A Letter To Program Coordinator - 120818

8/6/2024
Dear Kate Taylor,

As a someone who has been in college for a considerable amount of time,
interacting with tutors and fellow students in lecture halls can be fun. However,
few years back, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the face-to-face mode of
learning was replaced with online learning. Currently most institutions around the
globe, including George Brown College have adapted to the new normal. Blended
learning of both physical class- set up type and online. In the article “Pandemic
learning left students feeling behind. Post-secondary transition courses hope
to get them back on track” the author, Jessica Wong (2022) explains
research that shows that 70% of students surveyed felt they were missing
skills, felt a “lack of motivation,” and had trouble “staying focused” in
college. She argues that many students found it difficult to immediately shift from
the traditional methods of teaching and learning. Personally, I believe traditional
face-to-face learning should be embraced more. When I was admitted to George
Brown, I found it hard to quickly adapt to the online mode of teaching. Before
Covid-19, I was accustomed to more classroom learning which I found to be
interactive and even enjoyable.
Increased online learning has led to drastic decrease in social interactions.
Classroom set-up allows students to develop social skills and share their opinions
directly amongst themselves and even to the tutors. This might not be the case
with other students or even lecturers who prefer online learning as it offers them
flexibility in that they can teach or learn without being physically in a classroom.
In-person learning is important especially to students who transitioned from high
school. It generally promotes collaborative learning amongst students. Students
normally have different perspectives on various topics. A classroom set-up allows
the learners to speak up their minds. Tutors also get a chance to easily identify
students with learning difficulty. At the beginning of the semester most lessons
were done online. This was greatly disadvantageous to me. I was unable to learn
much as the instructor could not whether everyone understood what was being
taught. Had the classes been done physically I could have easily inquired from the
tutor or fellow learners directly. Classroom learning ensures no learner is left
behind unlike online learning where a tutor may not easily detect as to whether
everyone has understood what was being taught. Learner-to-learner interaction is
key and should be embraced more by the institution so as to improve the quality
of learning.
Classroom learning enhances critical thinking amongst students. The students are
able to directly engage in live discussions. The discussions force them to apply
their critical thinking skills to formulate opinions or arguments. Presence of an
instructor in the room is advantageous as he or she can easily correct them or
even them in thinking clearly on the subject matter. Exchanging ideas freely
amongst ourselves in class has been helpful to me especially in areas such as
doing a practical in the laboratory. This has been of great help to me as I can easily
identify a mistake with the help of fellow students.
Acquisition of knowledge should be encouraged amongst students. High school
education was centered on passing exams rather than acquiring knowledge.
College also proved to be more exam-oriented. These was unexpected for me as I
had the notion that this is where I would explore many fields of knowledge. The
pressure to finish assignments was just like in high school. The institution should
focus more on teaching skills. Other methods of determining student’s progress
other than regular exams should be applied. A good example is doing group
presentations where students are awarded marks based their understanding of a
given subject. I believe will help new students fit easily into college.
Sincerely,
Reference
Wong, J. (Nov 12, 2022). “Pandemic learning left students feeling
behind. Post-secondary transition courses hope to get them back on
track”. CBC News.

A Letter To Program Coordinator - 120818

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Letter To Program Coordinator - 120818

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Letter To Program Coordinator - 120818

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

8/6/2024

Dear Kate Taylor,

You might also like