Both students and faculty at TU-Sofia are looking forward to in-person classes

15.01.2021 

How are students coping with their studies in the situation and time when measures against the spread of coronavirus impose restrictions and force many higher education institutions to rely on digital delivery of lectures and exercises?
The conditions are different not only due to the unequal opportunities of universities, but also due to the specifics of the specialties.
"Students do not take online learning seriously enough. Teachers make efforts and cope quite well under these conditions," said Dimitar Tsenov, a first-year student at the Technical University – Sofia, to Radio Sofia. He studies in the specialty "Computer and Software Engineering" and prefers online learning.
Denitsa Uzunova is a student in the same specialty at TU and is also satisfied with online learning, despite her initial reservations.
Last academic year, many classes were cancelled. However, now all lectures and exercises are held. Teachers also provide extraordinary consultations on Saturdays and Sundays.
According to Kristian Pandev, an Aviation Engineering student (III year at TU-Sofia), not all teachers try hard; they "recite" their lectures, but unlike in-person learning, this attitude in front of a computer screen is very distracting. Not coincidentally, this specialty does not have a part-time form planned.
"This is a compromise option, just to avoid declaring a zero year, but it is at our expense."
The second-year student Boris Novoselski also admits that this academic year and the teachers are better prepared, but overall he is not satisfied with online education due to the lack of practical hours.
 "We all want the academic classes to proceed normally," pointed out Prof. Mikhail Todorov, Dean of the Faculty of Transport at the Technical University, to Radio Sofia. He confirmed the possibility of in-person conduct of practical classes, exams, and other activities, following today's order from the Ministry of Health.
Prof. Todorov acknowledged the difficulties during the summer semester of last year, but there are no problems during the current semester. Even in his lectures, he registered active participation from students. Among the advantages of online education, he pointed out the possibility of recording lectures and then having the young people replay them as many times and whenever they wish.
There are still difficulties with some activities in the laboratories of TU-Sofia.
Listen to the conversation between Lachezar Hristov and Louiza Lazarova with Prof. Mikhail Todorov, as well as the opinions of the students recorded by Mikhail Mitev and Georgi Karamfilov.

See the article here

BNT, 15.01.2021.