Education changed quickly and dramatically in the past few months.
The global pandemic has forced people into their homes and caused radical change in our educational system.
While this change isn’t ideal for all students and faculty, Pierce should adopt some modifications when in-person instruction resumes.
With online instruction, many professors have activated Canvas shells and regularly upload lecture material and additional resources.
Before the switch to remote learning, many professors didn’t.
Pierce should strongly encourage that all professors actively use their Canvas shells to upload lecture videos, handouts and supplementary material.
When Pierce reopens its classrooms, efforts should be made to minimize crowding.
While attendance wasn’t mandatory before the switch to distance education, classes without active Canvas shells made it difficult for students to catch up on missed information if they weren’t able to get to class.
For lecture based classes, professors should record and upload lectures so students have the option of going to class, and anyone can watch or rewatch lectures when necessary.
Classes with lab instruction should have the lecture portion online and students only come to class for hands-on learning.
According to Joel Barker, an assistant accounting professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College, hybrid classes most benefit students who commute to college.
“The major advantage of hybrid classes is that this forum allows some flexibility to students with multiple responsibilities to maximize their time,” Barker wrote in Benefits Of Hybrid Classes In Community Colleges.
Additionally, hybrid classes would decrease the number of students in the classroom, as well as reduce the amount of time students and faculty are on campus.
Whenever in-person instruction resumes, it’s unwise to allow classes to go back to crowded classrooms multiple days per week.