Technology has enabled some form of continuation in terms of teaching, learning, and work during the pandemic. With the lockdown, university programmes did not come to a standstill. Though it wasn’t the same as before when lectures and tutorials were in person. Today, we rely heavily on zoom, Microsoft teams, and other forms of software to aid blended learning (a mixture of in-person and online learning). One has described zoom as a ‘cop-out’, where people bank on this other rather than meeting in person.
Charette Week Exhibtion from before Covid-19
However, the discussion of drawings between tutors and students isn’t the same when using technology. That ‘immediate feedback’, as described by a fellow student is lost in the two dimensions of zoom. Being able to trace over drawings and form new ideas with a tutor is impossible on screen and yet is incredibly helpful in terms of a student’s progress. In regard to teaching, some lecturers also find it difficult to know how students are responding to their presentations because of blank screens. “You can sense the energy in a room and change up the tempo while on zoom you easily monologue,” says Ed Wainwright, a lecturer in the school of architecture.
In the future, we need to explore the outdoor spaces more, hence rekindle and even make more ‘real’ connections with others. This will improve the learning and teaching process. Therefore, can we return to the old normal?