Is Our Academic System Ready for a New Coronavirus Normal?

Credit: Pîxabay.By Esther Ngumbi and Brian LovettILLINOIS, United States, Mar 11 2020 (IPS) Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to lead by example and to provide current, high-quality information to the people and communities that support them. This responsibility is no clearer than during a public health and information crisis like the one presented by this novel coronavirus. State and local governments in particular should be able to rely on Universities for guidance on protective evidence-based precautionary measures, whether it’s cancelling events, closing schools or formulating public health postings. The University of Washington officially announced that it would cancel its in-person classes due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that has affected more than 70 people in the state. Some 50,000 students are expected to take their finals and attend classes remotely. How prepared is our education system to deal with coronavirus? It is undeniable that the educational system of today is built on a foundation of in-person community/group-based learning. How can we ensure that the rush to complete this transition to online courses does not exacerbate barriers and leave students behind? Universities are faced with the sobering reality that the virus will continue to spread, buoyed by a botched national testing and appearance-focused denial from the top down. Across the nation, many universities are formulating plans to follow a similar approach, including...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Education Featured Global Headlines Health TerraViva United Nations Coronavirus Source Type: news