another and their teachers. So students will be mandated to come to the school grounds every Wednesday, and those in sporting activities will continue coming for practice after class period. We will implement these ideas this coming week.
Organizer: That is all for today. Thank you for your participation. The meeting has been adjourned.
References
Abou-Khalil, V., Helou, S., Khalifé, E., Chen, M. A., Majumdar, R., & Ogata, H. (2021). Emergency online learning in low-resource settings: Effective student engagement strategies. Education Sciences, 11(1), 24.
Cole, A. W., Lennon, L., & Weber, N. L. (2021). Student perceptions of online active learning practices and online learning climate predict online course engagement. Interactive Learning Environments, 29(5), 866-880.
Dwivedi, A., Dwivedi, P., Bobek, S., & Zabukovšek, S. S. (2019). Factors affecting students’ engagement with online content in blended learning. Kybernetes, 48(7), 1500-1515.
Lockee, B. B. (2021). Online education in the post-COVID era. Nature Electronics, 4(1), 5–6.
Moubayed, A., Injadat, M., Shami, A., & Lutfiyya, H. (2020). Student engagement level in an e-learning environment: Clustering using k-means. American Journal of Distance Education, 34(2), 137-156.
Soffer, T., & Cohen, A. (2019). Students’ engagement characteristics predict the success and completion of online courses. Journal of computer-assisted learning, 35(3), 378-389.
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