Halfway through our third COVID-riddled semester, conversation on adapting to the new remote formats is often centered on the students. It makes sense, but professors have had trouble adapting too. Logging into a Zoom call is one thing, but setting them up and coordinating with students is a whole new beast for many faculty.
One editor feels bad for the professors being tossed into this new remote environment. “They were not trained to do this,” the editor said. “For them, it is all learning the material on their own. They are not receiving the credit they deserve on this. I truly feel that they deserve more recognition than they are given.”
Professors may not have proper at-home setups to teach remotely, the same editor pointed out. “I feel that some professors have a really good remote setup versus others. I wish all of them had the same setup, it would have made it easier.”
Another editor believes that professors should have undergone some form of ecampus training, but under these circumstances, that may have been a tall order as well.
It can be hard to get a class involved. Holding the class remotely only exacerbates this issue as students can easily make themselves disappear, leaving the professor with a lonely dark screen. A quick word a student may want to have with a professor before or after class is gone, an editor pointed out.
“My professors have adapted well to the new format, but there isn’t much interaction with professors,” they said. “You don’t get that conversation before or after class, and it is harder to get to know them and build a relationship.”
The interactions that students have with professors evolve far outside of the classroom, an editor mentioned. “Some of my professors have provided me with contacts in the field, but mostly when I was doubting myself, they would tell me I was capable and could do anything I put my mind to.”
Remote learning, albeit necessary, is a missed opportunity for students to engage with faculty who could become lifelong connections. Not only in the job field, but as an inspirational word here and there when times get tough.
It may be easy to write off professors as just an obstacle between you and that good grade, but skills are developed and passed down onto the student that are invaluable to the real world. An editor mentioned two professors whose influence they hold dear to their heart.
“Professor Morano and Dr. Novek have strongly influenced me throughout my time at Monmouth,” the editor said. “They have both helped me become a better writer and really shaped me as a journalist. I am so thankful for them.”
Another editor mentioned that although personal interactions have been pleasant, remote learning has affected communication and the distribution of work.
“My interactions with my professors lately have been good, but so different due to it being remote,” they said. “It is not as personal I would say. For the most part, they are adapting to the new format well. However, I have found that some do not respond or give work out as quickly so it can get confusing.”
Professors have been just as affected by remote learning as students, simply just in different ways.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth University