Parallel Hybrid vs. Remote Interviews
By Abigail McGrory
Due to COVID-19, many people’s lives have been turned upside down, or at least changed in some way, shape or form. But how are the high school students whose education has been affected by the virus managing all of this change? To find out just that, I sat down with hybrid learner Evelyn Provencher, a junior, and with 100% full remote learner Jenna Thompson, also a junior, to find out what they have to say about how the school year is going for them, and how their experiences differ due to their opposing situations: half remote and half in school, versus just full remote.
Interview Subject 1: Evelyn Provencher, Hybrid Learner
The Falconer: Good afternoon Evy, how are you doing today?
Evelyn: Hello Abigail, I am great, thank you!
Falconer: I’m just going to ask you a few questions about hybrid vs. remote learning. Alright, so my first question is: how are your grades this year?
Evelyn: I feel like my grades this year are pretty good, they are kind of similar, some of them are worse than last year, but overall, I would say that they are pretty much the same.
Falconer: So you feel that your grades have relatively stayed the same as opposed to when school was normal?
Evelyn: I would say, on average, yeah.
Due to COVID-19, many people’s lives have been turned upside down, or at least changed in some way, shape or form. But how are the high school students whose education has been affected by the virus managing all of this change? To find out just that, I sat down with hybrid learner Evelyn Provencher, a junior, and with 100% full remote learner Jenna Thompson, also a junior, to find out what they have to say about how the school year is going for them, and how their experiences differ due to their opposing situations: half remote and half in school, versus just full remote.
Interview Subject 1: Evelyn Provencher, Hybrid Learner
The Falconer: Good afternoon Evy, how are you doing today?
Evelyn: Hello Abigail, I am great, thank you!
Falconer: I’m just going to ask you a few questions about hybrid vs. remote learning. Alright, so my first question is: how are your grades this year?
Evelyn: I feel like my grades this year are pretty good, they are kind of similar, some of them are worse than last year, but overall, I would say that they are pretty much the same.
Falconer: So you feel that your grades have relatively stayed the same as opposed to when school was normal?
Evelyn: I would say, on average, yeah.
Falconer: Do you feel it is easier to learn in-school or remotely?
Evelyn: Personally, I would say in-school because I am able to feel more comfortable asking questions to the teacher rather than, like, randomly coming on Zoom and interrupting the teacher.
Falconer: Can you tell me any major differences between the two styles of learning?
Evelyn: I’d say its easier to work with people...at school you are very far apart...which makes it difficult to talk. But also on Zoom, breakout rooms are kind of weird sometimes. It’s just like who you are around I guess, feeling more comfortable?
Falconer: Alright, and do you feel as though your amount of social interaction has been limited, and how has that affected you in any certain aspects of your life?
Evelyn: Yes! I would say it is very limited compared to last year. Last year I remember like we would have homeroom, we could talk, we weren’t separated by the six feet, but, yeah, this year is just weird because I feel like I’m seeing much less of my friends. Especially being in two different cohorts, which is weird, so I just feel like I have to make more of an effort to, like, be with them and keep those relationships.
Falconer: It's nice that at least you are making an effort to keep those relationships. Did you play a sport already this year, or are you planning to play a sport this year?
Evelyn: Yes! I played field hockey in the fall, which was great! A lot harder with the masks, I felt like I was suffocating sometimes, but it was fine. And then I will play softball in the spring, so...
Falconer: And did you feel that the season was very different for field hockey, did you just feel like the whole dynamic was weird, or was it kind of the same, kind of explain, if you could please elaborate on that?
Evelyn: Yeah, sure I would love to! Actually I felt like field hockey was really great because it was very similar to last year, so it was a good...like...reality/normalcy check, or something? That we could be together even though we had masks on, our coach was like ‘Six feet! Six feet!’ But I think we did a pretty good job and it was fun.
Falconer: So, you would say that you still enjoyed the season despite all of the COVID guidelines?
Evelyn: Definitely, yes!
Falconer: That is great to hear. Alright, so now to our last question I would like to ask you. What type of learning environment do you feel you benefit the most from, in person or remote? Because I know we have all been to school in person since we were in pre-school, and we have been learning like that, but now everything is just different. So what type of learning style do you feel you benefit from the most?
Evelyn: I definitely benefit from in-school learning the most because I’m just able to pay more attention and have less distractions...kind of… But while I am doing my work I feel more focused at home because in a way there are less distractions when I am working. I don’t know, it's kind of weird. And I feel like during zooms sometimes I can just do other work--I am more productive at home, but I definitely learn better at school because the teachers are talking directly to me, not through a computer.
Evelyn: Personally, I would say in-school because I am able to feel more comfortable asking questions to the teacher rather than, like, randomly coming on Zoom and interrupting the teacher.
Falconer: Can you tell me any major differences between the two styles of learning?
Evelyn: I’d say its easier to work with people...at school you are very far apart...which makes it difficult to talk. But also on Zoom, breakout rooms are kind of weird sometimes. It’s just like who you are around I guess, feeling more comfortable?
Falconer: Alright, and do you feel as though your amount of social interaction has been limited, and how has that affected you in any certain aspects of your life?
Evelyn: Yes! I would say it is very limited compared to last year. Last year I remember like we would have homeroom, we could talk, we weren’t separated by the six feet, but, yeah, this year is just weird because I feel like I’m seeing much less of my friends. Especially being in two different cohorts, which is weird, so I just feel like I have to make more of an effort to, like, be with them and keep those relationships.
Falconer: It's nice that at least you are making an effort to keep those relationships. Did you play a sport already this year, or are you planning to play a sport this year?
Evelyn: Yes! I played field hockey in the fall, which was great! A lot harder with the masks, I felt like I was suffocating sometimes, but it was fine. And then I will play softball in the spring, so...
Falconer: And did you feel that the season was very different for field hockey, did you just feel like the whole dynamic was weird, or was it kind of the same, kind of explain, if you could please elaborate on that?
Evelyn: Yeah, sure I would love to! Actually I felt like field hockey was really great because it was very similar to last year, so it was a good...like...reality/normalcy check, or something? That we could be together even though we had masks on, our coach was like ‘Six feet! Six feet!’ But I think we did a pretty good job and it was fun.
Falconer: So, you would say that you still enjoyed the season despite all of the COVID guidelines?
Evelyn: Definitely, yes!
Falconer: That is great to hear. Alright, so now to our last question I would like to ask you. What type of learning environment do you feel you benefit the most from, in person or remote? Because I know we have all been to school in person since we were in pre-school, and we have been learning like that, but now everything is just different. So what type of learning style do you feel you benefit from the most?
Evelyn: I definitely benefit from in-school learning the most because I’m just able to pay more attention and have less distractions...kind of… But while I am doing my work I feel more focused at home because in a way there are less distractions when I am working. I don’t know, it's kind of weird. And I feel like during zooms sometimes I can just do other work--I am more productive at home, but I definitely learn better at school because the teachers are talking directly to me, not through a computer.
What about for remote learners?
Interview Subject 2: Jenna Thompson, 100% Full-Remote Learner
The Falconer: Hello Jenna, thanks for sitting down and answering some questions today!
Jenna: Thank you for having me.
Falconer: So my first question is, how are your grades this year?
Jenna: My grades are not the best, I wish they were better.
Falconer: And do you think that’s because of what’s going on?
Jenna: I definitely think doing fully remote has affected my grades, and like not being in school all the time has definitely affected that too.
Falconer: Okay, so you think that your grades have suffered now that school is not normal anymore?
Jenna: Yes, definitely.
Falconer: Alright, so do you feel it is easier to learn in school or remotely?
Jenna: I feel it is easier to learn in school.
Falconer: Okay, and do you feel as though your amount of social interaction has been limited, and how has that affected you in any aspect of your life?
Jenna: I think I’ve had a decent amount of social interaction with work, and times when I get to see friends who are in my quarantine circle, I guess you could call it. I’m definitely not seeing as many people as I used to.
Falconer: Yeah, I think we all aren’t. Okay, my next question is: did you play a sport this year, or are you planning to in the remainder of the school year?
Jenna: I did not play soccer this year, but I am hoping to play softball, but I’m not sure how that is going to go down with all these new COVID guidelines.
Falconer: So you don’t know how different the season will be, but you think you’ll still have a season?
Jenna: I don’t know how different the season will be, if it will change, or if it's even going to happen, so.
Falconer: Okay, interesting. And my last question is: Due to the fact that 100% in-person learning is all you’ve experienced until COVID changed things, do you feel you’re at more of a disadvantage being full-remote, or do you feel you’re benefiting the same as you would if you were in-person?
Jenna: Um, I feel like I might be at a slight disadvantage, but nothing too drastic. I feel like people in person are still having trouble as the people that are doing online completely.
The Falconer: Hello Jenna, thanks for sitting down and answering some questions today!
Jenna: Thank you for having me.
Falconer: So my first question is, how are your grades this year?
Jenna: My grades are not the best, I wish they were better.
Falconer: And do you think that’s because of what’s going on?
Jenna: I definitely think doing fully remote has affected my grades, and like not being in school all the time has definitely affected that too.
Falconer: Okay, so you think that your grades have suffered now that school is not normal anymore?
Jenna: Yes, definitely.
Falconer: Alright, so do you feel it is easier to learn in school or remotely?
Jenna: I feel it is easier to learn in school.
Falconer: Okay, and do you feel as though your amount of social interaction has been limited, and how has that affected you in any aspect of your life?
Jenna: I think I’ve had a decent amount of social interaction with work, and times when I get to see friends who are in my quarantine circle, I guess you could call it. I’m definitely not seeing as many people as I used to.
Falconer: Yeah, I think we all aren’t. Okay, my next question is: did you play a sport this year, or are you planning to in the remainder of the school year?
Jenna: I did not play soccer this year, but I am hoping to play softball, but I’m not sure how that is going to go down with all these new COVID guidelines.
Falconer: So you don’t know how different the season will be, but you think you’ll still have a season?
Jenna: I don’t know how different the season will be, if it will change, or if it's even going to happen, so.
Falconer: Okay, interesting. And my last question is: Due to the fact that 100% in-person learning is all you’ve experienced until COVID changed things, do you feel you’re at more of a disadvantage being full-remote, or do you feel you’re benefiting the same as you would if you were in-person?
Jenna: Um, I feel like I might be at a slight disadvantage, but nothing too drastic. I feel like people in person are still having trouble as the people that are doing online completely.