Lessons Learned From A Semester Of Online Learning: The Social Aspect

By Amber, 27 January 2021

Written by Annie Thompson

I have been learning from home throughout the last semester on a PGCE PCET course. This in itself has challenges as the activities and group work set would usually be within the classroom to allow all the trainee teachers to get to know each other, and also to demonstrate how activities and tasks could be implemented into our own teaching work and classrooms within further education to assist us with teaching our own students.

The adaptation to online learning and the lecturer’s versatility has proven to be a success, as we have all explored together different ways of engaging students with online learning apps and resources available to us. I have found that whilst being a trainee teacher everyone is willing to help everyone out, everyone supports each other and wants everyone’s teaching journey as a new teacher to be as successful as possible, working together through the circumstances and challenges faced by Covid-19.

I was lucky to have a small number of people on my course so that every lecture had an opportunity for questions and tutorials every week. I feel as though I have been able to speak to my lecturers and gain crucial assistance on my assignments easier than previous years that were face to face. The social aspect has also been enhanced as we created a group chat that was organized within teams for everyone on the course. This has been an amazing way to get to know people, share resources, ask questions to your peers and discuss areas that you feel you need more help in or where to find resources or documents on blackboard, this has been really helpful and a chance to find out others perspectives and experiences of their own teaching journeys.

Another social aspect that has facilitated communication on the course, is that every week a different person leads the starter to the lecture and that a compilation playlist has been made so that every person had a chance to add their favorite song. Therefore every week a starter is led by one of the students and a song is played in the introduction, this engages everyone straight away and because there is an activity that is followed it increases communication and enhances the social aspect of the lecture from the offset. Every lecture has activities that are carried out in break out rooms with randomized groups generated, to keep everyone mixing and contributing as at the end everyone will feedback with their answers and ideas in the main lecture. This allows continuous transfer of knowledge and sharing of view- points and opinions which lead to discussions that enhance everyone’s understanding of the topic and content of the lectures every week.

The lesson I have learned from a semester of online learning is ask questions – most people on your course want to know the answers to whatever you are going to ask. Book a tutorial, online tutorials are much easier to navigate and more accessible. Also, your peers can help you with any quick questions you need answering or where to find anything, and your contribution to discussions is valuable and will further your understanding of the topic. The social aspect of my course has been about making the most of the interactions we do have online and through using and sharing resources and ideas, as everyone is in the same boat and will help each other wherever they can.

To see how we can help you with this new way of working check out our website or book an appointment via My Career. 

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Career Chat: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches

Lessons Learned From A Semester Studying At Home

By Amber, 20 January 2021

Written by Amber

As we start a new year, many of us are reflecting on our time studying at home so far, looking at what we have learnt and how we can continue studying this way. All five of our Career Coaches were asked about lessons learned from their semester studying at home that could be shared with others.

“My lesson learnt from a semester studying at home is to avoid all distractions and procrastination. As we are all at home, it becomes very easy to start doing something else, whether that be housework, having a chat with a housemate or family member, or scrolling through social media whilst “listening” to a lecture or trying to get assignments done. However, this will only cause stress further down the line, as you realise you didn’t hear a few sentences that your lecturer said because of that funny cat video, or a deadline has suddenly crept up on you and you feel you don’t have the time to complete your assignment to the best of your ability. I myself am guilty of most of these, and therefore would advise to turn off the TV whilst writing your assignments, take the time to listen and re-listen to any lectures or recordings you’re not sure of and all in all, minimise stress throughout these already stressful times.” – Megan

“My lesson learned from studying at home would be, routine is key! For me, I’ve found that structuring my day with lectures or work I have to do has helped me feel more productive and like the days have purpose. It’s important to recognise that there are tasks that need completing, however, I equally recognised I need time to rest, relax and recuperate so that I can function at my best. To achieve this, I try to do something active or ‘for myself’ every day to help me get in the right mindset and help me concentrate. All that being said, I have stuck to having one day off a week as we are under a lot of pressure, more than usual at the moment, and we all need a break every now and then!” – Amber

“The lesson I have learned from a semester of online learning is ask questions – most people on your course want to know the answers to whatever you are going to ask. Book a tutorial, online tutorials are much easier to navigate and more accessible. Also, your peers can help you with any quick questions you need answering or where to find anything, and your contribution to discussions is valuable and will further your understanding of the topic. The social aspect of my course has been about making the most of the interactions we do have online and through using and sharing resources and ideas, as everyone is in the same boat and will help each other wherever they can.” – Annie

“My lesson learned from studying at home would be: as students, we are all in the same situation and can help each other a lot! At first, the studying from home situation was completely new, unusual and everything just felt uncertain! I was worried the standard of teaching would be compromised, the quality of my assignments would be affected and that it was not worth continuing the year. This academic year I started a master’s degree which meant I was also starting a completely new course with new people, so it was even more daunting not having any classmates to speak to that I knew. However, we quickly made a group chat, and we have all spoke every day since September which led me to discover they all had felt the same as me! We now reassure each other, talk about our worries and encourage one and other to stay motivated, not give up and that whatever we are feeling is normal! My advice would be that you are not alone, there’s a strong likelihood that other students are feeling what you are and now more than ever we need to be communicating, providing and receiving support and voicing our concerns!” – Becky

“My lesson learned studying at home was it was not the easiest thing for me. I had to adjust to the whole process of remote learning. By studying at home, I realised that being self-sufficient was not easy and my lecturers do a lot of work in the classroom. I learned that studying at home was not the best experience ever and I commend all long distance/ remote learners who have been doing this before the lockdown.” – Bertha

Whatever lessons you have learned, either the same or different to ours, the most important things to remember is you’ve got this and the career team is still here for you! Get in contact through any of the methods below to get some support from a Career Coach.

To speak to one of our Career Coaches get in touch:

Email: careers@staffs.ac.uk

Twitter: @CareersAtStaffs

Instagram: @CareersAtStaffs

Facebook: Staffordshire University​ Career & Personal Development

LinkedIn: @CareersAtStaffs

Career Chat: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/students/careers/careers-studio/chat-to-our-careers-coaches