John Barrett teaches writing at Bloomsburg University. In addition to his role as an assistant professor, John Barrett is a campus ambassador at the Teaching and Learning Center at Bloomsburg University. An ongoing project centers on review and reevaluation of the institution’s online and distance learning platforms.
The COVID-19 pandemic moving many classrooms across the United States online, state, and federal leaders to face decisions if and when students can return to campus. As reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a July survey of 4,800 faculty members across 14 state universities across Pennsylvania found that three-fourths of faculty members would not feel safe if they were required to interact or teach students in person. The percentage of those wanting to return to teaching in classrooms in the fall was only 12 percent.
As of mid-July, several universities, including Dickinson College in Carlisle and East Stroudsburg University have committed to most or all classes being taught remotely in fall. Other institutions, such as the University of Pennsylvania, committed to test all students upon their return.
The bottom line is that, with locations in which students live and congregate presenting major virus transmission risks, online learning is a fact of life for today’s college population.
