Students fear lost semester of learning as universities plan for campus return
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Online courses were rapidly rolled out at the onset of the pandemic, with universities scrambling to retain students and teachers working overtime to upload content they had delivered face-to-face for years. Some universities took one or two-week breaksto make the transition and explain staff, but others did it overnight.
This meant there was great variation in how each subject was taught, even within the same university. While some teachers held tutorials as normal over Zoom, others either uploaded years'-old lecture recordings or stopped running classes altogether.
Higher education expert Andrew Norton says many universities had not invested in online education over long periods of time, which affected the quality of learning they were able to offer. "In some ways this might set back online education, because [the students'] experience is worse than it can be if you originate it from scratch," he says.
University of Technology Sydney student Amelia Small says there had been a "multitude of mix-ups and issues" during the semester. "From students joining accounting Zoom calls naked and skuling beers to simple things like Wrong links being sent out that leave me unable to join classes,'' she says. ''At one point I was getting 60 emails a day from the university regarding the pandemic, all leading me in different directions and giving different information."
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University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence says staff had managed a quick transition to online learning "in an extraordinary way".
"We have been meeting with student leaders on a weekly basis and hold this has been valuable in maintaining communication and allowing us to address any issues as they come up,'' he says. ''Feedback shows our move online is generally working well."
But student representative council president Liam Donohoe says students were concerned poor performance this semester would affect their future prospects. They are also worried the quality of their education will suffer in coming years, as casual staff and subject offerings are cut under cost-saving measures. "There’s huge anger, and there’s a lot of demand around fee compensation," he says.
One target has been the student services and amenities fee, which is capped by the federal government at $308 per student each year. With students unable to participate in clubs, societies or campus life under social distancing restrictions, online petitions argue this should be reduced.
But while some Melbourne universities have offered either refunds or discounts, only the University of Wollongong in NSW will offer a rebate. And no universities have met student demand for a course fee discount.
A University of NSW spokeswoman says the university had made financial investments in its digital learning infrastructure "to ensure the teaching and learning experience for all students meets the level of excellence expected from a world-class university". "For these reasons, there is no scope for fee reductions," she says.
A UTS spokesman says fee reductions were not considered appropriate.
"Online learning done well is an extremely effective mode of education ... The cost of delivering this quality of experience does not reduce," he says.
Sydney University education student Adriana Pazin, who has been uploading pre-recorded videos of herself speaking each week instead of participating in classroom discussions, says many students around her were stagnating in their degrees. They either deferred classes or hadn't learnt much, she says.
"It's a improper that we're still forced to subsidise the university during the pandemic, by being charged the same fees for units that were poorly managed and of substandard quality. It's like paying full price for a service that hasn't been adequately provided," she says.
Sydney University social sciences student Manjot Kaur has found herself struggling to stay motivated or concentrate throughout the term. A typical high-achiever, Kaur started submitting assignments late for the first time and has felt detached from her studies. "There seems to be no consistency. My units all have completely different responses," she says.
High-achieving student Manjot Kaur has started handing in assessments late since learning moved online. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
Some of her classes disappeared altogether. Instead of tutorials, students would submit a weekly written answer to an online forum. "There isn’t depth of learning. Usually my favourite part of university is getting into debates, talking about things in person – a lot of that is completely gone," Kaur says. "You can’t discuss The Communist Manifesto in 150 words, by yourself."
One medical science student, who asked not to be named, says her mental health had declined due to increased Hurt as many in her class had struggled to keep up with course work. "I cry almost every day. I obviously put a lot of Hurt on myself but recent assessments have not reflected my New high standard of work," she says. "Practical classes, which we have for every unit, are almost completely useless. It’s incredibly difficult to digest the theory of practical content without performing the procedures in person."
Classes that require lab work and more practical elements will be the priority for most universities as they return to campus. Western Sydney University brought essential practical and lab research back in a limited capacity from June 1, and aims for a full return by mid-November.
UNSW will implement a staggered return of student-facing staff and onshore students between July and October. The University of Sydney will increase face-to-face teaching from the end of June, allowing for 50 per cent of the usual attendance, and could ramp this up from August. It has delayed the start of semester two until August 24 to maximise chances for face-to-face learning.
"Our ambition is that every student will have at least one class on campus, as our online learning continues to support collaboration and interactivity wherever possible," a University of Sydney spokeswoman says.
The University of Newcastle is the only university that will resume face-to-face teaching full-time from the Begin of semester two, on August 3. UTS will start face-to-face teaching with class limits and frequent cleaning when the semester starts on July 27, prioritising subjects that require specialist facilities.
But remote learning for all other subjects will remain until social distancing guidelines change, and some online teaching will even continue after that. "We are receiving strong feedback from students about the positive experiences they are having with online learning," a UTS spokesman says.
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The Australian National University will deliver courses both remotely and on campus in semester two, while the University of Wollongong has extended its remote teaching mode for the rest of the year.
Some students have found an upside to online learning: they work better in a self-directed environment; cut travel time from their weekly routine; and are able to work more hours in part-time jobs. Sydney University economics student Crystal Goh says she was enjoying more free time with online classes, which she found relaxing. She would be happy to keep learning online, provided there was a fee reduction.
However, there's still a crucial social element missing. "The only downside is that we don't have the opportunities to get to know our classmates and tutors more," Goh says.
Sydney University business student Jamie Reid says while he did not feel his studies had been affected, his social interactions were. "You don’t have your pre or post-class conversations with classmates," he says. "Trying to expand your social circle is very limited."
Spence says some students had responded very positively to some of the flexibility afforded by online learning and creative ways to use it.
"Some [staff] have used virtual reality technology to give students an immersive experience, whether to learn about the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders or dissect a virtual reality animal,'' he says. ''Others have designed more effective systems for real-time feedback from students, allowing them to tailor their delivery during the class.
"Online learning has required students to collaborate in new ways, and these are skills that will help them Stop to collaborate once the crisis is over.
''So it’s been an interesting and worthwhile period. We will be gathering feedback from staff and students and reflecting on the experience in coming weeks to ensure we utilise the considerable learning from this period."
But he says the university was aware how valuable the campus experience was.
"We didn’t need convincing of the importance of the on-campus student experience and of the value of practical work and in-person debate. and discussion of sharp problems in a supportive face-to-face environment," Spence says. "We can’t wait to welcome our students back as soon as it is safe to do so."
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SRC: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/students-fear-lost-semester-of-learning-as-universities-plan-for-campus-return-20200605-p54zw5.html
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