Impact of Virtual Teaching
The current situation in the world has forced many students and teachers to move the learning process to a virtual environment. It was a change on both sides: providing materials and receiving information. Face-to-face teaching includes direct contact between teachers and students, which helps to ensure that class material is understood. Virtual learning separates the two participating sides in space and time, making immediate feedback impossible (Mellar et al. 2). Students cannot ask clarifying questions when they appear or communicate with classmates, while teachers do not have the opportunity to adjust the lesson in case of misunderstandings. Additionally, staying at home takes away the academic atmosphere and could make concentrating harder. It requires discipline, otherwise one may procrastinate and not submit the required assignments on time. On the other hand, learning and teaching online saves commuting time and allows for flexible schedules. Moreover, for some students relaxed atmosphere at home is beneficial because they do not experience any peer pressure or judgement.
Cheating
Cheating in a virtual learning environment is more accessible than in physical classrooms since control is limited to online instruments and students’ integrity. A student can ask a specialist to write and submit a virtual assignment, and most of the time, teachers will not catch the violator. Students have to remember that the purpose of their university education is receiving the knowledge and skills necessary for their future professions. Submitting someone else’s work every time will lead to good grades but will give no advantage in the potential job field. Universities can promote honesty and moral behaviour through philosophy courses to increase students’ integrity (Burbidge and Hammer 266). In the end, receiving skills and knowledge is the learners’ goal.
References
Burbidge, Tamson, and Rebecca Hamer. “Academic Honesty in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: Student, Teacher, and School Perspectives.” Journal of International Students, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 265-285, Web.
Mellar, Harvey, et al. “Addressing Cheating in E-assessment Using Student Authentication and Authorship Checking Systems: Teachers’ Perspectives.” International Journal for Educational Integrity, vol. 14, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1-21, Web.