MORE THAN a year has passed since Yonsei University implemented online education. Since then, students and faculty members alike have adjusted to the new dynamic. Even students who initially protested against online classes have come to appreciate certain merits of online learning. In fact, results from a March survey conducted by The Yonsei Annals showed that the majority of students are interested in continuing online learning post-COVID-19. With online education steadily improving, it is time for Yonsei to consider a new future with both online and offline courses.

   Online classes let students set the pace of their learning. During offline classes, students had to either match the professor’s teaching pace or fall behind. I had to focus on both listening to the professor’s lecture and taking notes at the same time. Now that most professors upload recordings of their lectures onto LearnUs [1], I can pay closer attention to the professor’s lecture and ask questions when I have difficulties understanding; then, when the lecture is over, I can watch the recorded lecture and take notes without haste. Consequently, I am more active in class, participate more frequently, and generally find lectures to be more engaging. Additionally, my notes are more comprehensive since I have more time. Pre-recorded lectures are even more flexible as they can fit anywhere in my schedule, and I can take as long as I want to finish them. This lets me have plenty of breaks to refresh my mind and allows me to rewind the video whenever I have difficulties understanding.

   Another area online education excels in is its implementation of efficient testing methods. Instead of relying on outdated memorization-based classroom examinations, professors are now using open-book application-based exams and reports. These methods evaluate how well students understand the course content and apply it to real-life situations instead of how well they memorize information that can now be easily looked up online. Joel Michael (Prof., Dept of Neurophysiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) explains that students who know they will be assessed based on memorized content tend to stick to rote learning. Despite being a good memorization tool, rote learning does not teach students how to use the information outside of an exam [2]. In contrast, students who know they will be assessed on their problem-solving skills will try to understand the content[3].

   The most apparent advantage of online learning is the online platforms, namely Zoom and LearnUs, which encourage students to participate in class discussions and interact more freely with one another. For example, students can exchange thoughts and opinions on class material through open discussion boards on LearnUs. Students can participate without feeling anxious, being pressured by the time constraints of real-time discussions. Professors can monitor student participation closer, making it a fairer method of evaluating the participation grade and answer questions outside of class time. Also, breakout rooms are effective at inciting discussions within smaller groups. Students get the opportunity to express their ideas on the content learned thus far instead of only listening to lectures.

   Offline classes may provide a better college experience when it comes to learning beyond what classrooms teach us, but the quality of online education is arguably better. Professors can implement the most effective method for their class: pre-recorded lectures for courses that are theory-based, real-time classes for discussion-based ones, and blended learning for both. Although many students look down on recorded lectures, particularly those reused from a previous semester, they give the professors more time to focus on student work and needs.

   All in all, as online education improves, a university education no longer needs to be confined to inflexible offline classes. The pandemic has led to the development of an online education system that offers more opportunities for both students and professors. Yonsei University should recognize the strengths of online classes and continue to offer them post COVID-19, or, at the very least, implement them in future offline courses.

[1] Formerly known as YSCEC

[2] MIT

[3] American Physiological Society