Distance Learning or Learning at a Distance?

Here in the United States (I can't speak for other countries), COVID-19 has meant that almost all students of all ages have had some experience with attending school in a location that is not the physical building in which they are enrolled. For too many this has been fraught with the challenges of poor internet, lack of equipment, and teachers who while trying hard, were not trained to conduct this type of instruction.

There has been much written about these issues and I don't intend to go over them all here. Rather, I want to draw on a recent blog I wrote for the University of Glasgow to reflect on what secondary or university students and those supporting them can do to make learning at a distance more successful. This blog was for students engaged in post-graduate research, but I think there are lessons for other students as well.

Note-I am aware that this is focused on what students can do. What institutions should do is another post.

1. You do you. Each of us learns differently and in different ways. We are in different situations in our lives. Try to find the ways of interacting with the faculty and the institution that work for you. They may not be what works for someone else.

2. Support each other. Just because your experiences are different does not mean you each need to go it alone. Use the tools available to you to try and build relationships.

3. Rely on the faculty and staff, not peers for reliable information. Your friend who talked to her advisor's assistant about what is required for your 5000 word paper may not be the best source.

4. Learn the platforms and how to contact tech support. I am not a technology early adopter. Yet, for my EdD, I became a wiz at Moodle. I also learned that it is possible to get really good tech support from 3400 miles and five zones away.

5. Download the material you need. There will be times when you need to read something and the internet will not be available. Usually when you have procrastinated.

6. Find a calendar or scheduling system that works for you. Whether you go color-coded entries on your phone, a bullet journal, or scrapes of paper you will have a lot to stay on top of.

7. Create a way to shut out distractions and manage your time. I was introduced to the Pomodoro Technique and while I did not go out and buy a new kitchen timer, it gave me a structure to balance the competing demands on my time and cut down on the mindless scrolling.

8. Consider how you will manage all the material you need. There are lots of reference management programs and I don't have a favorite (I did, but it ceased to operate). Even if all you do is download files to your computer, consider how to rename them to make finding them easier.

9. Make time to have fun and relax. This may be the hardest thing you do when learning from a distance. And certainly in pandemic conditions, it can be hard to think about. But as Audre Lorde taught us, self-care is not just for the privileged.

This list is not meant to be all encompassing. Rather it is presented as a start because I believe that learning from a distance can be enriching, meaningful, and even fun.