It is believed that we all learn in social settings as many times it is peer to peer interaction or collaborative learning. However during this pandemic online learning has created isolation for learners and peer help in learning is missing. Many students find it intimidating to ask questions to their teacher whereas they feel comfortable in asking their friends who has just learned the subject.
Steven Pinkers of MIT says that "sometimes teachers are unable to understand that why novice students are struggling so hard to understand a concept which is so natural to them." Whereas a student who has just learned the concept can easily explain the same to his colleague.
In view of above we believe that interactions between peers is must for better learning experiences.
How do you feel about this isolation in online learning and loss of opportunity for interaction and sharing of learning experiences amongst students?
I try to observe and feel, imagine the space where students are studying online. try to communicate and ask each student at least 2 questions, many of which are unrelated to the subject content
Studying online does not mean studying alone. However, teachers need to rethink their teaching scenario to encourage student interaction, group work, and authentic assessments. Care must be taken to shift one's position as a teacher to that of a guide and to maintain a space for discussion with students. These few lines have guided me during all my distance teaching.
I fully agree and support the opinion of my colleague Hervé Barras. Thanks.
Students’ non-posting behaviour in online discussions is often neglected in educational research. However, it can be a potential indicator of student learning. This study examined the relationships between motivation, peer feedback and students’ posting and non-posting behaviours in online discussions in a distance learning class. Fifty-seven college students participated in collaborative learning activities through online discussions. Their posting and non-posting behavioural data were tracked automatically in the discussion system. Results show that students spent a significant amount of time participating in non-posting activities. Motivation and peer feedback predicted both posting and non-posting behaviours in online discussions.
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