Glory Reitz
Assistant Editor
On March 20, Crowder announced that classes will be held online for the remainder of the semester, and a week later students are feeling the impact of the change and learning to adapt. Physical classes had previously been delayed until April 5 to protect against the novel coronavirus threat.
In January, before the coronavirus scare reached America, U.S. News & World Report published an article with tips to help college students succeed in online classes.
The article’s first piece of advice was for students to make themselves familiar with their school’s technology and be sure that they can access all the tools they need.
Kerry Whitehead, director of Crowder’s education technology department, says that the first thing students should do is check their Blackboard notifications. She urges students to verify that the email address linked to their Blackboard account, personal or otherwise, is one that they check often. Blackboard is the main channel of communication that instructors have to their classes.
U.S. News & World Report recommends actively connecting with instructors before problems arise and questions become last-minute. Online students, the article urges, must remember that they are not on their own.
Whitehead agrees: “[Students] need to be sure to reach out [to] instructor(s) if they have ANY questions. No question is too silly or too small.”
U.S. News & World Report advises students to manage their time and keep their assignments organized. The article suggests that students should create schedules and set goals to keep themselves accountable.
The last thing the U.S. News & World Report recommends is that students find or create a consistent, distraction-free workspace. Online classes offer great flexibility, but also less supervision and more distraction. The article suggests designating a specific location where students feel like they can concentrate and using that spot as an online workspace.
Still, students like Kassie Stapp, a freshman business major, worry about technology’s accessibility. It’s difficult to create a consistent workspace without consistent internet access.
“I know that Crowder is taking all the precautions they can,” said Stapp, “but they need to consider the people who don’t have access to computers and internet at home and work with them to help.”
Kerry Whitehead urges that if a student is experiencing any technical difficulties, they should contact the Education Technology department at (417) 455-5518 or edtech@crowder.edu, with their name, student I.D. number and the nature of their problem.
In addition, several internet service providers have offered free or low-priced options such as internet hotspots and more data during the COVID-19 crisis. Students can find the full list of providers and their offers at www.mccatoday.org/COVID19-resources.
