Why Online Learning Is Torture for Some Kids
Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash
One of the biggest challenges of teaching is the reality that children have different ways of learning. Online learning has added to that challenge and created a crisis in classrooms.
How does a teacher use online learning to engage all kinds of learners?
I sat down with Marcia Lotito, Nurse, Health Coach, Certified Ashtanga Yoga Instructor, and loving mother to four, to discuss the particular challenges children and teenagers face with on-line learning. Here’s what she had to say:
What are the most common stresses that can make on-line learning difficult for students?
I believe the majority of kids struggle with online learning. We are asking so much of them. Given the constant executive functioning demands, it’s like putting a 2nd grader in college.
Children are missing the sensory experience of school. Imagine sitting in a classroom. The sun shining on your face through the window, the sound of the school bell, and the shuffle of feet hurrying to get to your desk, you see the familiar face of a friend; feel the cool smooth surface of your desk and smell of newly sharpened pencils. We see, hear, smell, touch, and taste are coded into our minds, processed through our nervous system, and our perception of the world is created.
Added online learning challenges for children include:
- The distraction of home life.
- Loss of sensory and tactile experience of learning.
- Weaker connection to friends and classmates.
- The physical toll of staring at a screen for hours a day.
- Loss of tension outlets, such as exercise or yard play.
2. What children are more likely to struggle with online learning?
Neurodivergent children are likely to struggle and are already at a higher risk for burnout and anxiety. Without the physical presence of teachers trained to assist them, they are at risk of falling behind. Also, children who have suffered trauma, such as sick or dying family members, are at greater risk of falling back academically, especially without school connections and counselors’ support.
Kids that are most challenged by on-line learning are likely to have struggled with:
- Attention or Hyperactivity (ADD or ADHD).
- Auditory processing difficulties.
- Visual processing challenges, such as astigmatism.
- Other Learning disabilities.
- Anxiety and depression.
What other stresses does online learning create for kids?
Online learning can be incredibly stressful for a child who is not a self-directed learner. While self-directed learners have an easier time learning independently, asking for help, navigating new technology, and staying organized, kids who may lack these skills are often left feeling disorganized, overwhelmed, frustrated, and not knowing how to ask for help.
Children are also struggling with being separated from friends or acquaintances they sat next to in the classroom. If they didn’t hear what the teacher said, they could lean over and ask that friend for help. Your child may have a favorite teacher that they felt safe enough to talk to for emotional support.
Then there are sleep issues related to the additional screen time and the blue light they are absorbing. Some behaviors to look for in your kids are rubbing the eyes, complaining of their eyes feeling tired, blurry-eyed, irritability, and lack of focus. They may not complain because they think these symptoms are typical.
This pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the digital divide creating even more stress on children from lower-income families who lack access to computers and ample WIFI. According to a recent PEW study, about one-third of low-income parents say it is at least somewhat likely their children will not complete schoolwork because they do not have access to a computer at home.
Are there specific learning styles that do not adjust well to video conferencing?
The research is leading us away from teaching from a learning style perspective. Instead, schools are using metacognition. Your readers can go to Metacognition and Why it Matters in Education | Getting Smart. This approach allows children to understand how their minds work, understand themselves as a unique individual, and learn through reflection and slowing down what they need to be successful. It gives them the ability to plan how they would like to study, monitor during the process, and evaluate to understand what they need to succeed in learning. Another useful link is Thinking About Metacognition | Center for Teaching | Vanderbilt University.
Are there specific interventions parents can make with a child who struggles with online learning?
Yes, do your best to limit exposure to electronics, video games, youtube, or television. Circle is a beautiful app that allows parents to control electronic devices from anywhere.
Limit blue light; for example, Apple has a setting on your iPhone.
- Go to settings
- Choose the display & brightness option.
- Select the night shift button
- Adjust the settings on this menu to schedule or enable the night shift.
You can apply screens to devices, blue light reflecting glasses, or dim the brightness on your devices. EyeJust Blue Light Blocking Screen Protector, Kids Glasses Online – Prescription Eyeglasses & Frames | Felix Gray
Any other tips you can offer for lowering the stress of on-line learning?
If possible, start your day outside or with nature. Something simple as a quick backyard walk, walking the dog around the neighborhood, sitting on a balcony, opening a window for fresh air, cloud watch, and asking each other to describe what different shapes you see or purchase a plant and have your child help you take care of it.
My son enjoys a bath before starting the day. It is quick, but it gives him enough transition time that he needs to gently wake up, have breakfast, and begin his school day. Our morning rituals do have a biological effect on our success.
Have meaningful conversations about what it means to move online or the changes that occur within the family. Ask open-ended questions, become curious. Under pressure, the hippocampus, the part of our brain that allows us to imagine, shrinks.
So get creative, dance, sing, paint, play, and write. Set up peer zoom playdates, make cards for friends and family, and find ways to help those in your community. At times, this moment may feel isolating and overwhelming, but it is just that moment in time. This, too, shall pass.
