Higher Education during Coronavirus

[shar93]

Hi guys,

I’m in my 3rd year of an education degree and for my dissertation I have decided to focus on coronavirus and how it has effected education in the UK. I would love to hear from students and parents of students in higher education or due to start in September 2020.
Many universities have opted for online learning with some, like Cambridge, carrying on with online learning for the next academic year. How do parent and students of those in higher education feel about this? I know many people that would not go to university due to this as they do not learn best online but in a classroom. However, I also know a lot of people that would prefer for it to be home based learning for various reasons. I would love to hear how you feel about your current or upcoming higher education during coronavirus. Has the institution been supportive? All information collected will be treated anonymously and I have consent forms to email if anyone would like one.

Thank you.

[JacobReesMogadishu]

If this is for your dissertation do you not need a structured questionnaire? Just trying to be helpful.

My Dd is in her first year of a degree. Very much a studio based degree. If she can’t access the studio that will have a massive impact on what she can do. I’ve suggested she takes a year out.

[shar93]

Hi, my dissertation is an extended literature review, this information just gives a more personal insight into the pandemic to support the literature, which is very generalised at the moment. Thanks for your input.

[Shnk]

As a current post grad student i have found the support provided from my university very limited. I suppose they were very much unprepared for the epidemic, so it took a good two weeks to get everything online.
Throughout the period i have had one email from my lectuer, that took them almost three weeks to respond to. Do i think they actually care about the struggles of students now forced to work from home, no! I think their more concerned about the fact they cannot complete their own research based work.
In regards to the future, i believe this pandemic will make a significant change in the structuring of UK Universities as for many a course it has now been established that they can be taught online. Do i see a future for classroom based university courses, sadly not! I think univerities will find it an easy was for students to pay £9000 to work from the comfort of their own homes, saving money on lecturers, electricity, libraries, building maintenance and other staff.

[Northernsoullover]

I feel that my institution has been supportive to a degree (no detriment, extensions) but I'm astonished at the lack of communication. Not a dickie bird from our tutors or module leaders for the assignments that are outstanding. I brought it up as course rep and was told 'we don't want to overwhelm you'. If you count one email as being overwhelmed then I think we can cope.
We also had a generic school email yesterday saying 'hi we hope you are well, here is a warning not to use essay mills because you might be tempted during this crisis' (not a verbatim quote). I found this quite patronising.

[lljkk]

How do parent and students of those in higher education feel about this?

Crappy. Not clear at all what they will get. I do not want to pay £300/week for DD's London accommodation if she's just getting online classes.

I would prefer DD to go to real live lectures & practicals, but if the education delivery is mostly online, I don't want to pay £300/week for accommodation in London. DD wants to be a health professional & I really don't think that suits mostly online learning.

Has the institution been supportive?

DD thinks so. She's an adult & deals with them directly.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Many universities have opted for online learning with some, like Cambridge, carrying on with online learning for the next academic year. How do parent and students of those in higher education feel about this?

As it's only the lectures which will be online (and that may be reviewed if the situation changes to allow relaxation of the rules), and the academics are working on plans for the labs and supervisions which form a large part of DD's course, we're fine with that.

I know many people that would not go to university due to this as they do not learn best online but in a classroom.
I don't think any lecture I or DD have been in are anything like a 'classroom'. Turorials moreso, but they're hoping for them to be face to face. They're doing group work using Teams or whatever now, seems to be going ok.

However, I also know a lot of people that would prefer for it to be home based learning for various reasons.
DD wants to get back - she's happy enough at home but loves her uni. And obviously lab work can't really be done at home - they're having to do simulation and modelling projects this term but that wouldn't work for more than that really.

Has the institution been supportive?
Yes, I think so.

[Xenia]

shar, do remember that Cambridge is only putting the big lectures on line and all the many small groups, tutorials etc are likely to go ahead as planned with most students moving into colleges as usual as far as I am aware.

My sons are in their final term at Bristol University and I don't agree with lockdown (and they do) so we al have different views on these things. However we all agree that going to university leaving home, meeting people, all the clubs and societies is just as important as the academic side so I do want the universities to remain as much as usual as they can manage given just about no one dies of this who is young.

one of them has a place at law school for the Autumn which will probably start off mostly on line with exams in Dec and April - it is a specific post graduate law conversion so a means to an end however so he will do it come what may and the other might do the same too as gap year plans are awry.