Carol Wood

Procrastination in Online Learning

Online learning is the necessity of time, and the importance of online learning is now highly increased because of the “Covid-19 Pandemic”. We all are very clearly aware of the benefits of online learning but do we ever talk about the demerits of online learning? Definitely, the answer is NO.

Procrastination, yes you heard it right, procrastination in online learning is one of the most important demerits of online learning. If you are taking online classes your chances of procrastinating are increased.

Many researchers showed in his reports that more than 60% of college students procrastinate, with about 15% frequently doing it all the time. In fact, researchers have claimed that procrastination can be a harmful behavior that lowers the student’s marks. Let us take the example of an MBA student to understand procrastination, to delay an important MBA assignment or project until the very last minute. Procrastination meaning is the act of putting off a set of tasks or a particular single task.

CAUSE OF PROCRASTINATION

Why do students delay a big project until the last moment? It is not because the student is lazy, just that he doesn’t want to do the work because they have bad work ethics. But each task that you procrastinate on maybe for some other different reasons. This varies from person to person. In a survey, 60% of male students are a procrastinator. Sometimes procrastination in students goes along with the psychiatric diagnosis including generalized anxiety issues, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and malingering. The main causes of procrastination are:-

1. Fear of Failure and Control Loss: This is the main reason for procrastination that touches upon both home duties and academic performance is the fear of failure. Students are very often under a lot of pressure at educational institutes.

2. Lack of Confidence: Confidence or self-esteem is the state where a person or student feels satisfied with themselves and feels valuable and worthy of respect. Lack of confidence is just the opposite of the above-mentioned definition. Poor performance in academics resulting in a lack of confidence in students.

3. Poor Organization Skill: The student with poor organization skills has no ability to create or maintain the system to keep the record of information. The student has no ability to retain and interpret the information. It makes the students less effective and less efficient.

4. Distraction: Generally students set aside time with the thought of completing their work but later end up distracted with other things. The distraction can be external or internal. External distraction includes social media or video games and internal distraction includes their own thoughts and impulses.

However, most of the time procrastination has very little to do with laziness or a lack of caring. Procrastination can have a negative impact on student’s grades, homework, and even their overall health. We as an educational platform are concerned about the students’ procrastination and hence try to highlight the procrastination tip for students and parents which might prove helpful for them.

HOW TO AVOID PROCRASTINATION AND LAZINESS?

We have to understand first that procrastination is not a disease. It is the mindset that should be changed. The chances of getting procrastinating are higher if you’re taking an online session. Now, most of the universities and colleges are operating online sessions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Researchers are worried that students are in the grip of procrastination because they have less interaction with campus facilities and well-prepared support from their teacher or instructor. We highlight these concerns as researchers who study students’ engagement and motivation and their procrastination and online learning.

There are various tips and suggestions on how to avoid online classes and procrastination issues

• Break the project into smaller parts.

• Get a lot of sleep and eat healthily.

• Set your goals.

• Make a timetable and work accordingly.

• Take a break in between your online classes.

• Do exercise to minimize stress.

• Make a project strategic and stick to it.

• Get a little help from your friends.

• Create a good learning environment.

HOW NOT TO PROCRASTINATE ONLINE CLASSES?

Once in a lifetime, we all procrastinate but procrastinating in an online course can spell failures. Many researchers discuss procrastination- why we do it, what it is and what can be done to help them. To stop online school procrastination teachers and students both should work together in order to reduce the level of procrastination. 

Guide the students to be motivated for their work and develop learning skills for their work. These are the keys to helping students to complete their homework on a given time in order to decrease the level of stress and put an end to procrastination for good.

HOW TO HELP STUDENTS TO STOP PROCRASTINATION?

It is impossible for students to deal alone with procrastination. They need unconditional support and love from their family and friends or teacher. Parents need to support their children as much as they can. And teachers should motivate their students as much as they can. Procrastination is just a symptom of laziness. In order to solve the problem, it is important to address and identify the solutions. This has become important for EssayCorp to talk about how to stop procrastination and start studying. Here are some pro tips for parents and teachers to stop procrastination among students:-

• Express your interest in your child’s work. Try to ask more curious questions from them to create their interest in their following subject or work like what they want to write in their notebook and how they are gonna plan to create strategies for their upcoming exams.
• Build a friendly relationship with your child and let them allow you to share their views and opinions with you. It helps to make him/her comfortable and worthy. Don’t critique or judge their ideas, just listen.
• If you think they might be postponed the given task, talk to them about the commitments and activities they are involved in and look if there is something that they are willing to eliminate or postpone in order to have time available to complete their task.
• Use the language that encourages their progress. Rather than when they will finish the work ask them when they can start the work and if they need any help or support from you. Praise their efforts rather than their results.
• Celebrate their small achievements helps to reduce the fear of failure in the students’ minds. Treat their mistakes as learning opportunities. It can minimize the level of anxiety and perfectionism.

CONCLUSION

With any of these above-mentioned ideas and suggestions, try to give them your support, but don’t require your teenage child to accept it. The more you push them to start their work the more they are likely to resist. It can lead to the negative effects of procrastination on students. Keep in your mind that while you may be worried about their procrastination this is ultimately their problem rather than yours.

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