With most courses remaining online until January at the earliest, students and tutors at the University of Lincoln have shared the obstacles of remote learning.
Teaching has taken on an all-digital format after the month-long national lockdown in an attempt to reduce COVID-19 infections.
The Linc spoke to Jason Whittaker, head of the School of English and Journalism, who remains optimistic.
”One thing that I have noticed this year, and which I probably didn’t anticipate, is that the general situation caused by COVID-19 has made students very engaged and attentive,” he said.
“I’ve had some of my best teaching sessions this year, because everyone is reading the texts that are set and eager to engage – perhaps a sign that teaching sessions are also a chance to socialise.”
But for some students, the sudden switch to online-only learning has left them feeling unmotivated and less engaged with their work.
Nancy Cole, a media studies student, said she’s had a more difficult time engaging with her course.
“I found it hard, as it’s a lot trickier to ask about things you’re confused about or try to have a more personal and in-depth lesson.” she said. “I need to be in-person to get the best out of the learning experience.”
As well as this, some students reported a significant effect on the social side of their courses, as online learning makes it far more difficult to get to know the people on their courses.
Alex Shirreff, a student at The University of Lincoln, said: “Being deprived of human contact has been hard on my mental health and I think people tend to engage less with online work.”
For now at least, face-to-face sessions are paused, as the university looks to January’s infection rates for direction.