The corona virus forced all our offshore service-learning projects to be cancelled, and drastic changes even to local projects for the summer, and the foreseeable future. The reaction of the students makes very interesting and revealing studies.
Many students became traumatised. Many had been eagerly looking forward to travel to a foreign, exotic country such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Rwanda or Tanzania. When the trips were cancelled, they became despondent. In the subsequent online classes, they didn’t want to participate. They remained silent, disinterested. To a large extent, it was understandable. Who wouldn’t be? Many of them had been preparing for months for the trip. They had bought new clothes, hiking shoes, travel gadgets, etc. They were expecting to see and make friends with exotic-looking people with amusing customs. When all these were “taken away”, they were lost. They felt hurt. Some were angry. But they couldn’t really pinpoint the culprit. Some would lash out at people within reach, such as their teachers. Even though they knew that the situation was out of the control of their teacheres, who have actually tried very hard to savage the situation. Including initially trying to postpone the travelling, and when all hope was lost, try to design alternate service projects so that they can complete the course. So they sulked. Some dropped the course altogether. Some were not willing to give up what they have “invested” in the course already, and decided to stay in the course. But they lost the motivation to work hard on it. They did the minimal to get by. They had a miserable time, and made it miserable for people around them, students and teachers alike.
Later on, when alternate projects were designed, some of these students started serving children online, locally as well as in a foreign country such as Cambodia and Vietnam, they came alive. These children are so cute, and they are so eager to have any interaction at all - having been coopted up at home for months - that these students found the experience very rewarding and enjoyable. They worked hard on preparing the lessons. They worked hard to make the kids understand what they are supposed to do. They enjoyed the lessons when the kids responded to them. They ended up having a very good time at the end.
A minority of the students were equally disappointed, from the beginning. But after getting over the initial shock, they were able to stop and think: what now? It is impossible to travel now. And it seemed a waste to just sit around doing nothing. They were able to find something positive to do, amid the carnage. If I have to learn online, let me figure out what is interesting and useful about learning online. If we have to find a way to deliver some service online in order to finish the course, let me find out how we can do that. These skills may be useful for the future.
The inadequate network bandwidth is going to pose a problem? Let me see whether there is some way to solve or at least alleviate the problem. The parents of the kids in Rwanda don’t know how to install ZOOM? Let me see how I can help them install it. The bandwidth is too limited to show them how to use 3D glasses and Virtual Reality glasses interactively? Perhaps we can record the instructions as videos and send them the videos so that they can learn from watching the videos. Doing it will cause a large amount of additional work? It is undesirable, but it seems important to not disappoint the parents and the kids - they seem so eager to learn. They also seem so happy with what we are doing for them and with them. It feels so satisfying doing this for them it seems the extra work is worthwhile.
Both types of students - those who cannot self-regulate and take control of the situation, and those who can - have always been there. Challenges, difficulties, disappointments, setbacks have always been there. But this is a particularly bad year in terms of difficulties. Difficulties amplify the different ways that these two types of students deal with them - and the consequences - tremendously.
Those who cannot self-regulate are at the mercy of the external environment. When the world is not favourable, they suffer and become hapless. When the world is giving them what they want, they enjoy and thrive.
On the other hand, those who can self-regulate are in control, not necessarily of the external circumstances. But more importantly, of themselves - their mood, their outlook, their learning, and eventually their own destiny. I wonder how many students are aware of that, and are able to learn to self-regulate.
Come to think of it, the same is true not just of students. But of us all. Such is life. What kind of person do we want to be?
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