The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Online Learning

  • Symptomatic and want to teach online? Steer clear of Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Liam Gywnn

    Dr. Christopher Aberson came into contact with COVID-19 the weekend before he was supposed to teach. He requested the school let him teach over zoom and his request was denied. The school would not let him switch his modality despite the Omicron surge and the numerous COVID-19 cases reported on campus.

    “I was told I was not authorized to change modality. After several emails, clarification came that I could not move online. I have symptoms. I am well enough to teach. Not allowed to,” said Dr. Aberson.

    Dr. Aberson is the Professor of Psychology at Cal Poly Humboldt and came into contact with the virus after one of his son’s friends tested positive. He claims that this issue is larger than his individual case.

    “My issue with the surge has and continues to be that faculty who agreed to teach in person are not being allowed to change to online. Faculty agreed to teach in person at times when it seemed we had gotten over the hump and were headed toward a better situation,” said Dr. Aberson in an email, he continued. “In both the fall and spring semesters, as I understand it, most requests to change to online were denied. Both semesters began during surges.”

    Dr. Aberson has been outspoken about a number of issues on campus and believes that could be playing into why he wasn’t allowed to teach online.

    “I have been outspoken about under-compensation of chair duties — it is a full-time job but during the summer and other off times, we are grossly under-compensated for our time. Also, campus safety and working conditions during both the delta and omicron surges,” said Dr. Aberson.

    The California Faculty Association (CFA) negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with campus administration regarding teaching during COVID-19. The document was signed by CFA and Cal Poly Humboldt management. Dr. Aberson presented a passage from the MOU that explicitly supports his position.

    “During the time that an employee may be waiting for an appointment or for testing results every effort should be made for them to be able to work remotely,” states the MOU.

    Prior to Dr. Aberson’s situation, the CFA had already made an official statement addressing the administration and their lack of leniency.

    “No faculty member should be forced to work in conditions that put themselves or their loved ones at risk, especially when there are alternatives,” states a press release provided by the CFA.

    CFA Humboldt president Loren Cannon still supports this idea and thinks the administration needs to be more flexible in situations like Dr. Aberson’s.

    “We have urged that Administration approve all such requests for temporary, or sometimes permanent change in modality,” said Cannon.

    Cannon acknowledges that for some cases transitioning to online can be difficult, however for many other classes transitioning online for a week or two is relatively easy.

    “I believe that at this time, as we still are not ‘in the clear’ of this incredible health crisis, we need to trust each other and make decisions that recognize the complexity of individual context,” said Cannon.

    Leadership has yet to make an official statement regarding the MOU breach and has also failed to respond to our request for an interview.

  • Elementary education students learn to teach online

    Elementary education students learn to teach online

    Limited fact-to-face interaction challenges elementary education majors and K-8 students

    The pandemic forced limited face-to-face interaction between Humboldt State University’s Liberal Studies Elementary Education majors and currently enrolled K-8 students in Humboldt County.

    According to John Lee, a School of Education professor, community building amongst the LSEE students is easier in face-to-face classes. In an effort to build community in his classes, Lee used extended breakout group activities, games for students, breathing exercises, brain and music breaks and regular check-ins.

    “Feeling a part of a community or social integration is essential for learning,” Lee said. “It puts students at ease so they can focus on learning.”

    Fourth-year, undergraduate students and those in the teaching credential program started out the year teaching over Zoom. As more local schools opened up, HSU students were able to conduct limited face-to-face instruction with their elementary students using a hybrid instruction model.

    Stella Mantova, a LSEE major, teaches in a second grade classroom at Alice Birney School in Eureka. Because Eureka started the school year online, Mantova, her students and the other teachers experienced a huge learning curve.

    “Teaching over 20, seven-year-olds at once isn’t an easy task,” Mantova said. “But when you add in the fact that some of them are still learning to unmute their microphones, things become a lot more complicated.”

    Of all the challenges Mantova has faced since the pandemic began, connecting with her students has been the most challenging.

    “Online teaching seems like we don’t have as much time to get to know each other because we need to use the majority of our time to teach the standards,” Mantova said.

    Mother of three and LSEE major, Maxine Welch, missed interacting with her teachers and peers. Instead of being in a classroom, Welch watched pre-recorded lectures.

    “I would have liked to be able to be more interactive as an LSEE student, because I know a lot of my classes revolve around interaction,” Welch said. “Interaction with other teachers to learn their teaching techniques as well as interactions with students to learn how to adapt to the teaching needs.”

    Along with the effects the pandemic has had on LSEE students, the Children’s Center on campus had to adapt. Following local and state guidelines, the Center is currently operating at half-capacity. They’ve had to make several adjustments to ensure the children, parents and staff stay safe.

    Stephen St. Onge, director of the Children’s Center, is most concerned about the lack of social interaction between the children, classmates and teachers.

    “The team at the Center has had to revamp the way children and families are greeted, the number of students allowed in any classroom at a given time, and have had to modify their learning modalities and curriculum,” St. Onge said.

    Betsy Wilson, program director for the Children’s Center, added that the biggest challenges were keeping everyone healthy and making sure the Center stays staffed.

    “The hardest part about being an elementary education major right now is that everything always seems to be changing,” Mantova said. “Just when I think I’ve established a routine and I know what to expect from teaching and from my HSU experience, some new guideline shifts and I have to plan my life all over again.”

  • Students experience extra stress without access to a classroom

    Students experience extra stress without access to a classroom

    Online learning amplifies student stress

    Spring semester that consisted of conference calls with teachers while relaxing at home crazed returning students overwhelmed by large lesson plans and a full workload.

    Nicole Matonak, a zoology major at Humboldt State University, manages a part-time job at the Marine Lab and five classes worth of homework.

    “There are times where I wish I wasn’t working so I could focus on school stuff,” Matonak said. “It feels like there is not enough hours in the day for everything I need to do.”

    Matonak’s methods of getting homework done on time revolve around scheduling out the week in advance. She’s made a habit of setting time aside to relax. Matonak is taking a yoga class this semester and has been trying to do other exercises to reduce stress.

    “Lately when I feel like I am zoning out,” Matonak said. “I try to stretch and practice headstands and I feel like it gets my blood flowing.”

    Matonak lives in Humboldt County and relies on surrounding outside nature to exercise or study without distractions.

    “Charging my iPad, my notebook and my computer and taking it to the beach and studying in my car,” Matonak said. “I think that’s been the best way for me to work and not have distractions.”

    Mikayla Nicholas is an art education major at HSU and is taking upper-level art courses.

    “I knew that some of the art classes would be high-end, project-wise,” Nicholas said. “But I didn’t really expect the level to still be this high online.”

    Being overwhelmed by the work in her classes and miscommunication with professors, Nicholas finds relaxation by baking bread.

    “I enjoy baking and cooking as something to do that’s easy and stress-free,” Nicholas said.

    For students overwhelmed by stress, Liza Auerbach Ph.D. has your back. Auerbach is a clinical psychologist with the HSU Counseling and Psychological Services program.

    Auerbach suggests students learn their rhythms of productivity and dedicate that time to accomplishing tasks.

    “I am a big believer in psychological inertia and momentum,” Auerbach said. “The longer that we are not doing something the harder it is to get started.”

    Auerbach also recommends students falling behind in classes contact professors and be forward with concerns, instead of struggling alone or giving up altogether.

    “If the stress of what’s going on in the world and in our own minds is interfering with our ability to perform,” Auerbach said. “Reach out and let them know.”

    Students struggling can also call CAPS during business hours to schedule a one on one therapy session, included in the cost of your student fees.

    CAPS is open by phone from 8:30 a.m – noon and 1:00 p.m-4:30 p.m.

    707-826-3236 or hsucaps@humboldt.edu

  • COVID-19 cheats the college system.

    COVID-19 cheats the college system.

    Asynchronous classes allow students flexibility at the cost of self-discipline.

    Following the disastrous transition to online learning, students returning this fall express concern about the quality of their college experience moving forward.

    Matthew Moretti is a botany major at Humboldt State University. Moretti took spring semester off after a particularly challenging fall but decided to return because he felt it was his only option in the pandemic.

    “If there’s any time to rush through the rest of college, I feel that online courses are in a way easier, even if they have their unique challenges to them,” Moretti said. “I think the asynchronous classes are particularly difficult and I need to have a lot more self-discipline than I think I have any other semester before.”

    Moretti’s biggest gripe with online learning is missing out on the practical knowledge that comes with the hands-on experience of lab classes. He’s delaying as many labs as possible, in hopes they’ll be held in-person in the near future. Unfortunately, Moretti couldn’t avoid taking an online entomology, study of insects, lab this semester.

    “We will not be able to collect or curate insects,” Moretti said. “Which I feel is a real disservice to really understanding the ins and outs of the insect properly. You lose a lot without being in person.”

    Chris Bignery, HSU wildlife major, plans to become a herpetologist, working with amphibians and reptiles. His online lab means missing out on educational field trips and important labs with species samples, but he couldn’t risk losing his spot.

    “It’s the class I’ve been waiting for, for three years,” Bignery said.

    Bignery came down from Oregon to live on campus this semester because he loves Humboldt’s redwood forests, beaches and small cities. Although claiming the county has everything he needs, Bignery described his life on campus this semester much more bleakly.

    “It’s like a prison,” Bignery said. “It’s very lonely.”

    Sara White, environmental studies major, enrolled in two classes that were moved online at the last minute. Regardless, she’s carrying a positive attitude into the semester.

    “Honestly, I’m really excited, I like all of my classes so far,” White said. “I mean, I wish that things were different obviously but I’m still happy to be here.”

    White was attending community college last semester and like other students was forced to convert to online learning mid-semester. Her only concerns are the three asynchronous classes she’s signed up for.

    “I feel like it’s a little bit harder to keep track of things,” White said. “I think that’s true of being online in general. It feels like things can get lost in the void.”

    Drake Woosley, HSU mathematics major, believes asynchronous classes are much more efficient because he doesn’t have access to an internet connection at home, so he has to walk to campus every time he has class. He feels, generally speaking, there’s a lot less being covered this semester than in normal circumstances and the tuition should reflect that.

    “It’s an online school, it shouldn’t be the same tuition. That’s kinda ridiculous,” Woosley said. “There’s almost nothing— no facilities are open. You’re not getting anything other than the accredited university online degree.”

  • Humboldt State’s Hybrid Instruction Request Approved for Fall Semester

    Humboldt State’s Hybrid Instruction Request Approved for Fall Semester

    On May 21, Humboldt State University sent out an email announcing that it would be submitting a proposal to the CSU system requesting for a hybrid learning environment where there would be a mixture of face-to-face and online instruction. June 6, another email was sent out confirming that HSU would be able to operate virtually and in-person as needed.

    According to the official HSU email, “the University’s academic program has perhaps the highest proportion of courses with a hands-on component in the CSU.”

    About a quarter of all HSU courses involve labs and other activities and experiences that can’t really translate online and half of those course sections are able to be taught in-person this upcoming fall.

    Regarding all other courses that involve less tangible experiences, like lectures and seminars, they will continue to operate online.

    Following the acceptance by the CSU system, HSU can now ramp up its thorough planning process beginning this summer. HSU is also considering a return to a fully online learning environment if things worsen. For now, it will be a hybrid of face-to-face and online instruction.

    As for the details of HSU’s plan for the fall semester:

    Health and Safety

    Steps will be taken to ensure the health and safety of people on campus like limiting capacity and mandating face coverings for all who step foot on HSU turf.

    Social Responsibility

    Students and faculty will be expected to be socially responsible when returning to campus and remain vigilant in keeping themselves safe.

    Schedule

    Courses taught in a face-to-face manner will start and finish with virtual interactions to go over safety measures, and all face-to-face parts of courses will start after the initial virtual interaction and end on Nov 6. just in time for the second virtual interaction.

    Housing

    The combined capacity in HSU’s residence halls will not exceed 1000 students and students will be placed in single-occupancy rooms. Dates and times for moving in will be spread out.

    Dining

    Dining services will not be as frequent on campus. Takeout and food-delivery will be available to students but buffet-style and self-serve food will not be.

    Faculty and Staff

    A majority of employees will continue to telecommute. Workers deemed essential will come back to campus to work more regular hours. Employees over the age of 65 will continue to telecommute as well.

    Athletics and Recreational Activities

    HSU will enact a four-stage plan intended to gradually allow student-athletes and related staff to come back to campus. The availability of recreational activities will increase in conjunction with the availability of recreational activities in the county.

  • Students Struggle to Stay Motivated

    Students Struggle to Stay Motivated

    COVID-19 rages through US as students struggle with online schoolwork

    Humboldt State University transitioned to online instruction for the rest of the semester on March 26. Since then, some students have had a hard time staying focused and motivated in online classes.

    Deana Lopez, a third-year zoology major at HSU, admitted that this hasn’t been an easy transition.

    “I feel overwhelmed with the amount of emails professors and instructors are sending, and everything seems all over the place,” Lopez said. “I have been neglecting my school work so much that I forget that I still have classes. I’ve missed quizzes and assignments already because it’s so easy to forget that I have to do them without a professor reminding me.”

    Third-year psychology major Madeline Baker said she was having a tough time staying motivated without face-to-face instruction.

    “Not being able to have classes in person further discourages me,” Baker said. “Holding classes through Zoom has been easier for me in contrast to pre-recorded lectures, but they still aren’t the same. Not having that in-person connection alters the learning environment in a way that makes me feel disconnected from my overall learning experience.”

    Not only are students dealing with the move from face-to-face instruction to online classes, but they also have to manage the stress of living in a pandemic. With many students moving back home, there’s added family stress as well.

    Not only do I feel like my beginning of therapy has been interrupted, but the full college experience for this semester.”

    Madeline Baker

    Lopez was feeling pressure from school alongside tension from life in general.

    “I know I can find the motivation, but everything is hectic at the moment,” Lopez said. “My grandma recently passed away so there was that on top of the COVID-19 situation, and a lot of family problems have occurred as well. I’m trying to get myself and my surroundings organized before I can actually put all of my focus into school.”

    No matter how good a job professors are doing, online education doesn’t appear to be the same. For the students, it’s not just the classes they feel they’re missing out on, but the whole college experience.

    Meanwhile, the state of the world may be taking a toll on student mental health.

    “The resource I would like to use most right now is CAPS,” Baker said. “Before all of this happened, I finally decided to go in and begin appointments, something I feel like I’ve needed to do for a while now. I feel like that has now been interrupted for me. I had a private safe space provided to speak with someone and learn to cope with things. Given my current housing situation, I do not have a private enough space in which I would feel comfortable confiding in someone and work through my personal feelings and issues over the phone or video. Not only do I feel like my beginning of therapy has been interrupted, but the full college experience for this semester.”

    Many students are also dissatisfied about paying full-price tuition for resources they won’t be able to access for the rest of the semester.

    Kayla Rodenburg, a third-year English major, thinks the tuition price doesn’t add up with all classes now online.

    “I do feel like the tuition price is too high for online classes,” Rodenburg said. “Online university is dirt cheap and we are paying CSU prices for that which is kinda ridiculous in my opinion. I’m pretty sure many parts of our tuition fund things on campus that we now don’t have access to, so I hope some type of refund happens, even though it’s kind of a stretch.”

  • First-Year Students Frustrated with Their Education

    First-Year Students Frustrated with Their Education

    HSU freshmen got the short end of the stick after facing blackouts and the COVID-19 pandemic

    Humboldt State students have experienced a crazy school year. From blackouts in October and COVID-19 ending face-to-face classes, it’s been quite the ride for everyone. For freshmen, this was their first experience with college.

    Freshmen learn to live on their own, make new experiences and acclimate to their new surroundings. For the freshmen that entered in fall 2019, it’s been a different story.

    Mikayla Diaz, an environmental science management major from Torrance, California, struggled with scheduling her first semester during the blackouts.

    “It was just really unexpected,” Diaz said. “Starting college, people will tell you how to stay organized and to keep a weekly planner and stuff like that, so everything I heard just kind of went out the window. Like, I wanted to keep a weekly planner but how do I if I don’t even know if I’m having class? It was difficult to make my way and get the bare minimum done.”

    “Keeping in contact with my teachers has been helpful, but it is difficult to do the Zoom thing with my teachers. It’s kind of awkward.

    Mikayla Diaz

    HSU has a prominent science program, and with that comes a lot of lab classes. Megan Bach, a wildlife management major from Boulder, Colorado, admitted that the blackouts affected her lab class.

    “Because of both blackouts I missed two labs,” Bach said, “which I was super bummed about because we didn’t get to do certain activities. Same with the coronavirus too though.”

    COVID-19 has affected students throughout the world by pushing classes that are normally face-to-face online. Classes are conducted from home and teachers have been forced to cut assignments that can’t be done from home or without certain equipment.

    Bach is concerned about the lack of hands-on learning, specifically for her chemistry lab.

    “The teachers are doing a great job. I’m still getting all the information,” Bach said. “It’s just rough because it’s hard, especially from home. I hate online classes. It makes everything harder. I’m a very hands-on learner and I can’t even imagine how they’re gonna do my chemistry lab.”

    Although classes are changing to accommodate online learning, students are missing out most on science classes.

    “Teachers are cutting out a lot of work,” Diaz said. “Keeping in contact with my teachers has been helpful, but it is difficult to do the Zoom thing with my teachers. It’s kind of awkward. For classes—especially lab classes—I need to go to the Arcata Marsh or something and I can’t go and do that because I’m in SoCal. It’s just kind of disappointing.”

    Science students feel they aren’t getting the education they paid for. Science and freshman botany professor, Mihai Tomescu, admits some of his students are struggling with the online format.

    “There’s just a lot of stuff I’m missing out on.”

    Mikayla Diaz

    “Just recently I had a student emailing me and she was a really good student until COVID hit,” Tomescu said. “She was really involved in class, really liked the material, was there in lectures all the time, worked in the lab really hard, she really enjoyed it. She missed an assignment and I checked in with her to see how things were going and she told me that she has really big problems with the internet.”

    Tomescu admits that he can’t directly do anything about the situation or to help in any way with the problems his students are facing, such as internet access.

    “It’s either slow or not available or spotty. Parts of lectures will stop and she’ll have to wait for the internet to come back on and stuff like that,” Tomescu said. “That’s very worrisome, especially when you see that in a student that was doing really well in class and she was excited. I don’t want it to be a missed opportunity.”

    Doing school from home can be frustrating, difficult and demotivating. At times, it’s inaccessible for people that don’t have the resources they need to complete the work. Not only are students missing opportunities on campus or in classes, but they’re also missing out on social opportunities they’ll never get back.

    “It’s really frustrating because I’m not getting the material for my classes,” Diaz said. “There’s just a lot of stuff I’m missing out on.”

  • Online Learning Isn’t for Me

    Online Learning Isn’t for Me

    Online classes don’t feel like real learning and stifle student motivation

    Spring semester has turned into one of the worst semesters of my life, and online classes aren’t helping.

    Don’t get me wrong, online classes are nice to clear up some room in your schedule for work or other classes. They are still classes and shouldn’t be forgotten. I’ve taken at least one—but no more than two—online classes per semester.

    But online classes usually have a set schedule. Something like: discussion posts due Monday, comments due Wednesday and a quiz every Friday, plus a project like an essay or media presentation due at some point in the semester. Online classes that start at the beginning of the semester allow both the professor and students to be prepared for the whole semester.

    Online classes that start in the middle of the semester? Yeah, those aren’t for me. They’re also not what I paid for.

    None of us know what is going on right now and we’re all taking it day by day, but when your professors start to panic, you start to panic. Some professors know what they’re doing and let you know everything right away, while others don’t know what to do or don’t know how to use Zoom or record online lectures.

    It took me a minute to learn how to use Zoom, and although I appreciate the service and enjoy seeing my classmates’ faces, it’s awkward. It’s just a big FaceTime where your professor is trying to make the education worth your money. And just like in an everyday classroom, not everyone talks in the Zoom sessions. Zoom sessions always seem to glitch and are mostly only useful for group discussions, critiques and presentations.

    We’ve all lost motivation, and quite frankly, it doesn’t even feel as if we’re in school anymore.

    I learn better on paper and in person. I realize a lot of work is done on computers and submitted on Canvas, but being in a classroom and taking notes while a professor is lecturing is how something sticks in my head. There are too many distractions at home that I can’t get away from that just make it even harder to learn.

    Social media tells me that a lot of people feel the same way. Even though we get to be home and work at our own pace, most of the time being at home just makes us not want to work.

    We’ve all lost motivation, and quite frankly, it doesn’t even feel as if we’re in school anymore. Having to remind myself is getting pretty annoying.

    With all of this said, I know we should probably be grateful we’re still getting some kind of education. This is my last semester of college, and although I’m not a fan of how it’s ending, I’m grateful I won’t have to take any more online classes.

  • Online Social Work ranked best in the nation

    Online Social Work ranked best in the nation

    By | Charlotte Rutigliano

    The Online Social Work Bachelors program and the Master’s program have been ranked 13th and 12th by College Choice, an online source dedicated to helping students find the best schools for their academic and career goals.

    Alyssa Koh, managing editor from College Choice said that the team she works with often says that figuring out what college to attend can be like drinking from a fire hose.

    “We have all been through the process of researching, applying and choosing a school,” Koh said, “we really are coming at this from experience.”

    According to Koh, the ranking criterion is a question that they got a lot, and one that is very important to them and that they feel confident about.

    “Our methodology is always data-driven and as scientific as possible,” Koh said. “We collect data points from trustworthy sources.”

    Sources that include university and college websites, PayScale, U.S. News & World Report, and the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

    Koh said that what they’ve done is come up with a way to measure quality, reputation, affordability, value, and satisfaction.

    “Going to college isn’t just books and tests,” Koh said, “it’s a whole host of factors, and we take that into account.”

    According to Koh, the methodology College Choice uses first looks at what students want, what they are looking for and what they can help them with. The data gathered is aggregated into different criteria that composite scores.

    “Most of our lists use three composite scores for determining the ranking,” Koh said, “institutional excellence, student satisfaction and return on investment.”

    Jamie Jensen, assistant professor and director of distributed learning programs for the online Bachelor’s and Master’s, said while she’s less concerned about the ranking of the programs, and that it feels good to see the department and the university out there.

    According to Jensen, the social work programs are generalist programs that teach students to work on issues, populations and system levels. The online Bachelor’s program is set up just like the on-campus program, and the online Master’s program is a part-time year round option that has a new cohort starting every January.

    “The Master’s program model is targeted at providing educational opportunities to those already living and working in rural or Indigenous Communities,” Jensen said.

    Geneva Shaw, lecturer and the Master of Social Work director, said that the online programs allow students who work full time, have families or are currently working in the field to stay rooted where they are and continue their education.

    According to Jensen, these online programs first got started because of an expressed need to bring a pathway to education for people in the surrounding rural and tribal communities who were already doing great work but didn’t have the privilege to attend the program on campus.

    “We graduated our first Bachelor’s in social work distributed learning (BASW DL) in 2013,” Jensen said, “and the first Master’s in social work distributed learned (MSW DL) in 2016.”

    Jensen said that as of May 2017 the program had graduated 68 new BASW and 38 new MSW into underserved rural areas of Northern California, as well as 54 students in both the BASW and MSW scattered across California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington state, Rhode Island and Alaska.

    Shaw said that though she’s also unsure of the ranking process, it gives acknowledgment to programs both on campus and online, and the connections made not only in our own community, but also in the students’ home communities.