Student Experiences about Online Learning during COVID-19
Student 1
Is this the first time you are using online learning as a student?
No, we had one online class in our first year of undergraduate program.
Do you have any technical problems? How do you solve these problems? Do you have support for that kind of problem in your university?
Yes, I have problems with Internet connection sometimes but that is a problem with my Internet service provider not university. Solution of that problem is reconnection on the server. And the last question I am not able to answer it because I am not familiar with university support system since I have never searched for it.
Do you have trouble communicating with lecturers? You can share with us some positive and creative ways lecturers dealt with the situation!
No, not really. Lecturers are very open for communication via email or even via skype and one professor is having online consultation in virtual classroom of our faculty.
How do you solve a problem with literature that is only available in libraries?
Lecturer has provided us with those kind of literature so I was not in a position to search for it, but if I were I have a feeling that our university librarian would be very open for collaboration with us in providing literature for our education.
Share with other students how to make learning easier in this challenging time! How to stay motivated?
First and first, you need to put your devices away especially mobile phone and you need to be concentrated on your tasks. You have to be focused on your final goal and look forward on that. Your motivation should be: when everything is back in normal way and COVID-19 is no longer a danger to us, you would be free of tasks and ready for social connections and partying.
Mihaela Grgić
Your motivation should be: when everything is back in normal way and COVID-19 is no longer a danger to us, you would be free of tasks and ready for social connections and partying.
Student 2
Is this the first time you are using online learning as a student?
This is not the first time I have participated in online classes. We have already done it many times during “real” classes. We used our Moodle and handled the assignments that the professors were posting on the same.
Do you have any technical problems? How do you solve these problems? Do you have support for that kind of problem in your university?
I had a broken internet connection a few times while using BigBlueButton, but I resolved it quickly and without major problems.
Do you have trouble communicating with lecturers? You can share with us some positive and creative ways lecturers dealt with the situation!
There was not problems, it only bothers me that not all professors work by the same criteria. Some have too many obligations, while others have absolutely nothing. Thereby, I do not think that it is our obligation to download the presentation of the lectures, which is implied, but rather something that they would follow our activity and score us. I like online classes with some professors who actively involve us in teaching, checking during class to see if we are listening what they are saying. They do that by checking our desktop screen live.
How do you solve a problem with literature that is only available in libraries?
I subscribed to Scribd and use databases to find alternative literature.
Share with other students how to make learning easier in this challenging time! How to stay motivated?
Honestly, I would love an answer to this question as well. But most of all at the end of the day, especially if I listened to a few online classes that day, I like to take a short walk alone and watch a series or movie later. That distracts me from my obligations so the next day it gets easier. Also, I like to list all the obligations and dates I have on paper. When one obligation is done I cross it. Great to see obligations go down!
Student 3
Is this the first time you are using online learning as a student?
No, the first time I participated in online learning was in my first year of undergraduate study, when a professor was unable to teach us in the classroom.
Do you have any technical problems? How do you solve these problems? Do you have support for that kind of problem in your university?
Minor technical problems are often, especially when the server is overloaded, so professor’s talk is interrupting sometimes. I usually solve problems by refreshing the browser window and it almost always helps. My faculty have support for such problems and if we have problem they try to solve them.
Do you have trouble communicating with lecturers? You can share with us some positive and creative ways lecturers dealt with the situation!
No problems, I have the feeling that professors are now much more accessible than before. Communication is not really a problem now because we have different communication solutions, especially through videocalls. Some professors have the ability to resolve certain obligations (compulsory oral examination) through video calls. Also, I like that kind of work in some courses because the professor can easily review what we are doing and solve problems if they come up to us when completing a task. Professor even thinks of continuing this way, because of the benefits that online teaching platforms offer, when everything goes back to normal. I really like that idea!
How do you solve a problem with literature that is only available in libraries?
So far, I had not such problems, but if I were, I would contact the library that contains the literature I need, so I would try to solve something in this way.
Share with other students how to make learning easier in this challenging time! How to stay motivated?
Only good organization, as it always is, and now especially when everything, so to speak, is messed up. I am personally motivated by the fact that this difficult situation will soon pass and that we will quickly return to normal. And the thought that I do not want to have too many obligations later on, so I am now resolving as much as possible. 😊
Marijana Đurčević