By ELAINA GONALEZ/Staff Writer
Since the pandemic, UT Tyler has offered a variety of classes on Zoom. Students have mixed feelings about online classes as this format has its own set of benefits and challenges.
Some students dislike online delivery and prefer only face-to-face. Rebecca, an international freshman majoring in Health Studies, said, “I feel more confident when in person.” She said she has difficulty focusing and understanding Zoom due to poor video quality.
Similarly, professor Vanessa Joyner in the Communications Department expressed her preference for facilitating in-person courses.
“That give and take in the classroom can’t be replaced,” she stated.
Since COVID-19, she noted a decline in connection and engagement from many online students in her classes. Joyner stressed the need to be “direct” over Zoom due to the inability to “[communicate] non-verbals” through in-person interaction.
Despite the struggles of Zoom classes, some students prefer this method over face-to-face. Lauren, an education major in her junior year, asserted that Zoom “can be better than in person.” She praised the “comfortable environment” and flexibility that comes with online coursework.
“I prefer no [in-person] class and just having class online,” Lauren said.
Regarding the future of Zoom at UT Tyler, consistency and choice were popular concepts among students. Michaela, a junior year English major, described the back-and-forth between Zoom and in-person as “hard.” She prefers classes use the same format from start to finish.
Likewise, Lauren and Rebecca both emphasized the importance of having both face-to-face and online options for students.
“Everyone is different,” Rebecca explained.
Lauren similarly commented that Zoom is a “good option,” but students should be able to choose what works for them.
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