15 classes shifted online due to COVID-19
David SwankApproximately 15 classes in the College of Liberal Arts have gone online since the start of the semester, with some making the shift last week.
“Due to COVID exposures among faculty and student populations, some classes are meeting 100% virtually for the time being,” said Catherine Webster, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
For students who don’t have access to the needed technology for extended classrooms, the IT Department has laptops, web cameras, headsets and hotspots available to be checked out. Searching “emergency equipment checkout” on the main UCO website will take you to the form that should be filled out.
If your class has been registered into the program, available items can be checked out. Items can be picked up at the Tech Store in the Nigh University Center.
Becca Buckner, Media Specialist II, said that 257 of 425 available laptops, 119 web cameras, 162 hotspots and 43 headsets had been checked out so far.
The items will need to be returned by the end of the fall semester. Details will be handled via email due to the scheduled campus closing after Thanksgiving break.
Dr. David Macey English department chairman, said that the english department has around 100 classes with extended classroom functionality. UCO’s policy for extended classrooms has students logging in at the time of the class.
Students that are scheduled for the in-person class can opt into the extended classroom at any time. However, those signed up for the extended classroom can not come to physical class sessions.
Changes for extended classrooms have brought with them a “learning curve for students and teachers” according to Macey.
“Zoom Fatigue” is something some are dealing with, he adds. However, he feels that after the pandemic is over instructors will have new options and flexibility due to learning to adapt to the new methods and technologies.