As we wrap up our fall semester, our team is looking forward to taking a break and spending time with family. Looking to next semester, we are told by UC Berkeley that some classes will be participating in the hybrid model, where some in-person instruction will be held on campus.
Although the members of our team are all longing for in-person classes to resume, we have our reservations about the hybrid plan, especially considering the current state of the pandemic in our country.
Our first concern is for the safety of our community. With COVID-19 cases at an all-time high, it seems unlikely to us that in-person classes will not facilitate the spread of the virus. Currently, some small lab classes are included in the list of classes that will be taught in-person. Although the school claims that no students are required to take in-person classes, lab sections are many hours a week and are often hard to fit into schedules or only offered in spring semesters. This makes it very difficult for students to rearrange their schedules in order to avoid taking in-person classes and risking their lives. Therefore, we worry that many students are being pushed to take this risk with COVID-19 when they are not presented with other options.
Our second concern is that the hybrid model will not be implemented well. Our members have heard from some of their professors that some classes are currently planned to be offered both in-person and online- they will be available for students to choose which option suits their needs. However, the professors have concerns over the added work that this will require from them. In this model, the professors claim that they will essentially need to run two classes when their normal job would only require them to run one class. In this situation, the professors may be stretched too thin and may not be able to provide high-quality learning environments for their students both online and in person.
As we get closer to the implementation of the hybrid model for the spring semester, we are certain that more uncertainties will unveil themselves, but we are along for the ride!
This blog post was written by Brooke Chang.
Comentarios