Is Online School for Better or for Worse?

This article will consider the advantages and disadvantages of online learning.

By: Charlotte 8.3

A picture of a student’s study area.

Before COVID, lots of people’s idea of a perfect school, would be to have less homework to do on the weekends, to have more chances to go on school-trips (such as Outdoor Ed), and even engaging in artistic activities that require a creative mindset. But the reality was vastly different; as we spent more time on OSL, we began to miss menial things in face-to-face school like the classroom environment, small conversations with friends and even lunch or snacks from the Tuk Shop or The Basement (canteen).

Now, let us start with the advantages of online school. Statistics show that generally, students are getting on well with 76% saying they know what to do with the tasks given out during lessons.

In a recent interview, Ms. Osborne-James said, “We’ve got fantastic teachers and they’ve been able to be passionate about virtual school and use Teams in a creative way that has made things a lot easier.”

Microsoft (which includes Teams and OneNote) is technologically advanced, which shows that even online, Regents’ teachers are still trying to give the best possible learning experience, while keeping aspects of live learning present as well. Ms. Osborne-James also mentioned, “You’ve had to learn different skills on the computer,” which supports how online school can teach using technology and independence skills. The technology now is very advanced and takes up most of our lives. Especially since, nowadays, most students rely greatly on devices, for example keeping up to date with news and using websites for revision materials.

However, it’s not all good.

Students just are not getting the same human interaction as before. Ms. Osborne-James commented, “The negative side is that you don’t see people face to face and sometimes it is difficult to understand how they’re feeling, and what is there body language and tone of voice. All of those things are really important when you’re having meetings because you need to understand how a person is feeling.” She also spoke about how the experience is different for everyone. “Well, some children who are normally quite shy in the classroom are actually doing better on OSL, because they are able to ask a question without putting the hand up. Instead, they might type the answer in the chat. However, for children who are more confident in the classroom, and they loved talking and engaging and now you’re on your own in your bedroom.”

So, which is best? Online school has both advantages and disadvantages. We learned that some students thrive in online school and some students suffer because of it. We have heard the principal’s thoughts on OSL, and we have listened to yours. The question remains the same; is online school for better or for worse? Perhaps a compromise is needed, which poses a different question entirely- can we take the best bits of online school back into the classroom?