What would you like the Union to do?
We want the union to begin lobbying UCL for a full return to face-to-face teaching alongside standardised Lecturecast.
Why would you like to do this?
Initially, this was raised to be a referendum, doubling the necessary signature count to initiate said process. UCLs current blended learning approach which is to remain in place for the "foreseeable" future is in our opinion not tenable for various reasons. Students across UCL find blended learning an issue for an array of reasons and we believe through our proposal everyone's needs may be best satisfied. Those that prefer learning from home or their convenience can do so through the live and recorded lecturecast system and those that prefer learning face-to-face can once more attend classes. We first observed this potent issue on various UCL discussion forums including UCLove. Thus, we began asking other students about their ideal learning environment in order to try and find a solution suitable for everyone. Online learning undoubtedly helped many students, however it was also apparent that it left many students needs ignored. Some students greatly benefited from being able to schedule when to review lectures on their own time or from being able to play and pause a lecture repeatedly however many also suffered as a result of this unstructured learning fashion (where they would often end up simply cramming the content days before an exam), found online learning to be distracting or simply could not work effectively from home. Moreover, many missed the “experience” and described lectures to be an integral part of the university experience and aside from providing great academic opportunities also providing great social opportunities. For example, one student described it as being beneficial to be able to discuss a topic with colleagues post-lecture whilst grabbing a coffee or a bite to eat – not only academically but also socially. Furthermore, it was also often voiced that considering the amount of fees students pay they expect to be able to attend in person teaching. Lastly, some students also voiced that one of the reasons they chose to attend an institution like UCL was the vast networking opportunities with some of the world’s best academics, opportunities undoubtedly missed when attending a pre-recorded video as a lecture.
How will this affect students?
We believe that this petition will promote inclusivity across UCLs student body as it will let the student decide what to do based on what is best for them as an individual. Ultimately it will support the individuals learning.