Today our homes and technology have found a new extra special place in our lives. Thinking back to 2017, being a student again feels entirely different in the context of today's world. Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become the new board rooms, studios, workplaces and now the new university classrooms and lecture halls.
Since being a child technology has been something I enjoy and something that as part of my daily life is intertwined into every action I take, every thought that comes to mind and every leisure activity I partake in. You'd be correct to assume that using Zoom and Teams for hours on end would be of no issue, cause no disruption or mean finding new ways of working. However, assuming this would be the opposite of reality. Being part of a virtual classroom environment presents a set of challenges that, which could be simple fixes, but then for some can take some adjustment and which share some feedback about yourself and your own personal preferences.
Although this experience has allowed me to study in the comfort of my own home, enabling me to travel less, spend less money and also, of course, stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, learning in the online environment is not the same. Although the basic concept is the same, the lecture content and the relative modules are all the same as they would be if the pandemic had never happened, the human interactions, however, are not. Being in the physcial space of the studio or lecture hall allows for faster conversations and faster sharing. As time goes on and as we, not only as students but as people and the tutors themselves included, develop the hard skills needed for making the most of the Teams platform, that is to know the functionality of the software and its limitations, what will not change in time through the digital platform and what it can't replace, however, is the social, responsive elements of face to face group work and dialogue. Being able to sit together in the same space and work together journaling, sketching and thinking together as a group is not the same in the online space. Sketching a response to a team members idea and sharing it with the group allowing for further feedback and dialogue is not easy online.
What have I learnt through this style of learning so far? I have learnt that having your learning consumed by your laptop and Teams becomes somewhat of a time vacuum. The day goes by and the feeling of being unproductive doesn't vanish, even after completing all of the tasks on my "to do" list for the day. Physically, it can also take its toll. Being in front of the screens for this long means that headaches become more commonplace, something that should subside with time and as my body adjusts. Being in the university allowed for clearly defined areas of work and breaks, however, at home, this is something I am struggling with. Soft skills such as online etiquette in a professional educational space are skills I am developing through this journey which in this changing world will be skills that I will be thankful for in my future career.
Being assured that we will be together, at some point, in the university as a group will be a very welcome change as I believe that face to face human interaction builds and unites a team more effectively than a computer screen ever can. This sharing of energy, physical space and emotion can't be replicated through even the most advanced MacBook Pro. As we continue with our group calls, both the calls scheduled into our timetables by the university but also our own self directed calls on a Tuesday evening to reflect and share ready for the following day we are slowly getting used to this so-called "new normal" and only time will tell how this scenario and project will progress through this platform.
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