Some thoughts based on the student feedback from this spring's #IoT course, about teaching and learning remotely this semester. Of course, lot of anxiety and stress were there not only for staff but also students trying to learn in uncertain conditions. 1/x

I had time to gave my first two lectures f2f, however, no lab sessions started before the Uni lockdown. I had some three days to make decisions how to adapt my course to the remote settings: I started lecturing in Zoom and modified lab exercises as much as I could. 2/x

It was mentioned in the student feedback my lectures were better in the f2f mode which I agree. My voice didn't work very well when I was sitting on computer (a mistake, should have stood). Zoom is great but interactions are only very limited. 3/x

What was more surprising, I got significantly less students to attend remote lectures than f2f. Compared to the last year's iteration, approx. half of people attended, even if the virtual setting should be easier to listen than getting to the campus etc. 4/x

What I'm thinking here, maybe the sole thing of going to the campus every morning makes students to actually attend teaching. In remote setting, it's easier to skip lectures and just read slides later - or not to read, as I can recall from my own time as a student. 5/x

Of course, it's highly likely students with dependants couldn't make it as usual without daycare available, and many stress/anxiety-related issues probably made people to drop. However, these were not mentioned in the course feedback. 6/x

What was mentioned however, is a lack of support (other students, lab sessions) and feeling of belonging during the lockdown teaching. Learning is super social concept; this just highlights how much we need space for people to study and learn together. 7/x

Even if missing lab sessions and remote group work made these issues concrete and clear, I've a feeling that the campus as an environment and social learning spaces are the thing that make most of the people really focus on their doing. 8/x

Even if I personally feel that working (doing research, mainly) remotely is pretty fine, I really miss daily schedules, lunches with colleagues, and general chat in the corrridors. I can imagine it's the same for students: we all miss the campus, and we're missing each other. 9/x

I'm really sorry if we've to continue remote teaching next Autumn semester. I'm really looking for ways to make social belonging exist in remote conditions and online way, if that's the case we've to adapt. 10/x