One of the greatest shifts seen in the education sphere was the implementation of home-based learning during the heart of the pandemic in early 2020. Lessons usually taught in a brick-and-mortar classroom were forced to shift to Zoom, Teams, Blackboard, and other learning management systems.
There might be a couple of downsides when learning from home, such as the lack of physical interaction with lecturers and classmates or even having to deal with technical issues like Wi-Fi, etc. But there are also benefits to home-based learning, such as cutting down on travelling time, customising your learning environment. All these could be especially helpful for international students who can conveniently study from their home country amid the pandemic.
In this blog, our international students, Kathy Wong from Malaysia (Diploma in Business Administration), Jessica Sutjiani from Indonesia (Bachelor of Business) and Sidharth from India (Bachelor of Science with Honours in Cyber Security), share their experience learning from home in a Covid-19 era.
How is your home-based learning experience so far?
Kathy: It has been straightforward and easy so far. All I need to do is to follow the timetable and attend it online. It has saved me a lot of time as I do not have to travel to campus.
Jessica: Online classes are beneficial since the lecturers constantly keep us engaged. This allows us to ask questions and assists us in better understanding the topic they are presenting in the session.
Sidharth: To be honest, I am 100% happy with the class as I don’t need to travel outside during this pandemic time, and I can save time and money. The only downside I faced was the time difference. Some classes start at 8.30am in Singapore, which is 6am in India. As such, I need to wake up earlier to prepare, and after some time, I feel the exhaustion catching up.
Are the lecturers interactive when they conduct lessons online?
Jessica: My lecturers are generally quite good at keeping the class interactive. They encouraged us to participate and share by typing in the chat box.
Sidharth: Yes, the lecturers are interactive when they conduct lessons online. They would often stop after every topic and class to ask if we have any questions. Some lecturers would even go the extra mile to provide consultation for our project after class.
What do you think are some of the advantages of home-based learning?
Kathy: One of the biggest advantages is the ability to rewatch the lesson if I still have questions. When exams are approaching, I can rewatch and reinforce what I’ve learned. The transportation cost is also greatly reduced as I do not have to commute to campus every day.
Jessica: One of the benefits of home-based learning is that I do not need to travel; all I need is my tablet or smartphone to access the course material and recorded lectures.
Do you think an online lesson is less effective compared to a physical class?
Kathy: I don’t think it is less effective because the modules I’m taking are predominantly business-related. Hence, I can do self-learning and take charge of my learning speed.
Sidharth: While it is convenient to attend class even when I’m currently based in India, there are still some limitations, especially classes with lab activities.
Can you share tips for students when doing home-based learning?
Sidharth: When I joined PSB Academy, I was a little worried because most of our lessons are conducted online and I wasn’t sure how this will benefit me. But after a few months, I got used to the flow and I was able to understand the lessons.
I recommend students to revise after every lesson. It can be as short as 30 minutes to ensure that you understand the course materials. If you still have doubts, don’t be afraid to ask in the next class or seek your lecturer’s help after the tutorial.
Learning Never Stops
As shared by our international students above, there are pros and cons to home-based learning during the pandemic. But rest assured, as Singapore transits to endemic status, students will slowly be allowed back to campus in a safe and orderly manner.
If you are an international student looking to continue your higher education, our range of courses catered to different levels of learning needs can equip you with the relevant skills needed for your future career. Enquire with us today.
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