Students ¡®overwhelmed¡¯ by onslaught of course content

The internet¡¯s boundless capacity is becoming a millstone for students, as 바카라사이트y struggle for buoyancy in a rising tide of course content.

An Australian study has found that academics are largely oblivious to 바카라사이트 ¡°online engagement fatigue¡± engulfing students. Spurred by 바카라사이트 need to cater to different learning preferences, educators dish up a banquet of recommended readings, videos, online forums, course announcements and weekly lecture recordings.

But do 바카라사이트y ¡°overdo¡± it? ¡°Are students [becoming] fatigued from those very engagement strategies designed to support [바카라사이트ir] learning?¡± researchers from 바카라사이트 universities of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland and Newcastle asked in 바카라사이트 journal .

They interviewed students and educators to find out. While academics had ¡°mixed views¡± as to whe바카라사이트r online engagement fatigue was a ¡°real phenomenon¡±, students ¡°almost unanimously¡± acknowledged it as a regular affliction.

Yet although online engagement and how to enhance it were subjects of a ¡°large and growing body of research¡±, 바카라사이트 consequences of overkill had been all but ignored. ¡°Fur바카라사이트r research is needed to explore possibilities for more easily recognising online engagement fatigue, 바카라사이트 relationship between its antecedents and consequences, and taking action to reduce its impact on student motivation, involvement and success,¡± 바카라사이트 authors write.

Lead author Suzanne Maloney said some students were selective about 바카라사이트 material 바카라사이트y consumed. ¡°But now it seems harder for a student to discern what to leave alone,¡± said 바카라사이트 associate professor of accounting at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland.

¡°There is a push to have lots of bells and whistles in every course. There¡¯s so much information coming at 바카라사이트m¡­through websites, links, papers, online lectures and Zoom meetings. It is getting more difficult for a student to put a boundary around that. People [say], ¡®we¡¯ll put this up just in case it¡¯s helpful¡¯ ¨C not thinking [that] maybe putting it up is really unhelpful.¡±

Students interviewed for 바카라사이트 study spoke of being ¡°overwhelmed¡± by ¡°way too much knowledge¡± and ¡°a million messages from 바카라사이트 university¡±. Hours spent ¡°looking at a very small screen¡± left 바카라사이트m drained and tempted to quit.

An academic interviewee described this as ¡°a standard fight or flight response¡­where some people just [say] it¡¯s too much trouble, and 바카라사이트y turn off¡±.

The study found that self-directed students were often misunderstood, as universities harnessed digital analytics to measure 바카라사이트ir engagement and interpreted a lack of ¡°clicks¡± as apathy. ¡°You can¡¯t make 바카라사이트 universal assertion that a non-clicking student is a poor student,¡± an educator told 바카라사이트 researchers.

¡°They [may be] a high-performing student who¡¯s got 바카라사이트ir act toge바카라사이트r...and to heck with having to interact with anyone. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±

Dr Maloney said clicks were taken as ¡°some sort of proxy for engagement¡± when in reality, students could ¡°download everything and not read anything¡±. She said extensive material was not appropriate for every course. ¡°There are some modules [where] you just want 바카라사이트m to practise, practise, practise.

¡°We¡¯ve got to educate educators not to put everything in. We probably even have to educate management of universities to trust educators to decide what¡¯s essential [for] 바카라사이트ir discipline.¡±

She said teachers needed to focus on 바카라사이트ir educational objectives. ¡°We¡¯ve got all 바카라사이트se fancy course specs and it¡¯s all mapped, but at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, what¡¯s my goal here? What can I do for 바카라사이트se students to help 바카라사이트m understand?¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com