The COVID-19 pandemic sent the world into a panic, and it has affected everyone in an array of ways; those in the education field were faced with a new world of uncertainty centered around the upcoming school year.
Mask wearing, social distancing, virtual learning, and even virtual family gatherings quickly became part of the new normal protocol for everyday living. COVID-19 has changed the lives of people across the globe, and placed even more pressure on educators.
When given the choice between online and in-person course delivery, some professors chose to combine the two for a hybrid option that would allow them to keep some in-person element while still allowing students to safely attend classes.
When the pandemic hit in March, UTM and other universities across the country sent its students home to finish the semester, with online delivery being the only method for the spring and summer semesters. This was a preview of how the fall 2020 semester would play out and gave professors a chance to familiarize themselves with all the complications involved with teaching online courses.
Dr. Chara Van Horn, assistant professor of Communications, taught the Public Speaking course for the summer semester, which proved to be difficult but beneficial. However, teaching in the fall proved to be more struggle-filled and problematic because of a combination of hybrid and online delivery.
“I was slated to teach Public Speaking during the summer, so that was really helpful, mainly because it was completely online. It was a lot of work to get everything up and running on Canvas, and there were days that I was behind on posting lectures. Ultimately, though, teaching Public Speaking online in the summer was really beneficial for preparing for this fall,” Van Horn said.
In particular, professors who are extroverts struggled to teach online courses because they don’t allow for the same level of involvement as in-person courses. With the best interests of their loved ones in mind, many professors made the tough decision to teach online, despite how much it constrained their extroverted nature.
Andrew Brown, a lecturer in Communications, chose to teach his fall classes online as a precaution to protect his wife and children’s health. In addition to worrying about bringing COVID into their home, the Browns have children who are still in school to worry about. Brown teaches his courses from home while his youngest daughter attends school both in person and online.
“My youngest daughter is a freshman in high school, and she’s in a different county. That school has gone back and forth between online and in person. The online experience has not been good for her at all. She and I are both working in the house, so that’s like super chaos,” Brown said.
Van Horn, who has a daughter and son, said that her children really struggled with a lack of routine that has come with online learning.
“I think our children did as well as could be expected,” she said.
With COVID-19 spreading and affecting every person in different ways, it is hard to prepare for how it will impact one’s family. Many UTM faculty and staff have children and other loved ones to take care of in the case of sickness, and the switch to online course delivery has been chaotic for many, which has caused some professors to question their faith in UTM as a support system.
“It may be that a situation like this is just a question of ‘least bad’ options,” said Dr. Chris Hill, associate professor of English, adding that he has not been impressed or optimistic.
Hill also is concerned about the education of his children.
“I think the children who are online know that they’re getting about 50% of what they would be getting if they were physically in school. The youngest has really typically enjoyed school and done very well, but this year has been a challenge for him because it’s too easy to get sloppy without the physical constraints of the classroom. His grades have suffered and he’s probably a year behind where he ought to be,” Hill said.
Other professors have a more positive opinion of how the university has handled the switch to online. The pandemic is something that most people have not experienced the likes of before, so it can be difficult to make decisions without prior knowledge based on experience of something similar.
“Is there ever really a good plan? I know we weren’t prepared when the pandemic hit. But, I think the university did the best it could given the circumstances. And, I think the university has done a good job with the reopening. Is it ideal? No, of course not. Ideal is having normal classes again. But, considering the low rate of infections on campus, they’ve done a good job,” said Van Horn about how UTM has handled the 2020-21 academic year so far.
No one can predict when the pandemic will end, so only time will tell how faculty and students alike handle spring 2021 and beyond.
