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Secrets to Success in Virtual Classes
After the university closed, Mason students took their computers and continued their studies from a variety of remote locations. Photo by Ian Shiff
Mason Engineering professors helped students crack the code to successful virtual instruction this year. From March 23 until the end of the spring semester, the university offered distance education instead of on-campus classes because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The classes were taught by the same professors with the same content as in-person classes, says Daniel Garrison, director of Mason Engineering Online for the Volgenau School of Engineering. Some classes involved synchronous delivery, in which there are specific meeting times for virtual classrooms, or asynchronous delivery, in which there is no specific meeting time and flexible learning with deadlines the instructor provides, he says. “We had comprehensive plans in place to ensure students continued to have the best quality of education,” says Kamaljeet Sanghera, associate professor of the Department of Information Sciences and Technology. She and Garrison were VSE’s representatives for Mason’s Instructional Continuity Working Group, convened by the Provost’s Office. Students had continued access to Mason’s excellent services and support including online peer mentoring, the virtual writing center, and e-library resources, she says. Adapting to an online environment was a learning experience for everyone, says Michael Buschmann, chair of the Department of Bioengineering. Successful students challenged themselves to keep a high level of engagement with the professor and the material and looked beyond the virtual instruction for additional discussions with the professor and teaching assistant, he says.
—Kamaljeet Sanghera, associate professor, Department of Information Sciences and Technology
Students who were successful did the following: Spent the same amount of time on their virtual classes as they would if they had in-person lectures, says Laura Kosoglu, associate chair of the Sid and Reva
Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and
Infrastructure Engineering. “They held themselves accountable and budgeted their time accordingly,” she says. Didn’t multitask during the virtual class, says Dave
Lattanzi, an associate professor of civil engineering.
“When you are by yourself, it’s easy to think you can listen to a lecture while you do something else, but in my experience, students who try to do that struggle with online learning.” Practiced the skills they were learning, says Huzefa
Rangwala, professor and Lawrence Cranberg Faculty
Fellow in the Department of Computer Science. They took advantage of all the activities, such as readings, problems, prerecorded lectures, and quizzes, he says. Made the most of virtual study groups, Sanghera says.
They worked together online with other students to learn the material and prepare for exams. Attended virtual office hours, Sanghera says. Part of the key to distance learning was taking advantage of the virtual office hours offered by teaching assistants and instructors.
Contacted their academic advisers if they needed assistance, she says. Kept up with their homework and avoided waiting until the last minute to complete assignments. The latter is cramming, not learning, says Lance Sherry, an associate professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and
Operations Research. Took stock of what they didn’t know and filled the knowledge gap by actively seeking information, he says.
—Nanci Hellmich HUZEFA RANGWALA, a professor of computer science, says students who were successful with virtual education practiced the skills they were learning.
KAMALJEET SANGHERA, Kammy Sanghera, associate professor in information sciences and technology and interim executive director of the Institute for Digital Innovation, says that successful students took advantage of instructors’ virtual office hours.
MICHAEL BUSCHMANN, chair of the Department of Bioengineering, says that adapting to an online environment was a learning experience for everyone.
