The controversies of in-person teaching

Naturally, most teaching this year moved online due to the ongoing pandemic, however teaching that could be carried out safely (with masks and proper social distancing in place) was allowed to continue at the discretion of the lecturer or supervisor. Of course any in-person sessions were still recorded so that anyone who couldn’t make it (due to self-isolation or other reasons) could still watch the content online.

I felt very lucky that two of my lecture courses this term could happen in person. It was something that gave me a sense of normalcy this term. Getting up for a 9am, cycling to the department, and arriving with less than one minute to spare before the start of the lecture was something I never thought I’d appreciate this much. It was a routine I quickly got used to again, and it was indeed a great way to start my mornings.

That is why I was so surprised when the student union came out with an official call for all non-essential in-person teaching to be moved online, with the apparent reasoning being the safety of both vulnerable staff and students. That is of the utmost importance right now after all, but teaching staff already have the choice whether or not to hold in-person sessions, and students already have the choice whether to attend or watch online.

With all the “COVID-secure” measures in place, the risk of transmission when attending a lecture is frankly a lot less than that of a single shopping trip to Tesco, where people clearly don’t know what “social distancing” means. Although going to a lecture carries a non-zero infection risk, I believe it is so low that it does not outweigh the educational benefit, which I think many people underestimate. Not only is it much easier to stay motivated when you’ve got a schedule to follow and a real person is talking at you, but it is also much easier for many lecturers to deliver material in-person. My lecturers are indeed fantastic and intelligent computer scientists, but that doesn’t mean I trust them to operate a Zoom call.