English
Cambridge has become the first university in Britain to announce all lectures are moving online for the entire academic year.
Back in the spring, the legendary university was one of the first to announce the full implementation of the online education system.
Since then, many universities have followed suit and made the transition to remote learning.
However, the reality of the situation varies. In a number of cases, a student can be allowed to communicate with a teacher face to face, yet the majority of interactions still remain virtual. Some universities have claimed that a student is allowed to see their tutor in person but no more than once a week for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Before the start of the academic year, some universities tried to improve their existing online format. Despite that, the news of Cambridge's switch to remote learning until the end of the 2021 academic year has caused dissatisfaction among students. The opinions are divided 50/50: one half of the students reckons that their fees should also be reduced, while the other welcomes the online format as the chance to personalize their learning. Indeed, many students said that they acquire information better when watching recorded lectures. A record can be paused at any moment so a listener can take their time to make notes or have a break.
Moreover, if required, you can always listen to the lecture recording again, and this also helps with exam preparation.
In many universities, recorded lectures were used before the pandemic, but most Cambridge lecturers refused to upload them online. Now, the situation has changed, and students can get all recorded lectures according to their educational program.
