By Kiana Somerville
As COVID numbers continue to rise - as of Nov. 12, the total cases was over 10 million in the United States and over 52 million worldwide, according to CBC news - it’s time to rethink whether on-campus learning and residence is the proper route to choose during this pandemic that could continue till 2022.
After thousands of college students have returned to campuses this fall, the COVID numbers have been spiking since August. Some colleges that have increased in COVID cases include Texas Tech University, which had over 2,000 COVID cases and the University of Alabama System had over 4,000 cases including both staff and students, according to Texas Tech University and University of Alabama System COVID data pages.
Campus learning has been challenging for students for this 2020-21 school year across the nation. Instead, hybrid learning and online learning were the two commonly available options that students had to choose for themselves this school year.
Many colleges, while reopening their campuses this fall, have asked all students who plan to reside on campus to self-isolate for two weeks before returning to school. But compliance to self quarantine could significantly disrupt some students' lives. The University of Michigan, for instance, is instructing students not to go to work or social gatherings for 14 days. Students in such situations have reported a significant decrease in their study hours and academic performance, while one-quarter of students have reported an increase in their study time by more than four hours per week, according to EdSource.
One biggest advantage of on-campus learning is to encourage students to have communication with others and become extra acquainted with themselves on how they learn in a classroom, accompanied with a myriad of on-campus opportunities. Surely on-campus learning is not without limitations, such that students may be provided with limited flexibility in class time that works best for their schedules. Having a set schedule may also be a big limitation for students when they are somebody who might prefer to do whatever they might want to do individually.
On the other hand, online teaching also suffers from a few caveats. While students can enjoy a great freedom and flexibility in choosing a class they like and taking it wherever they want, it could be very difficult for them to keep focused due to the lack of an in-person association. In addition, another drawback of online courses points to the need to find out potential initiatives or assets to further motivate students.
These new barriers college students have encountered during the COVID pandemic have also changed students’ views about learning. While the upcoming school year was on the horizon, schools had to think about whether they should allow fewer students to participate in in-person classes. For instance, out of the 24 Alabama community colleges system they have seen an 19% decrease in enrollment, according to EdSource. Having students on campus would be an incredible path for students, especially freshmen to experience college life, as long as colleges can take sufficient precautionary measures to avoid potential risk to students and their families.