When I saw the question of this project, I was very confused. First of all, what is the uncertainty box? I have too many ideas about uncertain things, such as the field of future work, the mental health problems of studying abroad, etc.
Based on the spread of the epidemic and the combination of some online classes and offline classes adopted by the school at that time, we will encounter many problems during the process of online classes, such as network fluctuations, difficulties in listening, etc. I put the sense of time-space compression into my the indeterminate box.
First, we need to know when space-time compression, according to Marxist Thought (1993), refers to an idea that capital expansion causes changes in space-time properties and space-time relationships. It is rooted in Karl Marx’s theory that “space is annihilated by time”. Space-time compression is the result of technological innovations driven by the expansion of global capital that compress or eliminate distances in space and time, including communication technologies (telegraph, telephone , fax machines, the Internet) and travel technologies (railways, cars, trains, jets), driven by the need to overcome space barriers, open up new markets, speed up production cycles and reduce capital turnaround times.
In many cases, the sense of space-time compression is associated with globalisation. With the advancement of globalisation, the sense of space-time in the geographical sense will become weaker and weaker. For example, the birth of online courses has reduced the sense of space-time compression. You can take classes in the same “classroom” with your teacher anywhere in the world, and exchange ideas without barriers.
However, for online courses, the sense of time-space compression is fluctuating, that is, uncertain. First of all, there are still many differences between online classrooms and real classrooms. How can we guarantee that what we receive on the Internet at this moment? Is it correct and real-time news? Any network fluctuations and software problems will lead to fluctuations in time and space. Secondly, compared with offline education, the design of online courses lacks the experience and interactivity of topics. The survey shows that two weeks into the lockdown, 75% of students reported that their life had become more difficult and 50% felt that learning outcomes would be harder to achieve due to the sudden shift to online education. Twelve weeks into the lockdown, the corresponding numbers were 57% and 71%, respectively.
Students in Public Health Nutrition answered questionnaires two and 12 weeks (N = 79: response rate 20.3% and 26.6%, respectively) after the lockdown in Norway on 12 March 2020 and participated in digital focus group interviews in May 2020 (mixed methods study).
With the support of the data, I think that the sense of time-space compression of online courses during the epidemic is uncontrollable. However, I did not insist on this topic as my future topic. First of all, the sense of time-space compression is a theorem of physics and geography. Unable to fully penetrate this theorem, and I found a topic that I am more interested in and closer to my life.
Reference
Marx, Karl. Grundrisse. Penguin Classics, 1993. pp. 539.
Morley, D., 2005. Globalisation and cultural imperialism reconsidered. Media and cultural theory, pp.30-43.
Almendingen K, Morseth MS, Gjølstad E, Brevik A, Tørris C (2021) Student’s experiences with online teaching following COVID-19 lockdown: A mixed methods explorative study. PLoS ONE 16(8): e0250378. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250378