Mason Korea patriots and faculty are back on campus for Spring 2022.
Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/masonkorea/
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the dynamics of society and the economy, in addition to causing severe health risks. Such impacts have been witnessed, especially in the education sector, where people began to engage in online instruction via video conference platforms such as Zoom rather than in-person ones. The repercussions of the pandemic have had a significant impact on higher education as strict quarantine policies have affected not only students but also professors.
The sudden transformation of instruction from in-person lectures to two-dimensional lectures through new platforms was complicated for both students and faculty. While Mason students have freely expressed their opinions about this matter for several semesters, whether complaints or satisfaction, professors at Mason Korea have seemed not to have such privilege as students. Thus, The Voice of GMUK interviewed three professors to share their personal experiences and thoughts on the matter.
All professors in the interview saw eye to eye on the fact that there were various challenges in giving online lectures. Online lectures required a significant amount of effort to find a balance between work and personal life. In the case of Professor George Whelan, it was not easy to balance since he worked until early morning on a regular basis during the semester with online classes. Professor Claude Drolet also found it challenging as his family members, including himself, would all be working online, causing an uneasy environment. However, after the transition to regular daily routines, he stated that “everyone is happier.”
Moreover, getting back to in-person lectures has allowed interaction, an essential dynamic of university life for all. Professor Hak Kil Pyo claimed that interaction is vital for classes requiring discussion. After the change, the interaction between students has drastically increased. Professor Whelan confessed how much patience it took to work through a two-dimensional platform such as Zoom when interacting with students. Besides, Professor Pyo also stated, “Lectures are more vivid, and students can have immediate questions and discussions.” In other words, students are able to interact with each other and their professors now, leading to more synergy and an active learning environment.
Despite those benefits, there is still a continuous increase in cases of COVID-19. Since in-person classes entail risks to health and safety during this circumstance, it is important to weigh both the benefits and risks. While some claimed that the benefits of in-person classes outweighed the chances of the infection, others argued that another increase in cases was not worth taking the risk. Professor Pyo posed an interesting proposition of a transitional period through hybrid classes, which would allow time for an adjustment instead of an abrupt change.
During the over two years of the pandemic, people in various fields have been through difficulties in their daily lives. The Mason Korea community has tried to find the best way to offer an environment for quality education to both faculty and students even during the pandemic. As a result, the semester of Spring 2022 has been fully conducted in person for the first time in two years. The conditions have been improved in many aspects; however, the university needs to focus on keeping its faculty and students safe since there are still concerns about getting COVID-19.
Written by Daemo Gou | Staff Writer
Revised by Yu Bin Kwon | Managing Editor
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