Challenges faced using online learning
Technical issues
Weak internet connections made it hard for me to catch up with other students in our virtual class. Due to this reason, it became so hard to follow the course management system making learning a bit problematic for me.
Adaptability struggle
Switching from a face to face classroom to a computer-based online class made learning experience to be different. It took time for me to adapt to the online learning environment.
Time management
Online classes require a lot of time, in addition to intensive work.
Motivation- it is hard to complete a task as an online student. There are so many distractions that can make one forget to work on the job. For example, animated advertisements that can tempt the learner to click on them.
To be a more reliable online learner, one has to develop technical skills to help resolve any technical issue, together with strong interpersonal skills that will enable a student to ask questions wherever they do not know way forward.
I have learned that challenges can put me down. I remember I almost gave up with online learning as I felt that I was going through many of them.
My proud moment in my project is that I chose a topic that I am passionate about, so I did not struggle a lot to deliver. Instead, I enjoyed every step of the way.
A group is not homogeneous; there are people who do not keep time, making others wait. Some people do not understand the concept quickly, therefore, making the group go at a languid pace.
I would give myself an A grade sine in the group; I remained reliable, responsible, and patient. Although it is tiresome, I ensured that every member grasped the content of the topic of the day. I was very flexible as I attended all the meetings that we had without fail.
I would choose different people to be my group members. In my group, most members came for meetings late, while others never took their work seriously; therefore, they never understood what we discussed consistently. A few members were excellent.
In the last presentation, there were a lot of mishaps as we did not prepare or practice well. Therefore, in my next presentation, I plan to practice well before the presentation. Additionally, we arrived late during the first presentation to resolve that, and we plan to arrive early.
Effective communication
Through effective communication, I am now open-minded as I do not pass judgment or criticism to any communicated message. I am independent of my opinions and thoughts. I do not have to go with another person’s opinion, although I respect how other people think. I am currently an active listener, as it helps me to understand another person’s feelings and thoughts. Lastly, today I am very empathetic as I can understand and share the opinions of another person. Compared to the beginning of the term, my communication skills have improved. I used to use a one-way communication style. In a typical case, when anyone talked to me, I never used to give feedback. It is now that I feel that this behavior gave an impression of being rude.
I was chosen as a member of the debate council, and I had to talk professionally on issues. There was no way I could use poor English. I had to read widely and practice every day. I became better every day, and when I saw that it was possible to change, I began to love the new person I had become. This I when I put extra effort into becoming even a better person to fulfill my purpose.