Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

What is diferent about online study? 13 
online is deprived of a central component of traditional university 
learning. Tat’s why I always encourage distance learning students 
to form social groups and meet up as often as possible. Even if it 
is a monthly meal together on a Friday night, that’s better than 
being alone. Following the lockdowns due to COVID-19, I asked 
students who had moved from traditional campus-based to on-
line studies what was the main difculty with that transition. Over 
90 per cent of them said the lack of social connection and the re-
sulting loneliness were the most signifcant problems. 
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION 
METHODS DON’T HELP 
When I was a student, before the advent of social media, there 
were two ways of communication with students. Either an an-
nouncement of something important was made in class, or a note 
was distributed into your “pigeonhole”. Tis was a small box where 
all your post was delivered each day. If students wanted to com-
municate with other students, they pinned up a handwritten item 
on a noticeboard in the student union building or in the hall of 
residence. As a student, it meant I only had to attend class, check 
my pigeonhole each day, and look at the noticeboards every now 
and then. Tat’s all I needed to do to make sure that I was fully 
informed about everything. 
Fast forward to today when there are multiple communication 
methods. Students now get: 
y
Emails 
y
Messages on Moodle or Blackboard 
y
Announcements in administration forums 
y
Announcements in module forums 
y
Messages on collaborative systems such as Microsoft Teams or 
Slack 
y
Group messages in WhatsApp 
y
Individual messages on Facebook Messenger 

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