The Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted education all over the world and Macao is no exception. Precautions to limit the spread of the disease have halted face-to-face classes and students have gone online to receive lectures.
Physical attendance at IFTM classes halted in late January but face-to-face classes have gradually resumed since April – mostly for Year 4 students. Most of the lectures for most of the courses are still being delivered through videoconferencing software.
“Online courses are actually helpful for me,” says Kevin Wong, a Year 4 student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Event Management. “I can make notes during class more easily and it allows us to share our thoughts in the chat room.”
Kevin communicated online with his supervisor to help him prepare his graduation thesis and says the Covid-19 pandemic has not significantly disrupted his education. “It is really great that I don’t need to leave home and can still progress in my studies,” he says.
Dora Tang, a Year 2 student of Tourism Event Management, also enjoys virtual attendance. Dora says online classes make it easier for her to manage her time because she does not have to worry about rushing to catch the bus to and from the Institute. “I can better organise myself,” she says.
IFTM has long made use of online teaching tools. For example, Institute staff use Moodle, an open-source learning management system, to share resources with students. But the Covid-19 precautions brought a pressing need to deliver learning online and IFTM began using the Zoom app to host meetings online.
Like his counterparts around the world hampered by Covid-19 precautions, IFTM Assistant Professor Dr. Jack Ly is becoming accustomed to teaching online. Dr. Ly says he is still assessing the effectiveness of sessions delivered online, namely if students grasp the key points from each discussion.
“I prepare some questions about the main ideas to be introduced in each lecture and upload them to Moodle,” he says. “During the online Zoom class, I keep interacting with the students, trying to make sure they can understand what I am teaching. Afterwards, I will ask them to answer the questions in Moodle.”
Assistant Professor Dr. Fernando Lourenço says students and teaching staff are staying at home to ensure strict social distancing rules. But being at home creates new challenges.
“My kids are around, and they are always interrupting me. I have found it difficult to work,” Dr. Lourenço says. “Nevertheless, we have to keep teaching going, so I will continue to work hard to make students continue to learn.”
