Universities deciding whether to continue online this year (updates?)

[dreamingbohemian]

I've been on a few threads this year about whether universities will fully return to face to face learning this year or stay partly online.

My university told staff today that actually all teaching will be back to normal this year. Previously we had thought to keep large lectures online but now they have ditched that to go fully back to normal.

(Apologies for not outing myself by saying which university but it's a large London uni)

Just thought it might be helpful for people/parents to know that these decisions are getting firmed up now, so contact your university if you haven't heard anything yet -- and also just some optimism that maybe universities will be more f2f than expected this year.

Yes we are planning on being back to normal f2f this year. Obviously it would change if further lockdowns but otherwise aiming for as much f2f as possible.

I feel badly for everyone whose universities are not communicating properly. Don't be afraid to email staff to ask for more details, if enough people do this it may speed things up.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/21/university-lecture-halls-rented-corporate-events-student-lessons/amp/

@dreamingbohemian

Yes we are planning on being back to normal f2f this year. Obviously it would change if further lockdowns but otherwise aiming for as much f2f as possible.

I feel badly for everyone whose universities are not communicating properly. Don't be afraid to email staff to ask for more details, if enough people do this it may speed things up.

Clearly in the minoroty more and more are not going back to doing what they are paid to do. Have arsed teaching to save money.

Universities should be ashamed but no it's all about creaming as much money as possible teaching as little as possible. The system is broken

Clearly in the minoroty more and more are not going back to doing what they are paid to do. Have arsed teaching to save money

I'm contracted to teach 550 hours a year. Last year I taught 800+ hours. This year isn't looking much easier so you can do one with your half arsed teaching.......

Every university I know ( and I know detailed information about a significant number) are planning on providing a high number of on campus f2f teaching hours.

@SkinnyMirror

Clearly in the minoroty more and more are not going back to doing what they are paid to do. Have arsed teaching to save money

I'm contracted to teach 550 hours a year. Last year I taught 800+ hours. This year isn't looking much easier so you can do one with your half arsed teaching.......

Every university I know ( and I know detailed information about a significant number) are planning on providing a high number of on campus f2f teaching hours.

Really cause all of the RG UNIS and former polys that my kids and their friends go to. None are looking at much face to face teaching.

And my experience of online lectures having been in my own and watched my kids is fucking dismal.

Only slight saving grace is the massive over marking either that or everyone on our course went up by 20%

And since I'm already pissed off no lecturer should ever be employed without proper subject and industry experience. Too many have no real world or industry experience.

@SkinnyMirror

Clearly in the minoroty more and more are not going back to doing what they are paid to do. Have arsed teaching to save money

I'm contracted to teach 550 hours a year. Last year I taught 800+ hours. This year isn't looking much easier so you can do one with your half arsed teaching.......

Every university I know ( and I know detailed information about a significant number) are planning on providing a high number of on campus f2f teaching hours.

Should add I've sat in 200 hours of online lectures this year. Of which about 10 where any good. Totally destroyed the value of the course.

Really cause all of the RG UNIS and former polys that my kids and their friends go to. None are looking at much face to face teaching.

I very much doubt that. It might not be 100% f2f but every university I know is pushing for a decent amount of on campus delivery- and it's my job to know this.

And my experience of online lectures having been in my own and watched my kids is fucking dismal.

If that's the case then you should complain. It's not acceptable. Me and colleagues have worked very hard to ensure we're delivering high quality teaching whatever the medium.

Only slight saving grace is the massive over marking either that or everyone on our course went up by 20%

Universities have implemented a grade safety policy which may account for this.

And since I'm already pissed off no lecturer should ever be employed without proper subject and industry experience. Too many have no real world or industry experience.

If it's a professional course then I would agree with you.

Should add I've sat in 200 hours of online lectures this year. Of which about 10 where any good. Totally destroyed the value of the course.

If that's the case, then I'd be complaining

We might have interacted in online lectures and breakout groups - but we've fucking hated doing it and it's not had the quality of interaction that our group (who are normally VERY engaged) normally has.

I'm normally one of the most focused, high achieving in my cohort (from what others have told me and the fact I've spent hours helping others with stuff they've found hard) - and it's become more and more of a soul destroying slog as the year went on. I'm currently about 50/50 if I continue next year in the current climate or not.

I don't think my twins (100% online course last year) did any interaction in the online groups. Yes they would listen to a seminar and then sometimes where the institution's bandwidth could cope be put into small groups sometimes but I don't think they got to know a single other person on the course whereas my daughter has friends for life from hers in this equivalent year. Anyway hopefully their course in September will be face to face. They have been asked to choose if they will have online exams so will need to decide this week - that is slightly different - you can type rather than hand write and don't have to travel to the centre so I suspect it may be better for them t stick with on line exams. Hopefully the twins will decide tonight.

We are also 100% on campus next year. Based on last year, that'll be a lower workload because we offered so many more hours online and because on campus teaching took longer so we could deliver the same session over and over again because of social distancing.

In terms of 'over-marking', that would be difficult to do even if I wanted to (which I don't) because of moderation and external examining. I did find many groups performed above the three year mean though, perhaps because they had less fun alternatives to doing their assignments, perhaps because they had increased access to support or perhaps because... online learning can actually be really good.

I think my cohort's marks have tanked - I've had a fair few that I'd thought "ouch" at when I got the assignments back that have been raised a good few percent at moderation (thus restoring my pride somewhat - I can be rather... driven... with results).

@SkinnyMirror

Should add I've sat in 200 hours of online lectures this year. Of which about 10 where any good. Totally destroyed the value of the course.

If that's the case, then I'd be complaining

Oh I am And having seem some of the shite my DDs have been given by their RG universities im complaining to them our MP the joke secretary of state for fuck all.

Having also spoken to around 20 of their friends at university from Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, Manchester. Seems they all feel let down by the general standard of what's delivered and the unis don't give a shit and carrying on failing to deliver.

Utter bunch of wankers.

Utter bunch of wankers.

Nice. I'm sure you're lovely too

Although I don't work at a RG uni so maybe I'm not a wanker in your eyes??? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Okay, so UWL is unlikely to be the university of choice for the average MN offspring, but an interesting article in THE (may need to set up an account to read it, but that's free), re its decision to go fully F2F, particularly this comment, I thought:

He pointed out that 67 per cent of UWL students were mature learners and that about 92 per cent could be classed as commuters.

“Demographics make a difference” Professor Woodman said. “We were very quickly made aware of the complexities of not having a safe, secure, comfortable place with good IT, that many of our students faced...

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/university-west-london-promises-fully-person-teaching?