Have you ever had trouble with accessing school work online? What about opening link after link, just to have your laptop crash on you moments later? Well if any of this sounds familiar, that means you probably had a fascinating experience with D2L.

Desire2Learn, my least favorite aspect of college so far, has taken such a leap that it is leaned on daily, by college students at Colorado Mesa University. If we’re relying on online assignments and tests to further our knowledge within our curriculum, let’s be honest, that’s a problem.

Look, D2L has its perks. It’s convenient for looking at a class syllabus, scrolling through PowerPoints, or finding out when an assignment is due. I’m also fascinated how nice students are to each other in discussion post replies.

This person that I’ve never spoken to in person is replying to me as if I’ve known them for the past five years. I’m not complaining. I think it’s great to be interactive and respectful. But that’s as far as it goes when it comes to perks.

What ever happened to learning in the classroom? Why do I have to use a platform that forces me to learn through a computer screen? I’m in a class now where every assignment and test is done in class. It’s interactive, more engaging and it feels like I’m learning. How am I supposed to interact with a screen?

I guess I should click button after button and hope I get a Siri-like response. At least Siri asks what she can help me with. D2L will make it impossible for me to open the link my professor put up just a few days ago. D2L Is supposed to make it easier for us, right? Yeah, I thought so too.

You know what message I like seeing on D2l? “For security reasons, this content must be opened in a new window.” Next thing you know, it’s Launchpad that won’t work. Grades after assignments or quizzes sometimes don’t post on D2L right away.

It can take days for your grade to post. It’s a minor aspect, but when you add everything up, it’s another thorn in your side D2L makes you deal with.

I’m grateful to be able to go to college. It’s a great opportunity that I’m taking complete advantage of. But sometimes I can’t help but feel like I’m paying thousands of dollars to learn through a computer screen. Almost every class uses D2L. We should be learning skills that will help us with future opportunities.

That can only happen through human interaction. I can’t blame the teachers, they are doing the best with what they have. So are students, which is unfortunate because that means they don’t have much to work with.

If I could kick D2L to the curb and never look back, I would. From the crashes to the unreliable links, there’s not much positive that comes from D2L. Do you know how many times I’ve written numerous paragraphs in a discussion reply, only to have it erased after I pressed submit because D2L freaked out? Take a guess.

Yeah, you guessed it, too many times. You know what, D2L? Just because I was inactive for thirty minutes doesn’t mean you have to sign me out. I’ll come back to you, that assignment that’s due at 11:30 p.m. won’t do itself.

I heard something from a movie that aligns perfectly with my experience with D2L. “D2L is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”