Contactless u: Higher education in the postcoronavirus world

Abstract

By late February 2020, the world was reeling from the onslaught of COVID-19, many had already died, and the predicted trajectory was catastrophic. Worldwide, a large majority of university administrators realized that they would need to prohibit or severely limit physical access to campuses, thereby threatening completion of the current academic session, research programs, and the conduct of university business. This dire situation could only be mitigated by virtual meetings and research activities and by reinventing courses already in session or about to launch into online equivalents. Across the globe, decisions were made to put courses online and move all meetings to virtual formats. Faculty and students who never tried online learning before (and were reluctant) were suddenly faced with it. The implementation issues and second-order effects impacted housing, scholarships and other funding sources, travel arrangements, and more. The forced conversion made sensational news with everyone, even outside academia, discussing the subject in email threads, on social media, and on radio and television. Teaching and taking online courses are difficult, and this fact surprised many except those with experience.