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HKUST MBA |
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Running Our First Online MBA Classes with Zoom
Running Our First Online MBA Classes with Zoom
The group chat function allows students to message any other classmate in the same class and raise questions to the instructors in real time—the interactions are still there in online learning.
What comes to mind when you think of online learning? Sitting in your room and staring at the screen with zero human interaction? Our experience over the past few months confirmed that it is much more than that.
In mid-November 2019, when our campus was closed down due to unrest in Hong Kong, the University announced that classes would be moved online. To cater to the needs of students both on and off campus, we simultaneously offered face-to-face classes—that students could join on a voluntary basis—and online sessions. This hybrid model was used throughout the remaining Fall and Winter terms until the coronavirus outbreak when only online classes are offered.
In mid-November 2019, when our campus was closed down due to unrest in Hong Kong, the University announced that classes would be moved online. To cater to the needs of students both on and off campus, we simultaneously offered face-to-face classes—that students could join on a voluntary basis—and online sessions. This hybrid model was used throughout the remaining Fall and Winter terms until the coronavirus outbreak when only online classes are offered.
Identifying the right platform was key to conduct these virtual lessons smoothly. Our attention was drawn to Zoom, a web-based video conferencing tool that allows users to meet online, with or without video. We were in luck as HKUST had already subscribed to Zoom and we could jump right in.
This is how it works: professors can record sessions and share their screens in real time using Zoom, and students can join classes virtually using any device at their disposal and even raise a virtual “hand” to ask questions. Zoom also has other nifty functions such as video breakout rooms and group chats, which can add a new level of engagement for students.
The beginning proved the most difficult as we needed to brief all parties involved and familiarize everyone with the platform. Additional equipment and manpower were required to support the online format. After a process of trial and error, we were pleased with the end results and received positive feedback from students, such as “I just attended the Zoom lesson and it went very well!”
While it is expected that our classes will resume normal operation eventually, online learning is definitely the way forward and an area HKUST will pursue. Technology has made it possible for instructors and students to remain active participants in online classes that offer similar, if not greater, interactivity. It provides educators with insights and analytics into the engagement and progress of students to improve teaching effectiveness, and it grants students an unprecedented level of flexibility, saves them money and time in commuting to the physical classrooms, and facilitates a greater balance of work and life.
Imagine entering the classroom with just a click, sipping a home-brewed coffee, and chatting with your professor and classmates in the comfort of your home, all the while knowing you can get back to your kids outside your room as soon as the class ends. How can anyone say no to that?
By Towni Lao and Sana Chau, Central team
This is how it works: professors can record sessions and share their screens in real time using Zoom, and students can join classes virtually using any device at their disposal and even raise a virtual “hand” to ask questions. Zoom also has other nifty functions such as video breakout rooms and group chats, which can add a new level of engagement for students.
The beginning proved the most difficult as we needed to brief all parties involved and familiarize everyone with the platform. Additional equipment and manpower were required to support the online format. After a process of trial and error, we were pleased with the end results and received positive feedback from students, such as “I just attended the Zoom lesson and it went very well!”
While it is expected that our classes will resume normal operation eventually, online learning is definitely the way forward and an area HKUST will pursue. Technology has made it possible for instructors and students to remain active participants in online classes that offer similar, if not greater, interactivity. It provides educators with insights and analytics into the engagement and progress of students to improve teaching effectiveness, and it grants students an unprecedented level of flexibility, saves them money and time in commuting to the physical classrooms, and facilitates a greater balance of work and life.
Imagine entering the classroom with just a click, sipping a home-brewed coffee, and chatting with your professor and classmates in the comfort of your home, all the while knowing you can get back to your kids outside your room as soon as the class ends. How can anyone say no to that?
By Towni Lao and Sana Chau, Central team
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