Colleges across the country got to experience a very different style of learning than they were probably used to experiencing. When schools were shut down around a year ago due to the Covid-19 outbreak we went to the fully online zoom route, some students did not see this as a big deal and cooperated with the unfamiliar learning style, easily continuing their education. Not all got to have that experience and feel that they did not receive an equally effective learning experience through zoom or other online video platforms. I had the pleasure of getting feedback from students at a few different colleges and it was interesting to hear the diversity in answers. 

The first student I got the pleasure to speak with was Austin Stambaugh, a senior student-athlete at Bluefield State College majoring in education. I asked the same question to all the students I got to interview: “Do you feel you got an effective education at your university during quarantine with zoom classes?” Austin followed saying, “During quarantine I did not feel as if I received the best education through zoom classes. Sometimes I felt that there were not enough resources being provided for me to understand and follow along with different topics. People have their own individual ways of learning and I for example feel I learn best in a hands-on face to face setting.  Therefore, for some students I think online learning and zoom classes is a struggle and causing students to be lost in the class”. It is interesting to hear the different experiences of students and how their online education felt to them.

I was then able to Interview Kane Morrone, a senior at Marshall University majoring in business administration. With the same question being asked to him, he responded “I feel that the education I have received during quarantine has been drastically different than in person. The content might not have changed, but the delivery of the education has affected the effectiveness. I do not feel that I have retained near the amount I would have if the same classes were taught in person. Though there are plenty of hardships that have come with the transition, I do feel that we have learned some valuable skills. Most students now I would assume know how to function a Microsoft Teams meeting and/or Zoom. This gives us the ability to connect with almost anyone in the world in a meeting from laptop to laptop. In a world that is digitizing by the day, I feel it has helped us make an adjustment that could lead to an edge.” 

The responses I received were remotely similar and I am sure if I interviewed more students a few would have completely different answers. There are many factors that influence a student’s response such as the professors they had, level of difficulty in their courses, and even home experiences. If a study was conducted it would be very interesting to see results from thousands of students across the country for the most accurate results. In the fine detail not all will have the same experience, and the most important aspect of it all is that we come out of this better as a whole.