Photo courtesy of Fernando Hernandez via Unsplash
“Ok everybody, cameras on,” is something you are all probably sick and tired of hearing. Zoom classes are a twisted excuse for teaching that has been etched permanently in our minds since the pandemic. These groggy online lectures were a staple of 2020, and most of us have left those memories in the past where they belong.
Some of us, however, still must endure these tedious wastes of time. The difference between a real class and whatever laggy monstrosity some instructors have us sit through is astronomical. Zoom classes are a relic of the past and have long outlived their necessity.
Why do some instructors still choose to operate their classes like this? Well, some have legitimate health concerns that impede their ability to physically teach a class. Even though in a scenario like that I would argue there is no good reason to still be teaching, that explanation is at least respectable. What’s not respectable is using it as an excuse to live somewhere else while still pretending like you are providing the same level of education.
Whether these educators want to admit it or not, sitting in a Zoom class has been proven ineffective compared to their in-person counterparts. The Brookings Institute found that “online coursework generally yields worse student performance than in-person coursework.” Author Stephanie Reigg Cellini stated that 2020 evidence displayed that “the switch to online course-taking in the pandemic led to declines in course completion.”
It’s not surprising that students struggle with virtual learning, as classes are the last thing on one’s mind when completing schoolwork from home. If sleep-deprived students are set up just mere feet away from their beds whilst tuning into a droning lecture via a laptop, what’s stopping them from lying down to catch a few Zs? Within the confines of a classroom, students must be attentive and focused because participation and discussion are such a large part of grading. However, students who must participate in virtual classes don’t feel the need to contribute, as staring at a computer doesn’t motivate students the same way in-person classes do.
No one is inclined to participate while behind their screens. Studies done by Frontiers show that “students reported decreases in live lecture engagement and attendance, with 72% reporting that low engagement during lectures hurt their online learning experience.” Listening to professors drone on with little to no discussion isn’t feasible for online learning. Within the confines of a classroom, thoughtful and mindful discussion takes place, which allows students and educators alike to flourish. It’s not the case for classes taught via Zoom, as most professors lecture from start to finish, often asking for questions or thoughts only once or twice a class.
As Hofstra students, we cannot and should not be forced to learn behind computer screens. It is abhorrent that students must take certain classes virtually as they aren’t offered otherwise. Several classes here at Hofstra University are subject to this. MASS 104, Media and the Law, is only offered as a distance learning option this upcoming spring semester – same thing with GEOG 106, Urbanization In A Developing World. Plenty of health science and STEM Classes also fit into this box. It isn’t right that classes that are so important to working within one’s respective are only offered as a distance learning option.
Perhaps it’s the only option for the professor teaching it, but classes that are subject to such styles of learning shouldn’t be priced the same as those held in person. The tuition for new students at Hofstra University for the 2023-2024 year is estimated to be $55,450 by admissions. So between two semesters, most students take ten classes for a total of 30 credits, which comes out to $5,545 per class on average.
Paying just over five grand to sit on Zoom and listen to a professor yap while flashing through PowerPoint slides isn’t justifiable. That isn’t learning, and it’s not what most students planned for their education to be like when they chose an in-person university. Since spring 2024 registration is in full swing, if you find yourself looking to take a Zoom class, maybe wait for them to be taken more seriously by instructors before you think the difference between distance learning and in-person courses is minuscule.
