Carleton University is one of many universities across Canada and around the world to guarantee that the delivery of courses in the fall term will be online due to COVID-19.
Whether or not students return to campus in the winter term is still up in the air. However, it seems to be getting less likely with each passing day.
On July 7, Suzanne Blanchard, Carleton University vice-president (students and enrolment), sent an email to students discussing plans for the winter term.
“We remain hopeful that it will be possible to welcome some students back to campus in January; however, it seems very unlikely that the pandemic will be fully resolved by then,” Blanchard wrote.
“Therefore, course instructors have been advised to develop their Winter 2021 term courses in a manner that will allow them to be delivered remotely,” she added. “If Carleton University is able to offer face-to-face instruction in the Winter 2021 term, undergraduate students will have the option of either attending in-person classes or to continue taking them remotely.”
As Carleton community members prepare for the possibility of the first completely online academic year, many say they will be looking for new ways to adapt to online learning.
Maya Blumenfeld, second-year Carleton journalism student, said in an email that she will have to buckle down on her study habits this semester.
“I really want to try sticking to a written weekly agenda which I always end up abandoning,” she said. “I also think since it’s online, I need to make sure to make time for self-care and exercise since that will help motivate me.”
Blumenfeld added she hopes that students will have the option to be back on campus for the winter term.
“It’s harder to focus when I’m listening to a lecture through a screen,” Blumenfeld said. “I like participating when it’s in-person—it’s somehow more intimidating to answer a question when it’s during an online class.”
Sean Kim, a third-year public affairs and policy management student also said he prefers in-person classes.
“I find it harder to focus for online classes, and it’s more difficult for me to stay disciplined,” he said in an email. “My ideal scenario would be returning to a mixture of online and in-person classes in the winter.”
Kim added that distractions are harder to ignore outside of a classroom setting, and that he will be trying different study spots until he finds one that works for him.
“I’ll also try to create an environment in my room that makes it easier for me to study by keeping it clean, and organized, and turning off my phone,” he said.
“Students should complete the self-declaration form available on the Registrar’s Office website to request academic accommodation for missed coursework including exams and assignments,” reads the Carleton COVID-19 FAQ website page.
Students can also contact instructors to discuss COVID-19 accommodations.
Simon Chamberlain, a third-year communications and media studies student who plays for the men’s basketball team, also said he has difficulty focusing at home, but also sees the appeal of online classes.
“Having everything online does free up my schedule though to watch lectures when it’s convenient,” he said over email. “I’ll probably try and get lots of work done at once as early in the week as possible to free up time to train and focus on practices.”
“Ideally, during the winter term, we’ll have the full team practices on the same schedule as last year,” Chamberlain added.
A potential full-year online won’t just pose challenges to students. Now working from home, professors will also have to change their syllabi and final exams.
Since journalism is often done remotely and online, associate journalism professor Randy Boswell said he feels the core of his teaching will not change because he can still communicate one-on-one with his students through email or other online means. Despite this, he said he is not looking forward to teaching online.
“I don’t think anyone who is used to interacting directly—in person—with a class of students relishes the idea of connecting with 20 or more people via Zoom or Big Blue Button,” Boswell said in an email.
He added the personal aspect of learning can be lost online.
“I find it more challenging to put people at ease, to crack a joke, to convey excitement and enthusiasm about journalism the way I try to do in class,” he said.
While Boswell acknowledged the challenges of online teaching, he also said he’s enjoyed some advantages, such as being outside with his wife and dog while doing everything he would normally do at his office.
“Human beings like a variety of activities and settings, enjoy interacting directly with other people, benefit from separating ‘work life’ from ‘home life,’” he said. “Again, working entirely as a ‘remote’ employee in any workplace isn’t as fun as being able to do [those things].”
In terms of delivering courses, he said he is prepared for the worst, but hopes for the best.
“It’s almost certain, it seems, that we’ll need to offer online instruction because it may not be possible, even by January 2021, for everyone to return to the kind of pre-pandemic in-person situations we all experienced in the fall,” he said.
Featured image from file.
