By Ariel Butler
CI is navigating a return to campus this semester, with some courses being offered in-person and online. When course registration opened for returning students in April, it was easy to see which modality students preferred; the online offerings filled up extremely fast.
Last academic year, 2020-21, almost all classes were online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which some students met with excitement, and others with contempt. However, no matter the differing opinions on remote learning, the fact remains that the availability of online classes has helped students juggling many responsibilities and is also shaping how higher education may be delivered in the future.
Continuing into this semester, many students have chosen to engage in completely remote learning. One of these students is Andrea Batoon, a third-year health science major.
Batoon explained, “Most of my decision to choose online classes was based on convenience and my mental health. As I’m sure is the case for many other people, last year was a really rough time for me and the effects of the pandemic really worsened the things I was going through at the time. I feel like online classes, in addition to saving me time that I can use for things other than school, is allowing me to work on taking care of myself so I can be the very best I can be.”
According to the American Psychological Association, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened mental health, particularly among college students. Part of this is caused by managing normal coursework on top of the added stress of the pandemic. The availability of online courses may help students focus on taking care of themselves while still continuing their education.
A question that has been brought up is whether online classes will continue to be offered post-pandemic. Judging from the popularity of online courses this semester, students favor this modality and would like to see it continues in the future. Online learning is more accessible to students without reliable transportation and allows students flexibility with other responsibilities. Students do not have to be physically present on campus to access learning opportunities.
Remote learning also provides students a break to focus on their mental health and wellbeing. Batoon supported these sentiments: “Many students I know work to pay for school and living expenses in general. Online classes allow at least a little more flexibility in comparison to in-person school in terms of their work schedules.”
Ultimately, the pandemic’s impact on higher education has been profound, and we are still watching how it is shaping the future for college students. Whether or not online learning will continue to be available for students is not decided, but one thing is clear: remote learning allows students to better balance their work, social lives and mental health, allowing for an overall more positive outcome.
