A Blended Approach To Teaching Is A Major Step Towards Normality For University Students
by Rishi Zaveri, Co-Founder of Lendwise
The end of the 2020-21 academic year is near. Many students and teachers are hoping for a return to normality by the start of the autumn term.
Sadly, the prospect of face-to-face lectures and seminars restarting in full is looking increasingly unlikely. Universities are planning to continue with some degree of online, remote-based learning.
The news will come as a blow to students who have been eager to return to campus and to have the chance to interact with their peers and lecturers once again. The success of the vaccination program and the roadmap out of lockdown has given hope that by summer, the vast majority of social distancing measures may disappear. With this hope, university life could return to the norm as it was before the pandemic.
Unfortunately, we are not quite out of the woods yet! The lingering uncertainty over new variants has led universities to hedge their bets for the upcoming academic year.
It’s completely understandable to feel frustration about these decisions, given how severely the pandemic has disrupted and diminished students’ university experience.
There is nothing better than face-to-face learning and virtual study should never replace that. Nonetheless, a temporary blended approach still represents a significant step in the right direction.
Several universities have clarified their intention to conduct as many in-person lectures and seminars as possible. However, for most, these will be supplemented with online learning.
Many people are pleading for universities to return to normal from September onwards, but I can understand the argument from others that this risks greater disruption further down the line.
A hybrid approach to learning during the new academic year will be a big improvement from last year. This should act as a stepping stone to a return to normality as soon as practicably possible.
Given the world in which we now live, online learning may form some part of higher education but the quality will continue to improve as a result of what universities have learned over the past 18 months.
We can agree that, while it may have its place, we should never consider it a permanent, long-term alternative.