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HQU Meeting Challenges of Teaching and Learning during the Pandemic

Release time:2022-03-27      Author:

As the sudden resurgence of COVID-19 infections hit the “pause” button on face-to-face interactions on campus, Huaqiao University (HQU) returned to online instruction again. Statistics show that up to Mar. 25th, 5,578 undergraduate courses (2,671 of Quanzhou campus and 2,907 of Xiamen campus) were taught online, involving 669 classes (Quanzhou 328, Xiamen 341) and 1,588 teachers (Quanzhou 690, Xiamen 898). A total of 465 lab and practicum classes were suspended, 164 on Quanzhou and 301 on Xiamen campus respectively.


Despite the difficulties encountered during the COVID-19 epidemic, HQU faculty and students take active steps to meet the challenges.


Educators: Make online classes more interactive to achieve better results


Interaction plays a massive role when it comes to online teaching. Then how to increase online teacher-students interaction ?


Prof. Tian Wenbing from HQU College of Humanities, head of a national first-class undergraduate course with a wealth of teaching experience, believes that one key to great teaching online classes is staying connected with students. He said, “Teachers should interact with the students frequently. In addition to soliciting students' questions and answering them, I plan some hot topics related to the course content for group discussions to capture students’ attention. Through exploratory assignments like writing reading reports and academic essays, we can promote the cultivation of students’ self-learning and innovation.”


Tian’s thoughts also shared by Prof. Luo Xiaoyan from HQU College of Materials Science and Engineering. She said, “When my students know they will be randomly called on, they will get ready to answer at any time, which enhances their attention. Be sure to get students to preview the course content before class to develop a big picture of what key points will be covered.”


“Students tend to have a higher attendance in online courses, and I encourage teacher-students interactions within my class.” Jan Celler, a foreign teacher of HQU International School, expressed his appreciation for the online teaching mode, “students can access all recorded lectures and it is convenient for them to review the lecture after class to enhance their impressions. As long as we create an enabling environment in which students are motivated, online teaching can be as effective as offline teaching.”


Prof. Zang Shengnan from HQU Chinese Language and Culture College views that a good teacher manages the online classroom with effective instructional design and pedagogical methods to achieve his desired goals and outcomes.


Students: improve Self-Learning and enjoy learning online


The shift from traditional offline learning to online learning has caused several academic and social concerns for students such as self-discipline, punctuality, and credibility.


Lin Yinan, a student from HQU College of International Relations, said, “It is very convenient because online lessons allow me to take classes from wherever I want. Moreover, I can review content and take detailed notes whenever necessary.”


Cong Yufei, a student from HQU College of Humanities, said, “I have adapted to online classes. Teachers have also increased interactions to reduce our distractions during online classes while studying at dorm.”


“Our teachers are trying their best to keep students more engaged in online classes.” Wu Ziyu, a student from HQU College of Materials Science and Engineering, said, “In the virtual classrooms, they always remind us to protect ourselves from COVID-19. We all have improved our self-discipline and developed some self-directed learning skills. I am enjoying learning online.


However, students in online classes face challenges like Internet speed, Internet connectivity, lack of in-person interaction, teaching and learning platform issues. Some students feel that “online courses are generally not as effective as in-person classes”, “it is not easy to communicate and interact with teachers”, “it is more difficult to focus on my online course”, “My mind sometimes wandered while taking classes”, “Internet connection is not stable”. Feng Mengqi, a student from School of Economics and Finance, said she couldn’t keep pace with the teachers in online courses, but she found her way to overcome the difficulties by asking effective questions after class and getting detailed answers from teachers.


HQU Faculty and Students in Online Classes


(Editor: Cai Juntao)

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