Online learning experience draws mixed responses

AMMAN — Parents, teachers, and students have mixed feelings about the efficiency of online learning experience adopted by schools, universities and community colleges as a result of the nation-wide curfew has many downfalls.

“As a working mom who has to work from home now too, I can not monitor my three kids’ 8am to 2pm online classes and then help them do their homework as well,” said Suzan Bustanji on Facebook.

Bustanji’s kids, all of whom are in the primary level, are enrolled in a private school in Amman. She said in her post that the teachers are “doing their best in holding online classes and assigning homework, but kids in the primary levels need an adult to help them navigate the online learning platform”.

For other parents, some schools did not launch or organise online learning platforms, as a result, “parents have ended up teaching our own kids seven subjects” Um Laith Dardour said in a comment on Facebook.

“We, as the parents of private school students, are confused. The whole world is in crisis and has stopped. The distance learning experience is a failed one and has burdened us. We ask that the Ministry of Education consider dropping the second semester,” added Dardour.

Shireen Janbek Shuqum, a pharmaceutical executive, who has three pupils enrolled in an all girls school in Amman, told The Jordan Times that she was very happy with the efforts of the school and its teachers.

“Most teachers and school officials have been wonderful, but some just don’t know how or do not have the right toolsets, but they too are making the best of it. The girls are excited to get up each morning, get ready and see what challenges lie ahead,” she mused.

“Each of the girls is doing her own homework, and the teachers are going over examples and material with the students each day,” Janbek Shuqum added.

“Yes, online classes are not the same as in class learning, but its up to the teachers to make the students want to learn and know how to teach in whatever the environment is,” she concluded.

For parents and students with kids in public schools, the struggle is of a different kind.

“Many families who send their kids to public schools do not have a laptop or a TV to follow the Ministry of Education’s distance learning programmes. Consequently, they are not on par with their peers who can view these lessons,” said Muntaha Tarteer, a public school teacher.

Tarteer said in remarks to The Jordan Times that if the second semester’s subjects are not repeated to students later on, “the poorer segments of society will be at a great disadvantage for not being able to view the lessons, keep up with their peers or hire a tutor later on”.

Murad Hannoun, however, on Twitter called for “appreciating the efforts that teachers and the academic staff are putting into making the online teaching experience work”.

He added: “Some of our teachers are old and very new to using technology in this way. They are trying your best, be patient with them.”

Ghena Jaber also on Twitter said: “My mom is a teacher and she has been trying to record a video for the past two days, and a million things have gone wrong. She ended up crying out of frustration.”

She was frustrated seeing people making fun of their teachers and trying to ruin the online lectures.

Nader Mohammed, a medical student, said in a Facebook post: “We already take part of our lectures online at the University of Jordan as part of the blended learning system. What is so different about going fully online? In fact, it is more flexible!”

University school students have also expressed their “fear and anxiety” of the second semester’s fate. Layan Ziyadeh, an English major, said on Twitter that if the second semester is dropped or the summer semester is cancelled, her graduation would be delayed a whole year.

“It is scary to think that I might have to wait a whole year not because I haven’t been hard working enough but because of a global pandemic I have no control over,” she added.

Some universities have said that the online learning classes are mandatory but their content will not be included in the class’s final grade, which drew mixed reactions from students.

“Some of us are battling mental health issues and are currently suffering by having to stay at home with toxic families and not being able to see a therapist. It only makes sense that this semester should be pass/fail, as we are currently unable to focus,” said Lara Asali on Twitter.

Others, such as Maram Faraj, said that the online classes should be counted in the final assessment.

“We are waking up at 8am to attend a lecture that we will not even be tested on? That makes absolutely no sense,” she tweeted.