Thoughts on Virtual Engagement

Implementing virtual engagement days in the educational setting over Thanksgiving break has been met with mixed reviews from educators and students alike. The Acronym has interviewed a few students and faculty about their insights on the experience, shedding light on the challenges faced and suggesting adjustments for future virtual engagement days.

Student Opinions

Some students adopt a positive stance on virtual engagement through at-home assignments. They acknowledge advantages such as increased flexibility and creating a personalized study environment. These days were treated more as vacation and free days, which helped these students.

Conversely, some students express discontent with virtual engagement, asserting that at-home assignments contribute little to their learning experience. They argue that the lack of in-person interaction and immediate feedback hampers their understanding of the subject, making the assignments feel disconnected and, in their view, largely ineffective. Yet they note that Zoom learning wouldn’t be a better solution, as that is equally disconnected. Without clear expectations, the virtual learning experience became nearly worthless in the eyes of some.

Faculty Opinions

Some educators feel similar. For example, Dr. Dong expressed concerns about the effectiveness of virtual engagement days. He believes that the asynchronous nature of these days has led to students treating them as a vacation. Many teachers, including Dr. Dong, opted for a laid-back approach, suggesting students could “stop by if they have time.” However, this resulted in some students perceiving these days as a vacation rather than an opportunity for virtual learning. Only two students attended his Zoom meeting, and the people who would’ve benefited most didn’t log in. He also expressed challenges with dealing with the kids during virtual engagement.

Dr. Dong firmly advocates against the continuation of virtual engagement. In his view, the halfway approach, as seen in intersession, doesn’t effectively address the educational needs of students. He asserts that virtual learning does not contribute meaningfully to their academic development. The loss of a day of testing in SI Physics is an example of the negative impact on the learning process.

While some may have welcomed the break and perceived it as a “nice vacation,” others felt that the virtual engagement days did not align with the traditional expectations of academic commitments. These days were contract days as well, where faculty members, although not required to conduct Zoom sessions during these days, were still obligated to work.

As discussions around the future of virtual learning persist, finding a balance between flexibility and effective educational engagement remains a key challenge.