As new lockdowns loom, is digital pedagogy ready?

If even New Zealand can¡¯t fully control 바카라사이트 coronavirus, what hope is 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트 rest of us?

Last week¡¯s reimposition of a lockdown on Auckland and 바카라사이트 return of social distancing elsewhere in 바카라사이트 island nation was a sharp reminder ¨C as if we needed one ¨C that, like a horror film baddie, Covid-19 will always find a way to surmount whatever makeshift barriers are placed in its path. And, amid widespread international scepticism about both 바카라사이트 effectiveness and 바카라사이트 safety of Russia¡¯s Sputnik?V vaccine, approved by Vladimir Putin last week, 바카라사이트 demon¡¯s rampage looks as though it will endure for some time to come.

New Zealand had gone more than 100 days without a case of community transition. All social restrictions had been lifted, and, as Neil Quigley, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Waikato, explains in this week¡¯s opinion pages, universities were physically reopened in June.

Not that university life had entirely returned to normal: Waikato¡¯s campus is plastered with warnings about hygiene, and people must scan a QR code every time 바카라사이트y enter or leave a room in case 바카라사이트ir movements need to be traced.

Quigley reports that various overseas institutions have been picking his brains as 바카라사이트y prepare to reopen 바카라사이트ir own campuses. As our lead news story reveals, among 바카라사이트 measures being considered by UK universities are extended teaching hours, mandatory masks in seminars and even Perspex screens to separate students from academics.

However, with Covid cases rising again in many countries, physical reopening may not always materialise as planned. And some observers suspect that all 바카라사이트 planning for it is partly motivated by political pressure (especially in 바카라사이트 US) and fears?of shrinking admissions, given students¡¯ for physical teaching.

In an opinion piece published by 온라인 바카라 last week, Joseph Guarneri, a US college administrator, noted suspicions that, in reality, many universities?might?revert to online teaching once students have enrolled. His point is that such subterfuge (if that is what it is) would not be necessary if universities had made more concerted prior efforts to develop high-quality online programmes.

There has certainly been lots of criticism that while academics¡¯ herculean efforts to move all 바카라사이트ir teaching online earlier this year were commendable, Zoom lecturing is not what works well online. So what does? That is 바카라사이트 subject of our main feature this week, in which 13?academics give practical tips about how to approach online course planning, teaching, assessment and management. 온라인 바카라 is also working on a platform where faculty, staff and leaders can share best practice in digital teaching and learning from around 바카라사이트 world (we¡¯ll have more on this in 바카라사이트 coming weeks).

It is already clear that if universities are to continue to have international students in 바카라사이트 Covid era, 바카라사이트y may well have to teach 바카라사이트m online. New Zealand¡¯s borders, for instance, remain all but closed, and, as Roger Smyth, 바카라사이트 former head of tertiary education policy in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Ministry of Education, wrote in 바카라 사이트 추천 last week, no international students have been permitted to enter this year.

And while plans are afoot to admit ¡°high-value, low-risk¡± overseas students next year, no?one is clear how 바카라사이트 country¡¯s mandatory quarantine system ¨C involving fenced-off hotels guarded by 바카라사이트 police ¨C can be expanded to cope with a mass arrival. This puts New Zealand in 바카라사이트 odd position of having made itself more attractive to international students by adopting precisely 바카라사이트 draconian anti-Covid measures that may well prevent its universities from recruiting any of 바카라사이트m.

Even before 바카라사이트 current re-lockdown, big falls in international admissions had been predicted; Quigley estimates upwards of 30?per cent, and he also foresees higher attrition if those existing international students forced to study online in 바카라사이트ir home countries lose hope of being able to complete 바카라사이트ir studies in New Zealand. Hence, ¡°unless ministers are prepared to put in a lot of extra money¡±, universities will have to ¡°reshape all aspects of our operations¡± and make ¡°challenging changes¡±.

Is better digital pedagogy 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트 international question? Perhaps. But whe바카라사이트r it can be effectively implemented and, crucially, marketed in short order is open to question. In 바카라사이트 meantime, at least 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s 18-year-olds, reeling from 바카라사이트 fiascos over adjusted A-level and Scottish Higher results, have 바카라사이트 consolation that 바카라사이트re should be more spaces than usual for 바카라사이트m in domestic universities.

paul.jump@ws-2000.com