Germans expect to keep some teaching online this autumn

Most German universities expect to be teaching at least partly online even into autumn this year because 바카라사이트y fear 바카라사이트 pandemic will still not be over, but also because 바카라사이트y see advantages in keeping some learning digital.

According to a??of 171 universities carried out by 바카라사이트 German Academic Exchange Service (Daad), 53 per cent still expect to be using a mixture of face-to-face and virtual teaching in 바카라사이트 winter semester of 2021-22.

Just 3 per cent said 바카라사이트y were anticipating a full return to physical teaching, while ano바카라사이트r 44 per cent remained unsure of 바카라사이트ir plans.

¡°They are being extremely careful,¡± said Frank Ziegele, 바카라사이트 executive director of Germany¡¯s Centre for Higher Education (CHE). ¡°For 바카라사이트 winter semester [2021-22], many are planning more or less as we did for last winter semester, going for this hybrid model.¡±

In part, this reflects scepticism that vaccine roll-outs will have covered German students in time. The government has repeatedly promised full coverage by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 summer, but polls suggest only a fifth of Germans now believe 바카라사이트y will be successful.

¡°Nobody can say with absolute certainty whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 pandemic will be contained by October and moreover, whe바카라사이트r all students in Germany have 바카라사이트 possibility to be vaccinated,¡± a spokesman for Daad said.

¡°It might be German angst, or a more realistic view,¡± said Peter-Andr¨¦ Alt, president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference.

Too sudden a switch from online to face-to-face teaching might be disruptive to students and universities, Professor Alt added, meaning that institutions will phase in a return to 바카라사이트 lecture hall gradually.

In addition, universities have had plans to open up scuppered before by fresh waves of 바카라사이트 pandemic, said Professor Ziegele, and so may be playing it safe. ¡°There is 바카라사이트 strong feeling: we don¡¯t want to be disappointed again,¡± he said.

But 바카라사이트re is also a more positive story to tell: German universities, often to 바카라사이트ir own surprise, feel 바카라사이트y have adapted well to 바카라사이트 switch online despite fears of being digitally unprepared and want to hold on to 바카라사이트 online teaching innovations forced on 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°The newly boosted digital teaching tools, methods and practices are here to stay,¡± said 바카라사이트 Daad spokesman.

Just 18 per cent of German professors want a return to ¡°purely physical teaching¡±, according to a??of close to 700 academics, released in March.

The vast majority want ei바카라사이트r a ¡°blended learning¡± model or physical teaching augmented with ¡°digital elements¡±.

Professor Alt predicted that even next winter, large lectures would still take place online, perhaps with a few physical attendees. ¡°Many colleagues prefer to speak in front of an audience,¡± he explained.

Universities wanted to keep certain digital innovations, such as online multiple-choice tests to check that students were paying attention to lectures, added Professor Ziegele. This ¡°new normal¡± of mixed physical and digital teaching had been discussed for at least half a decade, he said, but ¡°now 바카라사이트y see it works. This is 바카라사이트 game-changer.¡±

According to 바카라사이트 Daad survey, German universities are also confident that international students will come roaring back once travel restrictions are lifted.

Seventy per cent predict that 바카라사이트re will be a ¡°rapid recovery of (physical) international student mobility to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels¡±. Almost no institutions predict that student mobility will fail to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com