Many students lack motivation for online learning
Online classes take a toll on students psychologically
The transition toward online learning has been a difficult one for students all across the world, and this struggle has manifested itself in many different ways in students at Granite Bay.
For many, the new format for their classes has left them with a lack of motivation that may affect their academic performance throughout the term.
This effect can have many roots, with some describing a lack of structure with online learning in comparison to their traditional classroom.
“I think it’s due to the lack of a classroom,” said junior Ian McCarthy. “When I’m at home, I’m not usually there to learn… and it is just a lot harder to stay motivated on one task without getting distracted.”
For many like McCarthy, the lack of a physical space to designate as a work zone like the classroom once offered can leave one with a lack of focus, due to the many distractions that can come in an average household.
“I have spoken to almost all of my friends and we are all in a similar space,” said senior Tasia Thorstienson “It’s hard to focus and keep ourselves accountable.”
Some have also felt the impact of not only a change in location but a schedule as well.
“Some of my classes have Zoom meetings every day at a certain time to answer questions…but others only have scheduled meetings that happen maybe once a week or less,” said sophomore Maia Lee.
Some of my classes have Zoom meetings every day at a certain time to answer questions…but others only have scheduled meetings that happen maybe once a week or less.”
— Maia Lee
For many others like Lee, the inconsistency of schedules from teacher to teacher as well as the different approaches that each teacher takes with their online classroom can make it difficult to keep track of what is assigned.
Some teachers may use Google Meet, some may use Zoom, and each often has a very different way of organizing their Google Classroom, which can lead to confusion among their students.
While there is difficulty staying motivated for students, some have also felt that the course curriculum has changed as well.
“It actually feels like there is more work,” said Thorstienson. “I feel like it’s gonna be kind of hard to keep up with”
“The workload feels like it’s a lot more sometimes… and sometimes and it’s also a lot harder to grasp the information, which can make it take even longer,” McCarthy said.
The workload feels like it’s a lot more sometimes… and sometimes and it’s also a lot harder to grasp the information, which can make it take even longer,”
— Ian McCarthy
While the decreasing motivation has already made keeping up with academic work more difficult, students have often described their workload as increasing after transitioning toward online learning.
The desire for all teachers to be assigning enough work to their students to understand a material has resulted in a bombardment of time-consuming tasks that some have found to be unnecessary busywork.
But quite possibly the largest reason students have struggled to stay on top of their school work during this change, is just how big of a shift the quarantine has been from their daily lives, and how it has affected them mentally.
“We are all in a weird place mentally right now,” said Thorstienson. “And that can make it even harder to learn.”
i just graduated elementary, im in highschool right now. i really do lack motivation to keep going.I really dont know how to explain it but i miss having to get up and actually walk into the classroom. i stopped doing my modules last week and i feel so left behind. i came here looking for motivation to do online class but its nice to know im not the only one :> i hope traditional class will come soon because almost all the time i feel like im going to fail and my parents will be dissapointed.
if youre reading this tell me, whats youre motivation?
I’m a undergraduate at uni. This online learning thing is driving me nuts. The teachers had been trying their best to provide us with what we need academically and are being very supportive, but when you’re lack of motivation to learn then non of this matter.
I too feel this lack of motivation in my life. Im a student at Penn State University and this online learning has me so depressed. Its not the fact of getting my work completed, rather it is the learning. Its so hard learning from home and my grades are the result of that. I go to class and study but still cant seem to get alot of the concepts I learn in class. The only motivation I have is that 2 hours in the gym I can hopefully get everyday.
im failing most of my classes because when I go to do my work I just start crying. but if I do by chance get enough motivation to get started I get through one question and then I feel so physically and mentally exhausted. at this point I’m on the verge of giving up completely and just not getting out of bed. the only thing that gets me up in the morning is the fact that my parents are under way more stress and i don’t want to add to that. i cant tell if I’m just being lazy or if i do need help.
I too face similar problems as the most of us. I feel that I’m actually talking to flat screens everyday and i do feel quite lonely at times. With this pandemic around, all of us couldn’t have much leisure activities, even having a game of basketball with friends is a dream now. Thus most of us turn to digital leisure such as surfing social media or watching through the entire playlist in YouTube, only to find ourselves in more grief than ever. As a result not only we do not get the motivation but it gets worsen, i feel more unmotivated and lazy. But it seems normal, as we humans are social animals, this sudden change in living sure drives us crazy. Thus, my advice is: try to talk or communicate more with friends, course mates and your family members, you will definitely feel much better after ‘complaining’ all the s****y stuff to your peers, you will find yourself in a situation that everyone else in in too, therefore feeling not that depressing. P.S. also try to limit your time using social media. A little of this can help, but it definitely backfires when it is over.