Will COVID-19 Change the Classroom?

THERE IS A SCENE that is more common than educators should be willing to accept: the sight of a professor standing in front of a classroom, imparting knowledge. In traditional classrooms that follow the lecture model, disengaged students use their mobile devices to escape their discomfort and gaze outward. In virtual courses, students respond to their boredom by messaging friends, working out, talking to family members, and snoozing while professors drone on in the background. (I have seen my college-aged kids doing each of these activities during online classes.)