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One of my student advisees was flagged up by our dept for attendance problems. In talking with him, he said that online lectures bore him and he'd rather watch the recordings later. He said online learning was more difficult for him. His sleep patterns have been disrupted, also.
Synchronous sessions with practical activities focus his concentration, and he has attended and enjoyed those.
I had to tell him that lots of people are in the same shoes as he is: other students, as well as academics. I told him I honestly have less focus in online meetings.
I had to tell him that lots of people are in the same shoes as he is: other students, as well as academics. I told him I honestly have less focus in online meetings.
Attending meetings all day is tiresome, in person or online. At least during on-campus classes, students would get up, walk to new lecture theaters, meet a different set of classmates, etc. That is a big help to disrupting having to sit still and pay attention for 50 minutes.
Unfortunately, there's little to none of that in our online world. The novelty of not having to face the morning commute and being able to attend your meetings and lectures in your sweatpants with easy access to coffee and snacks at home has worn off.
I'm not advocating face-to-face teaching given the present situation. But, we need to be sympathetic to students and colleagues for the tremendous difficulty that the pandemic imposes on us.
Everyone is trying to address their stresses and learning differently. Be patient.
Everyone is trying to address their stresses and learning differently. Be patient.
Online learning. It's like the difference between being on the floor during a fun uplifting live concert from one of your favorite performers versus watching that same show on your laptop screen, except with lower quality video and audio. 
