This is online learning’s moment. For universities, it’s a total mess
From Blackboard to Panopto to Minerva, most universities already had hosting platforms in place where course materials could be uploaded; but for academics and students with little or no experience of pre-recorded or live-streamed lectures, the quick transition to online learning was painful.
A survey found that one in five people were willing to delay their undergraduate degrees if universities were not operating as normal due to the coronavirus pandemic. With 120,000 fewer students starting in September, UK universities could face a £760 million loss of income in tuition fees.
Online lectures generally go wrong when academics decide to record lessons using the same slides they had previously prepared for face-to-face teaching, says Kyungmee Lee, a lecturer in technology enhanced learning at Lancaster University. ...“Of course, it doesn't really work.”
The University of Cambridge’s decision to stay online could set a precedent for the shift from traditional lecture-based teaching to student-centred online learning, says Lee. “It's a totally different discussion now that we have to think about the entire year of teaching practice. We can just do so many different things.” Drawing from what has worked and what hasn’t during lockdown, lecturers and teachers will have more time on their hands to restructure their courses with the necessary support of instructional designers, programmers and illustrators.
On May 19, the University of Bolton offered a glimpse into the future of campus life: airport-style temperature scanners at entrances, bikes for loan, tables with plastic dividing screens, and compulsory face masks are some of the new measures that would make its campus “Covid secure”.
See the full story here: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/university-online-coronavirus
UCU calls for government support as poll shows students may defer study and consider changing university
20 May 2020
Government must underwrite loss of income to safeguard the higher education sector and stop competition between universities for students
Universities face an uncertain future as over a fifth of prospective students (22%) could defer going to university, according to a new survey released today (Wednesday). Prospective students also said there was a 25% chance they would consider switching their university, which could lead to a summer of chaos as institutions compete to secure students.