smithlr2@lopers.unk.edu

With COVID-19 still a prevalent concern across the state, universities have given educators the option to host their classes through Zoom or in-person. Despite the pandemic, many professors chose to stay in the classrooms.

The first issue when educating during a pandemic is the safety and health of students, professors, and other faculty members.

 “I think we are safe at UNK,” said Brooke Envick, an associate professor of management. “If my students cannot make it to class, they have access to my slides — sometimes I post a video of my lecture, and I will meet with them on Zoom to answer questions. I did not have any concerns for myself, so I kept everything in-person.”

However, safety is not the only concern professors have during this challenging time.

The quality of education on Zoom does not always meet the same expectations that are met when in a classroom. When classes are moved online, many objectives can get lost in translation.

Efficiency and effectiveness are components many professors want to excel in while teaching. Zoom and in-person classes differ once again in those two factors.

When asked if students were more successful in-person or over Zoom, without hesitation, Envick said in-person.

“Creativity really cannot be taught over Zoom,” Envick said. “The other classes can, but not very effectively. My classes are about managing people. It is difficult to teach people skills when you are separated by multiple screens.”