Written by Sergio Flores, Spring 2023 City Tech Office of Communications Intern

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted education; school campuses closed across all levels of learning, and face-to-face teaching and assessment shifted to an online format. Due to the unfortunate events that transpired in 2020, education during the early stages of COVID-19 focused on distance learning as an emergency response. In 2023, online education has become part of our new standard learning methods. While online education was offered before the pandemic, it was not nearly as common in higher education as it is now. Teachers and students accustomed to face-to-face instruction have been forced to adjust globally. Classes became Zoom sessions, on-campus events were postponed, and social distance made it impossible for students to have a typical college experience. Even some graduations were placed online. Life at City Tech was far different before remote learning.

During the two semesters before the commencement of remote learning, I was regularly on campus Monday through Thursday from 8 am to usually 1 pm. I loved having this schedule because it allowed me to feel comfortable in a higher educational setting since it resembled a similar Elementary - High School schedule. Arriving on campus, you would see a lively atmosphere all around. The hallways filled with students talking outside classes before they commenced, and the elevators were packed with students and professors attempting to get to their desired floors. Students eager to learn, including me, were present in the classroom, and the instructors were paying close attention to ensure we fully understood the topic. The in-person education at City Tech was and continues to be incredibly beneficial. You gain a greater understanding of stories and real-world examples from teachers and other students, and you feel more comfortable and learn more efficiently in a familiar, traditional classroom situation. Additionally, you can interact, collaborate on issues, and network with other students from all backgrounds while on campus. For many students and faculty, switching to remote learning came with many challenges.

When we were fully remote in 2020 and 2021, I found it most challenging to understand the material due to the limitations of asking questions via a digital platform. I was fortunate to be adequately equipped with a computer and tablet to access my work online, but many others did not have that luck. City Tech did offer lending laptops to students, but you can imagine the supply and demand during that time. Additionally, collaborating on projects during the early stages of remote learning was very challenging, and the inability to meet new people and network stripped away the college experience. At the time, there weren’t many websites you could use to simultaneously collaborate with your peers other than zoom or google classroom to my knowledge. Finding a time when all participants could meet was also very challenging to manage.

When given projects for a class with in-person meetings, all team members were able to meet during or after classes. It made it much easier to share and explain thoughts about the progress of the group work, ask questions, and bond with peers. Also, you are given the opportunity to make friends and connections in person when working and meeting in person for group work. While taking an asynchronous online course in marketing last semester, I experienced how difficult it is to meet remotely to work in a group. My professor did a great job explaining the project, what was needed for a good grade, and the deadlines we had to meet. However, it was not easy agreeing on a meeting time over Zoom because of our different work schedules and other classes. We all decided to work on one document and add comments whenever we made changes or had questions about anyone else's work. Another challenging factor in working remotely on a project is agreeing on one idea and explaining your ideas. Face-to-face communication is one of the most important ways to make sure important ideas and information get through to your peers. Having to explain myself over messages or comments clearly during those assignments helped sharpen my communication skills, so a lesson was learned despite the challenges.

Despite these learning curves, I appreciated all the professors’ hard work and dedication in constantly giving their all while learning how to swim themselves. I had the pleasure of having professors who quickly responded to emails or text messages when I had a question, no matter the time of the day. Their constant updates on Blackboard or Open Lab helped keep students, myself included, on track with our weekly assignments, upcoming projects, and examination dates. I had a wonderful experience taking an online course with Professor Ellis, director of the Professional and Technical Writing Program at City Tech. I was recovering from knee surgery, so the course with Professor Ellis was forced to be made online rather than in person as planned. Initially, I was worried because of the difficulties I faced while taking other remote courses, but Professor Ellis’ strong communication skills, organizational skills, and attentiveness to respond to emails made it much easier than I anticipated. We would meet over Zoom on Thursdays at 6 PM, I would join using our Zoom link minutes earlier than 6 PM, and Professor Ellis was there waiting for me and ready to begin, never forgetting to ask how I was doing and how my recovery was going.

Presently, remote education seems and feels like a new way of teaching and learning, the new normal, some would say. Although it was introduced to many in 2020, remote education began in the mid-1900s. In 1953, the University of Houston offered televised teaching through KUHN, now known as Houston PBS. In 1989, the University of Phoenix was the first to launch complete courses online to obtain bachelor's and master's degrees. In 2003, Blackboard Learning Systems announced that 40,000 distinct professors were teaching over 150,000 courses online across multiple countries. That was now two decades ago.

As I finish my Professional and Technical Writing degree at City Tech, I have taken over ten online courses between 2020 and 2023. At first, it was a challenge, like everything is when you first try it, but that is not the case anymore. I checked my college email to ensure I got all the class updates. I looked over Blackboard and Openlab postings daily, even after completing assignments, to make sure I got everything, and I kept in constant contact with my peers so we all kept each other accountable. Just as I learned how to adapt to new learning and studying methods, City Tech professors learned how to better connect with the students remotely. Professors communicate assignment instructions clearly and efficiently and respond to student emails promptly, making it difficult for me to choose between completing a course in person or having a synchronous/ asynchronous schedule after campuses began to re-open in the Fall of 2021. Life on campus before remote learning was energetic and uplifting, and after a long while of readjusting to the new normal, it continues to be so. The hallways are filled with students studying in groups, playing video games, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. Professors are staying a little longer after class to help students with questions, and the cafeteria is filled with students’ laughter, singing, and smiles.