With a global pandemic still raging on, many schools are still forced to close their doors to traditional classroom education. And as the months go by and a new school year arrives, schools have begun to adapt to the situation and do their best in providing education to children.
Learning remotely used to be a thing of science fiction, but modern innovations now allow for a myriad of amazing things. One of those is video calls, allowing people from different locations to not just communicate but also see each other. This makes for a great teaching platform, as human contact is still an important aspect of education.
However, learning through video calls and live-streaming is a different field on its own. While there are some similarities that can carry over from traditional face-to-face learning, it’s best to approach it differently. The environment and learning platform are different, and it carries the need to adjust to whatever changes come in the experience. Below is some study from home essentials that everyone can follow to improve their online learning experience.
Have a Dedicated Study Room
Studying at the kitchen table or the living room isn’t conducive to learning. There are many distractions and it’s easy to lose focus as these are places where people spend the most time. It’s far from comfortable either, as just like in a school, a student needs to have access to their learning materials ready.
A great way to go about this is to turn a room into a dedicated office room where students can attend their online classes. A small library, a room used for child care services, or even the basement, as long as it’s an area that can be personalized and turned into a study room, will be of great help as it will allow the student to focus. This will also create an atmosphere of learning that will help remote learners to concentrate on their studies and be less tempted by distractions.
Don’t Underestimate a Proper Desk and Chair
Given that online learning involves sitting on a chair in front of a desk and a computer for hours on end, chronic neck and back pain can easily develop. While this is obviously dangerous to anyone regardless of age, for younger students whose bones are still growing, a perpetually arched back and craning neck can impede their growth and well-being.
This can easily be rectified by using a proper computer desk and chair. The desk should not be too high that it forces the shoulders to shrug, nor should it be too low that the head will always be looking down. The optimal height is where the shoulders remain neutral and allows for easy movement of the hands. The same goes with a chair, it should be sturdy enough to support the back, with enough mobility that the user is not forced into one position for long periods of time.
Lighting and Color Matters Too
A dimly lit room simply invites those inside to take a nap. It makes people feel drowsy or bored and is definitely not the best place to conduct a learning activity. The colors of the wall can affect your mood and temperament as well, as grey monochrome colors can give off a dull and boring mood. Unfortunately, this is a commonly overlooked aspect when creating a study area.
Don’t forget to include good lighting in your study room, it will not only help you stay awake during lessons, but they also act as lights for the webcam. Use bright colors for the walls as well. Colors like green, yellow, or blue can help as they are reported to stimulate concentration and productivity.
Create a Daily Schedule
The quarantine forced most of us to stay indoors and live a rather isolated life. The routine that a school schedule brings is thrown at the window, and with the lesson area being a few steps away from the bedroom, it leaves many students feeling bored and unmotivated.
That is why a daily schedule is important. It introduces a sense of normalcy and routine and teaches students to be responsible for their own actions. It also helps promote a proper lifestyle, one that balances studying, physical activity, and recreation.
Studying at home can be quite a taxing activity, as it involves staying in one room, sitting in front of a computer for hours on end. It’s important to have consistent break times to refresh the mind and keep it ready for learning- and a daily schedule can help enforce these breaks.
