Henry M. Cowles, assistant professor of history, used to hold his 125-student undergraduate class in the Biological Sciences Building.
Now, his students converge remotely from their homes all across the United States and in other countries, watching lectures and working in small groups in what has become a new reality for higher education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You kind of miss the face-to-face, in-person interaction,” Cowles said. “The best thing about it is the energy my GSIs (graduate student instructors) and the students have been bringing to it. They’ve been cracking jokes, engaging with the reading, checking in with each other. It’s heartening to see all that energy.
“Is it exactly the same as an experience in the classroom? No. For me, it’s been up and down. But I truly do feel like the students are making the most of it.”
As universities around the country transitioned to online instruction, faculty and staff members had to quickly change how they teach and work. The shift has been filled with challenges, but also new opportunities.
“Having to change what you do and how you do it leads to other ways of trying new things, which can be positive,” Colleen Conway, professor of music education said.
