‘Nothing can really beat in-person’: some favor on-campus learning

As some opt-in for in-person learning this fall, all faculty members are required to return to campus by the interterm and spring semester. CLARISSE GUEVARRA, Staff Photographer

Groups of students in the Attallah Piazza beam from ear to ear, the liberated sound of chatter and laughter permeating the air. Normally, the energetic spirit of Chapman University can be found from a simple stroll through campus, a close-knit community that professor Eric Jaegers feels is hard to replicate elsewhere. 

In fact, Jaegers said returning to this climate was one of his main motivators for transitioning his business law and law and entrepreneurship classes to the hybrid format Oct. 19.

“The fact that everyone is happy, that means people want to be there … and my favorite time of the week is being in class with my students,” Jaegers said. “My classes are very interactive and students end up being more engaged and coming to class more prepared (when they’re on campus).”

Although only three students have opted to physically take class with Jaegers, he said teaching in-person is more conducive to gauging students’ understanding of course material. Jaegers explained he can readily attest facial expressions and engage in Socratic seminar discussions in a classroom setting – which he said is difficult to do on Zoom when students turn off their webcams and feel apprehensive about speaking online.

Most students and faculty have been attending Zoom classes since March 11, hoping to minimize the chance of contracting the coronavirus. It’s proved a viable method, but it impedes students’ ability to learn effectively, said Bridget McGarry, a sophomore creative producing major who’s planning to attend her screenwriting fundamentals class in person this week.

“It’s harder for me to do collaboration over Zoom and I wish more of (my classes) would be going back right away, because I really miss being in the classroom,” McGarry said. “I’m not learning as much online and I’m almost wasting my tuition, because being in a film major you need to be there.”

President Daniele Struppa shared in a student-wide email Oct. 23 that hundreds of students have returned to campus, and individual classrooms report a turnout of 5% to 35% of the course roster. He also announced that although students will still be given the option to take their courses remotely for the rest of the academic year, all faculty and staff are required to return to campus for the interterm and spring semester. He cited the advanced equipment installed in classrooms as a primary benefit.

“I can personally attest – and I know my students would definitely confirm – that the quality of the technology in the classrooms has allowed me to offer our students a very good experience,” Struppa wrote.

Helen Norris, Chapman’s vice president and chief information officer, told The Panther that about $2 million was invested into improving technology to create successful learning environments during the pandemic. Approximately 200 “Zoom classrooms” on campus have installed multiple high-grade cameras that can simultaneously show the professor lecturing at their desk and display material on the white board. Additional microphones in the classroom also serve to better pick up student and professor voices, and professors can use “help buttons” to call one of the support technicians on standby. 

“Through this crisis, it’s clear that Chapman wants students to get a great education,” Norris said. “I’m really hopeful that we continue to see students return and have a great experience in a safe way.”

Although other students and faculty feel it’s too soon to make a safe transition to in-person instruction, McGarry isn’t the only one who feels invigorated by returning to the classroom.

“Nothing can really beat in-person,” said Adam Fujiwara, a freshman health sciences major. “Online is totally different than in-person and even after my first in-person class in math, I just felt a lot better about the content.”

On top of attending his single-variable calculus class in the Hashinger Science Center with one other student, Fujiwara has also had the chance to finally feel the crisp crunch of Wilson Field’s turf beneath his cleats. As he embarks on his collegiate football career as a long snapper and cornerback for the Panthers, Fujiwara explained that nine groups of eight to nine athletes are assigned different training times to reduce contact exposure. As a first-year student, Fujiwara said his first taste at college life was not exactly what he’d anticipated.

“It’s been a little harder to make friends,” Fujiwara said. “It’ll be interesting to see how many more friends I’ll make and how many more connections I’ll make with people and professors.”

In the classroom itself, sanitization products are supplied and panther paw stickers demonstrate how far apart students should sit to maintain proper social distancing. Since the university reopened its undergraduate programs Oct. 19, one staff member and 27 students currently have COVID-19, as of Oct. 23.

“It was kind of odd teaching with a mask on, but you got to do what you got to do,” Jaegers said. “I personally feel protected, and the school has put the right protocols in place to do … an absolutely stand-out, knock-down, drag-out, great job – not just with what they were doing, but communicating well and keeping the staff informed.”

The Panther is tracking the number of active cases the university reports. Graphic by HARRY LADA, Art Director