3 Misconceptions of Online Lessons: Debunked
Do any of these sound familiar to you?
These are common complaints I’ve heard from my students about Home-Based Learning (HBL).
The problem with HBL is that it is not as effective as traditional schooling methods. This is because they are geared more towards reinforcing what the teacher teaches in class and these are not always successful.
The students I mentioned above are actually students who take online classes with me. It seems like a contradiction how they feel that HBL, to put it in their words, '“sucks” but these students take online lessons with me and they really enjoy them and find them beneficial.
Many of them have actually commented that my online lessons are extremely different from the HBL that schools conduct. See what my students have said here.
My online English classes are NOT the same as HBL
Misconception #1
Online lessons are boring like HBL
Many students find HBL lessons extremely boring and not engaging. This is because the classes are big, which makes it more difficult for students to interact during the lesson, as well as for teachers to give personalised attention to them.
This results in lessons becoming more teacher-oriented, where students don’t have enough opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification, and teachers end up giving their students more homework to complete.
Wide range of materials and activities
I’ve been teaching online since before the pandemic in 2018, and my students have told me how different my lessons are from HBL because I use a wide range of materials and activities in class, such as chat boxes, Google Docs, Kahoot games, group discussions, and more, to ensure that every student gets a chance to participate in the lessons in different ways.
Purposeful learning and interaction
My lessons and materials have been carefully crafted and designed to facilitate students’ learning and incorporate purposeful interactions between me and my students, and for my students to interact among themselves as well.
Reflective learning and critical thinking
I always encourage my students to become reflective and independent learners who can think critically and ask questions. They are in a safe environment where they can always feel comfortable in asking questions, and reflect on their learning or mistakes, in order to work towards improvement and better understanding of the content. They have to do a short reflection of each lesson. This could be based on what they have learned, areas for improvement, or what strategy they have learned that they can use to improve a specific area of English.
Misconception #2
I don’t learn anything in online lessons
My lessons are action-packed - because we only have lessons once a week, there is only so much I can cover so I try to condense the important aspects into each lesson so that my students get the most out of each lesson. There is no time for them to relax or get distracted. This point is quite related to #1 - if lessons are engaging and interesting, students will want to participate in lessons and they will definitely find the lessons beneficial for them.
Relevant and beneficial lessons catered to students’ needs
It is one thing to have fun lessons, but students must also actually learn something useful. My lessons are uniquely engaging, while being exam- and skill-focused. In every lesson, students will learn relevant strategies and skills to tackle each component of their secondary school and O Level English exams.
Consistent learning support and detailed feedback
I give as much support to each student as possible, including detailed feedback through various forms, such as:
The use of Google Docs and other resources during lessons where students can share their answers or thoughts, and I, as well as other students, can give live feedback
Detailed marking of weekly worksheets where I will ask questions to get students thinking of how to improve their answers/writing
Video recordings where I will go through students’ composition writings and explain the areas that the student did well in (and should continue doing), as well as areas for improvement
These resources are all available for students outside of class too so they can refer back to them at any time they need. They are also encouraged to go through these materials during revision and they can contact me outside of class if they need any further clarification.
Not just mindlessly attempting practice papers over and over
Unlike the practice of many other tuition centres and private tutors, I do not just give loads and loads of practice papers for students to complete mindlessly. While it is important to do practice papers, it is also important that lessons are broken down into easier-to-digest parts that will actually help students understand what is required of them in their secondary school English exams. This can include skills on how to answer certain questions or to apply writing strategies, etc.
Misconception #3
Online learning is too complicated
Well, actually, yeah, I kind of agree with this one! This is because anything we first start out on, and that we are not familiar with, will seem difficult, complicated, confusing or too much of a hassle to learn. Everyone, myself included, will feel this way.
Side note: Teacher Cheryl was a dinosaur i.e. I think technology hates me :P
When I first started teaching online, I didn’t have much help and I definitely struggled with learning to use the various platforms. However, I pushed myself to keep learning and adapting. Now, I can use them easily and (almost!) effortlessly.
I believe that learning is a lifelong process. Even when I’m so familiar with the various online resources I use for my lessons, I ensure that I continually learn and improve, and keep myself up-to-date on the latest software, platforms, and other online materials. This helps me to ensure that my lessons remain fresh, updated and interesting. This is a learning philosophy that I always share with my students and that I try to exemplify myself since I need to practice what I preach :P
I am rather proud of myself for being able to use various technologies and keeping updated with the latest online resources especially since I am considered ALMOST middle-aged. :P Many of my friends and ex-colleagues who are currently in schools actually struggle with technology and many have even approached me for help.
Understanding of difficulties
Because I’ve been through the whole ‘I’m lost and confused’ process when learning to navigate the online learning world, I can definitely understand the issues that many of my students face.
Relevant support from Teacher Cheryl
Teenagers today are all considered digital natives. This means they have been exposed to technology from a young age, unlike me, and many other parents around my generation. That, plus the support and help given by me, through videos and other methods, will definitely make online learning a much easier process for all my students.
