E-classes: Dad in boxers and other distractions

AHMEDABAD: A parent became a source of embarrassment for attendees of an online class when he came into the room dressed only his boxers to check if his ward was concentrating on the class. In another incident, a student made his dog his proxy for the virtual class while he enjoyed a bit of colouring. In yet another case, a child changed his profile name to Jetha Lal of "Tarak Mehta ka Ulta Chasma".
Besides, sounds of pressure cooker whistles, music, conversations, and birds' raucous racket are some of the distractions in virtual classes being conducted by schools in the Covid era. Technology is helping schools reach out to students, using platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Hangout. But classroom sessions have to contend with intrusions and system glitches.
"Every time we connect for an online class, we have to deal with connectivity and attendance problems," said Aparna Sen, an educator. "Then there is a volley of distractions. Time for learning is very limited." Another educator, Prapti Misra, said: "We urge students to avoid distractions - for instance, by shutting down their cameras - but there is no way to check if they are paying attention."
Students have irritants too. Deepali Shah, a Class IX student, said: "Despite requests, students do not mute audio and strange conversations keep pouring in." Ruhan Shukla, a Class IX student, said: "Even as educators are doing their best, the feel of a perfect classroom does not materialize. Distractions shake the focus." Jalapa Dabi, a parent, said: "I noticed that my daughter had made a separate group of friends and was chatting during class."