SINGAPORE: Every week I read about another university in the United States forced to abandon in-person instruction due to a sudden rise in coronavirus cases: UNC-Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, James Madison.
This sudden change of direction has taken a toll on students, who are now restricted to remote instruction and self-isolation after moving to campus only weeks before.
It has also impacted faculty members, now forced to redesign their modules in the midst of the semester.
Here in Singapore, I have been planning for online teaching since May, when the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences made the controversial decision to offer nearly every course online this semester.
STARTING EARLY
The decision was unpopular with many colleagues, including me. After all, nearly everyone prefers face-to-face instruction.