Return to university

[SouthCoastShell]

I've just watched all of Boris's announcement and he doesn't mention when students can return to university. Does anyone know when students are allowed to return?

I would think that it is wrong of the government to worry about the effects of "mass movement of students" when there could well be a mass movement of the general public from next week when self catering holidays are starting up again

there could well be a mass movement of the general public from next week when self catering holidays are starting up again

But that should be families moving as a single household group and staying as such within a single dwelling. They shouldn't be mixing indoors with people from other households as students would very likely to be doing

But @changi students would mice and stay put for an entire term in their university town. Surely that's a smaller risk than families moving for a short break?

Edinburgh and Aberdeen universities have said they will be returning to 1m social distancing from September to enable more students to attend. Glasgow is doing blended learning until at least 2022 as most students have apparently requested this.

I wonder why unis have said social distancing in sept when BJ had said June 21 for it to be over?

I think it's far too early for universities to state what they'll be doing from September. They need to have a range of scenarios and wait to see how the situation is nearer the time.

Glasgow university did that survey in February, in the middle of a strict lockdown when almost none of the students had been vaccinated. Of course they said they wanted blended!

I don't believe for a minute that students in Glasgow would want blended learning for any longer than absolutely necessary.

I work at one of the universities and friend who works in facilities says there was a meeting between several university facilities departments where they shared what they would be doing. It may change but that's the current planning.

Lancaster has interpreted "wherever possible" in a very open ended way. Meaning that for most students, if they feel staying at home to study isn't optimal, well, it IS impossible. Very sensible imho. The mental health aspect of staying away from your peers, and educationally in a suboptimal environment (no library, no stimulation from the surrounding campus, demotivating isolation) is why for most students staying in your parents house is NOT possible, even if technically you have a bed, companions, wi fi, a desk. It still isn't enough.
It is a bit like defining "essential..".

Glasgow doing their research and decision making in Feb is madness. Other ‘businesses’ are pivoting in days and weeks whether they want to or not.

Students surely want normal life plus lectures recorded - which they were mostly getting before. It’s certain members of staff who want blended IMO.

I wonder why unis have said social distancing in sept when BJ had said June 21 for it to be over.

Didn't he say not before June 21?

My uni has said 2m distancing and masks are very likely until Christmas, then it will be reviewed. I find it quite frustrating.

DDs tutor mentioned they might keep on line lectures as they liked them. Stoney silence from the group and he asked what they wanted. They said they want the chance to actually meet the people they are on the course with. To chat about lectures and work, to be normal students. Tutor was bit shocked as 'no one had complained'. No, because they didn't know they could.

@changi

I wonder why unis have said social distancing in sept when BJ had said June 21 for it to be over.

Didn't he say not before June 21?

My uni has said 2m distancing and masks are very likely until Christmas, then it will be reviewed. I find it quite frustrating.

Like all the road map, it might be then but surely deciding definitely NOT then is crazy. Clearly for unis benefit rather than students or following gov guidance.

DDs tutor mentioned they might keep on line lectures as they liked them. Stoney silence from the group and he asked what they wanted. They said they want the chance to actually meet the people they are on the course with. To chat about lectures and work, to be normal students.

Feedback from our students is that they do like online lectures. However, they have plenty of other opportunities to meet the people they are on the course with.

mumsneedwine that says it all doesn't it...no one had complained...
Unbelievable.
Who would they complain to as individuals...and how would they get in touch with each other to discuss such a shared complaint ....grievances online can be heavy handed when you are testing the water.
My son has frequently complained (to me, and perhaps his flatmates) about the difficulty of meeting his coursemates..people switch their camera off, some people say very little.

But how is he going to express this to a Department; he is doing his bit to put up with the restrictions...why would he be the spoilt student who complains?

@changi mine don't. DD has met a handful of people out of the 180 on her course. And that's only because she has practical stuff. Some of her friends have met no one in person. DD likes the option of on line lectures but would like to sit in a lecture theatre with others. She'd have said she liked them if asked, not that she'd prefer them, different question entirely. They want to be with each other as normal. They need some normal.

I think online lectures do take away some of the pressure...to get dressed, catch a bus, social anxiety. You can wake up and watch the lecture ten minutes later. I suppose it could be addictive like online shopping...solo convenient.
But if you never go into a RL shop again...they are closed..all the shops...all the restaurants.....how does that make you feel...it isn't convenient and cosy then...your world has shrunk to deliveries and takeaways ...that is probably going to be the long-term impact on the educational experience when you have digital teaching. The product is the same but something is missing, something important.

@Hoghgyni The guidance you have quoted above all postdates the time of year that DS's friends all went back (which was just after Christmas). So they had already gone back by the time that was issued and my guess is that may be the case for many others too.

She'd have said she liked them if asked, not that she'd prefer them, different question entirely.

It is. Our students actually said that they preferred them.

I think online lectures do take away some of the pressure...to get dressed, catch a bus, social anxiety. You can wake up and watch the lecture ten minutes later. I suppose it could be addictive like online shopping...solo convenient

Exactly. We have been recording lectures for several years. When we started, lecture attendance plummeted. The majority of students would rather watch a recording. They can watch them at 1.5x speed, stop and rewind if they miss something. A minority of students do both, attend the lectures, listen, ask questions, then watch the recording and make notes.

If you ask a question in a certain way you can expect a certain answer...so if you load the question with positives...ie what do you like about X rather than mention the negatives (after all most students already had option of recorded lectures before pandemic) the likelihood is that you get yeses than nos.
If you load the question the other way what do you dislike, what do you miss you will get a different answer.
And if your agreement to virtual teaching includes agreeing to other linked outcomes, like closing campus, and refucing social interaction on campus, there would be a different answer again.
You can't just say do you like online lectures.
It is like saying...do you like takeaways. Of course.
But if liking takeaways meant all restaurants were closed what would you say then?

You can't just say do you like online lectures.

Agreed. We didn't.

@changi did you ask them 'would you rather learn in a room with your peers or alone in your bedroom, day after day after day'. Would you like to meet people on your course daily and have the chance to discuss what you've learned. Would you prefer to be in person learning all the time with the lectures recorded so you can rewatch them (like normal at Uni).
I don't know one student who wants to continue like this. First and second years have had enough now.

If you ask a question in a certain way you can expect a certain answer...

Are you telling academics, people who conduct research as part of their job, how to go about conducting research??
😂😂😂

I wonder why unis have said social distancing in sept when BJ had said June 21 for it to be over?

Well, I don't know about you, but I'd trust the scientists in our Universities judgement over any politician when it comes to forecasting possible / probable trajectory or how a virus might behave.
100x more with Boris Johnson's track record on not listening to scientific advisors over the time he has been Prime Minister,