Online School and the Lack of Face-to-Face Communication

 Hi! Welcome back to the eighth week of blog posting. I cannot believe this series is already coming to an end! 

As you may or may not know, I am working on completing Troy University’s Master in Strategic Communication program. The program is completely online. This means no scheduled classes, no in-person assignments, no walking all the way across campus to find out your class has been canceled, and no circling the parking lot waiting for a spot to open up. Sounds amazing, right? It definitely has its perks. I can complete my assignments at my own pace (within the assignment deadlines) and spend longer than a traditional class period working on them. This online program has allowed me to complete an in-person internship at the same time. The information I am learning through this program goes well alongside the real-life experience I am getting at my internship. I am lucky to be able to do both at the same time!

While it seems like online school is the very best (it can be at times!), it has its fair share of difficulties. Many of these difficulties come from a lack of face-to-face communication. Face-to-face communication is one of my class topics this week. With Term 2 of classes coming to an end, I find this subject very important as I move throughout this program. Face-to-face communication is just as it sounds: communication that occurs by people physically talking to one another. The most effective form of face-to-face communication is in person. This allows people to have a real and raw interaction and read body language. Face-to-face done over Facetime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms has its barriers, yet is still effective and successful. 

I was enjoying my freshman year spring break when Troy along with many other universities shut down due to COVID-19. I am a diligent student and care a lot about my grades. When Troy announced that classes would be moved to an online format, I was not too worried. It sounded fun, especially for my freshman self who was convinced that I was facing a burn out (little did I know that I would end up in much harder classes than the ones I was in freshman year…). However, once I got home from spring break and settled into living at home during COVID-19, schoolwork was the last thing on my mind. The Canvas notifications started flying in and I had no choice but to complete my online assignments from a new and unfamiliar place, otherwise known as my living room. 

To my surprise, completing my classes online was very doable. In fact, I began to love it. I worked by my backyard pool, in my bed, on the couch, and wherever else I pleased. Life was good. Until the end of the semester when I realized my grades were the lowest they had been all year. This made absolutely zero sense to me… How were my grades the lowest, when it felt the easiest? The answer is simple: face-to-face communication. For my entire life, I was used to sitting at a desk and learning by watching the teacher at the front of the room. I was accustomed to hearing class discussions and learning from others’ questions and hands-on activities. Online classes require more individualistic commitment, effort and dedication that would normally be done naturally inside a classroom. Without face-to-face communication, online students need to ask questions, read the extra course material, and make sure assignments connect with the course concepts. I realized I had not done what should have been required of me as an online student, and it reflected in my grades.

Many of my friends and classmates had similar experiences with online learning. Because it was so foreign and we were so inexperienced, it took time to learn how to get it right. When Troy returned to class in the fall, many classes were in the form of pods. This meant classes met in person once a week while functioning as an online course on the other days of the week. Although confusing, this structure was much more effective as far as learning. It was very nice to have a teacher to keep me on track and remind me of the work that should be done throughout the week, when not meeting in person. It made all the difference having a teacher to explain material in person and getting the opportunity to ask questions, like school had been before COVID-19. 

Having the best of both worlds strengthened my ability to complete online classes, and I signed up for a few more here and there throughout the next few years of college. I noticed that in each online class I enrolled in, the teachers were admittedly as unfamiliar with the new online platforms as students. It was relieving to know that teachers had struggled as well as students. Each class was significantly better, with teachers becoming more experienced and comfortable with their online delivery. When I found out this master's program was completely online, I was nervous, yet excited. My nervousness came from the fear of not getting to have face-to-face communication like what would be in a traditional classroom setting. For example, teaching myself information that would normally be taught in person by a teacher. Since entering the program, my teachers have all been extremely involved and accommodating. I have had very little confusion on assignments, and have experienced my teachers responding to emails and questions very fast. I have enjoyed the program so far and have confidence in my next few terms as well. 

Thanks to my learning experience with online classes during COVID-19, I am more prepared and aware of the student I need to be in my current online program. It will always feel interesting not having an in-person classroom with a teacher to learn from and students to bounce off of. However, I have found ways to work around that to have success in my classes. A change I have made from my freshman year strategies is where I complete my work. Now, I do assignments in a quiet place at a desk, similar to how I would complete assignments in school. After diving into reading material, I think about what I have read and connect it to my assignments for the week. I am also not afraid to email and ask questions, and I understand that my teachers are eager to hear from students.

Online programs may not be for everyone. It requires diligent effort out of those who take on the challenge. Not having face-to-face communication in a learning setting is a huge disadvantage, but can be successful with the correct practice and hard work. If you ever need help getting your online classes done and balancing your work, I am happy to send you some tips!

Have a great week!

Maiya Sokol