THEME: TAL2021 - The Good Example - Online teaching: From emergency solution to development

General experiences from a study board perspective 

Part 1 

• “Approx. 25% of students have, to varying degrees, felt bad about not being able to go to university (and have seen online teaching as a enforced evil). 
• Approx. 25% of students (especially many commuter students) have been really happy with online teaching and are already demanding online alternatives in the future. 
• Approx. 50% of the students have immediately adapted to the changed conditions and made it work as well as possible.” 
  (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021) 

Part 2 
Further experience has been that 

• “Participation in teaching (even where there have been no attendance requirements) has in many cases been higher than in face2face teaching. 
• Based on completion and examination statistics, it can generally not be seen that the examinations of the last three semesters have been completed during the emergency teaching period. In some subjects, students have performed significantly better than previous years. 
• Nervousness and similar factors that can negatively affect an oral exam presentation generally seem to affect less when the oral exam is conducted online. 
  (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021) 

Four different experiences of the COVID-19 teaching 

In the following, the experiences of four different people with the COVID-19 teaching are presented. An unsatisfied online student and an unsatisfied online teacher followed by a satisfied online student and a satisfied online teacher. 

• An unsatisfied online student 
  The unsatisfied online student tends to stay at the university most of the day where there are always some to ask or talk to. The teaching on campus is experienced as more rewarding, as it is easier to ask questions and talk to each other. Breakout Rooms experience as okay, but just not the same as sitting together. Online meetings with fellow students are also experienced differently. The exam has gone as usual but has required a greater effort. Online teaching is only seen as an emergency solution, so it was nice to get back to campus and be able to go to the Friday bar (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021).
  
  
• An unsatisfied online teacher 
  The unsatisfied online teacher has experienced many technical issues while some students also have poor internet connections. It is perceived as more difficult to get the students to participate actively online. In addition, students experience it unpleasant talking to students they have not had the opportunity to get to know. Furthermore, a lack of feeling is experienced by the students and the need to elaborate at the same time as it is described as difficult to give feedback, as one cannot see how it is received. The conduct of online exams is described more as luck than deliberate sense and that it was strange to talk to the censor online (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021).
  
  
• A satisfied online student
  The satisfied online student has experienced being much more efficient by saving time on transport and at the same time being climate-friendly with reference to SDU's commitment to the UN's world goals (SDG). It is emphasized that it is much easier to follow the teaching, as there are no disturbances when people are gathered in a small place. In addition, it is easier to ask questions via the show of hands or the chat function. Online group work is also perceived as much easier, as there are no problems with premises. The student has done better for the oral online exams and been less nervous than before (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021).
  
  
• The satisfied online teacher
  The satisfied online teacher highlights the following positive experiences:
  • Larger attendance (almost 100%) for the teaching of subjects where there is no compulsory attendance.
  • Easier to get the students to work continuously with the subjects throughout the semester.
  • That online teaching requires a clearer framework and management of the students' contributions, which has been large.
  • Easier to use external presenters and collaborate with companies when online.
  • That knowledge of the digital tools increases spontaneous communication in teaching.
  • That a larger group of students has suffered socially, while a smaller group has been happy to escape the "social pressure".
  • That there has been a higher completion in courses, BA projects and theses as well as better exam averages.
    (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021) 

From emergency solution to development 

Regitze and Flemming point out that things have gone better than expected and that there has been positive learning during the COVID-19 shutdown for both homework and online teaching. The immediate benefits of online teaching have been: 

• “Greater attendance at classes 
• Fewer cancellations due to illness, conference attendance, weather conditions, etc. 
• Increased possibility of varied teaching methods with i.e. use of guest lecturers etc.” (Klenke & Smedegaard 2021). 

It is further emphasized that :

• “Using online guidance can make guidance much more flexible in terms of both duration and number. Sharing documents is also easy. 
• Online oral exams are less stressful and can be made into a positive experience for the students. 
• And every time we choose an online solution, we have a positive side effect by reducing the time spent on transport and thus CO-2 emissions.” (Klenke & Smedegaard 2021)

In the light of the experience gained, this interesting proposal is proposed: 

• “Online offers will i.e. could do: 
  • that SDU becomes more competitive, as the geographical location is not in the same way decisive for the study choice. 
  • that students across SDU's campuses can easily follow the same course - at the same time as it can attract guest students. 
  • that it is easier to involve interesting guest lecturers from home and abroad.”  
    (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021). 
    
    

  “But: Online is professionally fully valid but cannot meet the social needs. 

  • A professionally and socially responsible - and CO2-friendly solution - can, for example, be a mixture of online teaching and physical seminars.
  • A course of normal 13 x 2 hours will instead be completed with: 
    
    • 7 x 2 hours of online tuition 
    • 2 x 6 hours physical seminars” .
      (Klenke & Smedegaard, 2021) 

Reference 
Klenke, R. M. & Smedegaard, F. (2021). Onlineundervisning – fra nødløsning til udvikling International Virksomhedskommunikation SDU. Presentation at TAL2021 .