Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Podcasts
    • Optimist Overtime
    • Top of the Key
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Opinion / Quality online education requires lecturing and better communication
Trés Cox, senior marketing major from Lewisville, listens to Dr. Richard Beck, Chair of the Department of Psychology, speak about peacemakers in his Summit talk. (Photo by David Mitchell)

Quality online education requires lecturing and better communication

January 10, 2021 by Special Contributor

With the university handling new forms of teaching in light of COVID-19, many classes have been moved to an online format due to safety for the professors and students. Because of this unexpected transition, fewer guidelines were placed on class procedures. 

Some professors chose to have weekly Zoom lectures or discussions in lieu of the in-person classes, but many other professors chose to get rid of the lectures and discussions altogether. This leaves the students with potentially prerecorded videos and little to no communication with those professors. 

“It was frustrating,” said Grayson Chapman, a sophomore child and family services major from Sweetwater. “I ended up not doing good in that class at all and felt like I had no help.”

“One class didn’t even have videos,” said Haylee Batey, a graphic design major from Abilene. “It only had emails with the agenda for the week and Powerpoints. It severely hurt my grade.” 

ACU prides itself in “exemplary teaching… that inspires a commitment to learning.” They value their students being “sharpened and refined by their interactions with faculty and peers” (acu.edu). 

These goals were obviously not met in many classes. It feels like the commitment to learning has been lost when several of my classes had no teaching at all. Additionally, lack of interaction — whether online or in-person — leads to lack of connections between professors and students. 

It was incredibly hard to form relationships with my professors who chose to not lecture. There was never a single live interaction that I experienced with them. Can ACU continue to claim exemplary teaching when the interaction between students and professors, even through Zoom, has been lost? 

Every student who chose ACU understood that by choosing a private university their tuition would not be cheap, but the rewards would be worthwhile. Tuition for each academic year is estimated around $37,000 before room and board. 

Breaking this down, each student is paying about $3,000 for each class they take at ACU. Should students be paying that much for classes in which the teaching and communication is lacking? With so many options of higher education available it seems that attending a university with online learning at a significantly cheaper price or a public university with provided zoom lectures would be a better bargain for your dollar. If ACU wants to continue to charge high prices, they must continue to provide worthwhile benefits. 

With unexpected issues that arose due to COVID-19 many professors feel the need to teach in a safer environment of online learning. While understandable, the amount of communication and instruction should not be lacking.

As a student directly affected by this, I wanted to do something to promote a change for the current situation. As 2020 has shown us, using our voice can promote actual change in important matters. That is why I have created a petition to mandate that when a class is held online, professors must provide zoom lectures and better communication.  If you agree that this is a problem and are seeking better guidelines for online classes at ACU, please sign this petition and share it with your friends on social media. We can bring change to our school together for the betterment of our education!

Please share your experiences from the fall semester in my petition linked below: 

http://chng.it/vcbxDYgZ 

 

Morgen Maltby is a junior accounting major from New Braunfels.

 

Filed Under: Opinion

Other Opinion:

  • Not-so-friendly competition

  • Sing Song in the Expo Center presents an exciting opportunity

  • Micro-trends are a danger to Gen Z and the planet

About Special Contributor

You are here: Home / Opinion / Quality online education requires lecturing and better communication

Other Opinion:

  • Not-so-friendly competition

  • Sing Song in the Expo Center presents an exciting opportunity

  • Micro-trends are a danger to Gen Z and the planet

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
4 May

"Maybe we just don’t care enough. But if we do start caring, and if we become the loudest fans in the WAC, let’s stick to supportive cheering." Read more from Guest Columnist Londyn Gray:
https://acuoptimist.com/2022/04/not-so-friendly-competition/

Reply on Twitter 1521918832738144257 Retweet on Twitter 1521918832738144257 1 Like on Twitter 1521918832738144257 8 Twitter 1521918832738144257
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
3 May

Royce Clough and Jael Morel have been named as Mr. and Miss ACU for the class of 2022, a traditional honor voted on by the student body and awarded to two members of each graduating class.

Reply on Twitter 1521607087553458178 Retweet on Twitter 1521607087553458178 Like on Twitter 1521607087553458178 18 Twitter 1521607087553458178

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

3 months ago

The Optimist
"Maybe we just don’t care enough. But if we do start caring, and if we become the loudest fans in the WAC, let’s stick to supportive cheering." Read more from Guest Columnist Londyn Gray: ... See MoreSee Less

Not-so-friendly competition - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

BY: LONDYN GRAY “Number 18, you look like you don’t shower!” I chuckled and shrugged it off. “Londyn!” They had looked up the roster. “Do you even brush your teeth?” I laughed again, rol...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

3 months ago

The Optimist
Cullen Auditorium is expected to be handed over to the university in June 2022, alongside a name change that coupled with the renovation will create new future for the Cornerstone class, Chapel and the Department of Theatre. ... See MoreSee Less

Cullen Auditorium still set for a name change alongside renovations - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

Cullen Auditorium is expected to be handed over to the university in June 2022, alongside a name change that coupled with the renovation will create new future for the Cornerstone class, Chapel and th...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Women’s tournament run ended by first-round exit against UTRGV

The Wildcats’ Western Athletic Conference tournament run and season came to a ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 22. 2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.16.2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.9.2022

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Weekly Ads
  • Classifieds

© 2022 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved