UNIVERSITY FOCUS
Will universities be going back to face-to-face lectures next year? Thinking about the future at university post Covid 19
Around half of students in England have been able to return to face-to-face teaching this month, having had online tuition since Christmas. With the Indian variant of the virus emerging in the UK, which SAGE believes “could be 50% more transmissible”, it is hard to
predict what may happen in the Autumn term. This may cause some concern for prospective students, who may worry about how this will impact upon their university experience, both academically and socially. Many universities have said that they will not be able to go back to full time face-to-face teaching in the Autumn term. In response to student concerns, universities such as Exeter, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds have stated that they will be doing a “hybrid approach”, which will involve a combination of multiple face-to face sessions each week along with some online lectures. This has caused some disquiet among students who will still be paying £9,250 in tuition fees. However, universities such as Exeter and
UCL have stated that they would try to “prioritise interactive faceto-face teaching, such as seminars and workshops.” (UCL). A spokeswoman for Universities UK has explained how universities were faced with the challenge of trying to plan without knowing what restrictions will be in place in the Autumn, and highlighted that students will still have access to important facilities such as libraries and laboratories. In addition, Nicola Dandridge (Chief Executive for the Office for Students) has stated that, “No matter what teaching methods universities and colleges use, they must provide consistently good courses for all students”.
Our plans for the year ahead We understand that many students want to know more about the shape of the next academic year. At Bath, our overriding aim will be to deliver the experience and highquality education our students deserve, in a safe environment. We are planning to deliver as much in-person learning on campus, including lectures, workshops, seminars, tutorials and laboratories, as we safely can. Having sought feedback from our current students and teaching staff about their experience of blended learning, we are also seeking to keep the best of what we’ve put in place successfully over the last academic year. Where our courses include a
high-quality, blended learning experience with in-person and online learning, this may be delivered in a range of different ways. In-person learning may include lectures, small group tutorials and seminars, laboratory work or design studios where relevant, peer-to-peer learning, workshops and group discussions. Online learning can include live interactive sessions on Microsoft Teams or Zoom as well as independent study. We understand that a student’s experience is about more than studying for their course. Therefore, we will continue to put on extra-curricular activities, for instance in sports and arts,
and we’re working with the Students’ Union (SU) on clubs and societies activity. Over the last year, we have delivered a mix of online and in-person activity, and we will be able to continue this approach wherever needed to give our students opportunities to connect and meet new people. We look forward to welcoming our students to Bath from September 2021.
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