E-learning on this scale in K-12 and college education is unprecedented. Schools have had to create many alternative solutions and workarounds in order to finish out the 2019-2020 school year. 

Now that there is only a week left before e-learning ends, this is the perfect time to check in with students on how the e-learning experience has been so far. 

Many students have expressed their criticisms for e-learning, ranging from too many assignments taking up too much time to difficulty in communicating with teachers. 

For instance, junior Isabella Johnston explained that she thinks “e-learning is OK, but it could use some improvements.” 

Johnston explained there are a few bugs on Canvas that should be fixed if e-learning should occur in the future. Additionally, Johnston said that on several occasions, she couldn’t access assignments, and had to message teachers so she could complete them. 

Senior Jacob Morris shared similar sentiments, feeling that “e-learning is fine, [though] it’s not perfect.”

Morris felt that his teachers made the experience easier, but that wasn’t necessarily as true for his brother. Morris explained that his brother’s English teacher would assign many assignments on Monday, and “then was difficult to reach the rest of the week.” 

Senior Hannah Odom had some additional criticisms for e-learning, and brought up other complicating factors in her experience. 

Odom had believed that e-learning would be easier than a traditional schooling experience, but she found doing assignments could take from 10 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m., due to time-consuming assignments and a multitude of distractions.

Odom described the situation as demotivating as being trapped in her room is depressing. She also said it’s uncomfortable to use her hot computer on her lap for so long and stare at the computer screen all day. 

Additionally, Odom described how she didn’t have internet access at her home until recently. Before it was installed, she explained that she “was told [by the school] to go to the school’s parking lot to do homework like it’s an easy task.” 

Also during the time that she didn’t have internet access at home, her car had needed to be worked on, and her parents were occupied, so she had to walk to school for WiFi.

“It seems unreasonable to have to sit in a parking lot for upwards of four-six hours to do online assignments,” said Odom.

However, Odom was not entirely upset, as she did explain that “the only thing I really appreciate about this situation is the Fridays off and the leniency on grades.” 

Johnston, similarly, enjoyed the Fridays off and the ability to do work during the day when she felt like it. 

It appears that e-learning has its ups and downs, and if it were needed more in the future, it has problems that would need to be fixed. But for being organized in such a sudden situation, it still has some positives that students can enjoy.