3 ms·

This looks a misleading title. The person mentioned in detail is not affected by online classes removal, they are affected because their visa was denied and the

This looks a misleading title. The person mentioned in detail is not affected by online classes removal, they are affected because their visa was denied and they can’t come back to Canada to attend the physical classes. There are all sorts of reasons immigration can deny visa, but this has nothing to do with removing online classes. I for one am glad provinces are mandating in person classes again.

inter_netuser 5y ago
why are you glad that online classes were removed? Seems like a great option.
- jackson1442 5y ago
  In my experience, online classes were across the board _significantly_ worse than in person classes. Yes, you do have to haul your ass into class every day, but in person interaction is so much more natural than interaction over zoom. It’s natural to talk and collaborate with people around you in a physical classroom, but it feels so incredibly forced to interact with people in prescribed breakout rooms. Not to mention it’s been a year and almost no curriculums have actually been adapted to an online format. If we’re going to shove a curriculum based around in person attendance down everyone’s throats, you might as well have the students show up in person.
  - admax88qqq 5y ago
    Should that really be mandated by the province though. Perhaps there is an incantation on online classes that will work now, but if in person is mandated we'll never find it.
  - jbverschoor 5y ago
    Sure.. but what does that really mean? That the tests / scores do not reflect the actual value or performance of someone. All I see is dinosaurs trying to fight in every possible way to try and keep their right to exist. Feels a lot like mp3 in the 90s. People who are there for the piece of paper generally don't give a rats ass about the rest. People who are really interested in their field have so many other ways to gather knowledge and experience.
    - jackson1442 5y ago
      > the tests / scores do not reflect the actual value or performance of someone Yes. 100%. In my physics class last term, performance was so consistently poor on exams that the minimum score on exams was 40%, and you could earn 15+% on top of your final exam just for showing up to class. Instructional quality was very poor, due in part to the online format. Knowledge retention was equally poor. If college is to move online, it needs a fresh start. Classes need to be designed for online interactions rather than in person.
    - 908B64B197 5y ago
      > People who are there for the piece of paper generally don't give a rats ass about the rest. Good schools typically want to filter out these people; You want an environment where people are there for learning and passionate about their field, not just checking stuff off a checklist.
  - watwut 5y ago
    How does that imply it is a good thing to close off online option and make it mandatory for everyone?
  - checker659 5y ago
    We're interacting here on HN just fine. :)
- mercy_dude 5y ago
  Online classes just aren’t the same as real lectures. For an area such as chemical engineering, how are you supposed to do lab exercises at home? Not to say, exams are a shit show with rampant cheating.
  - dapids 5y ago
    Exactly, the people who argue for online courses as if they are entitled to them are quick to jump to the defence of them, yet they are totally unpractical for swaths of fields.
908B64B197 5y ago
The government seems to be worried he will illegally stay past his visa, either due to his past history or because his country might impose restriction on him coming back due to Covid. This would be trivial to avoid with something simple like a safety deposit; You leave 10k and you get it back once you legally depart the country at the end of your visa. Overstay and lose it. Alternatively, the home country could underwrite it. This would remove any incentive they have for keeping a student from returning home. Even before the convenient excuse of Covid, it seems overstaying or illegally working on a student visa was quite common in Canada [0]. [0] https://thewalrus.ca/the-shadowy-business-of-international-education/ https://thewalrus.ca/the-shadowy-business-of-international-e...

inter_netuser 5y ago

why are you glad that online classes were removed? Seems like a great option.

jackson1442 5y ago
In my experience, online classes were across the board _significantly_ worse than in person classes. Yes, you do have to haul your ass into class every day, but in person interaction is so much more natural than interaction over zoom. It’s natural to talk and collaborate with people around you in a physical classroom, but it feels so incredibly forced to interact with people in prescribed breakout rooms. Not to mention it’s been a year and almost no curriculums have actually been adapted to an online format. If we’re going to shove a curriculum based around in person attendance down everyone’s throats, you might as well have the students show up in person.
- admax88qqq 5y ago
  Should that really be mandated by the province though. Perhaps there is an incantation on online classes that will work now, but if in person is mandated we'll never find it.
- jbverschoor 5y ago
  Sure.. but what does that really mean? That the tests / scores do not reflect the actual value or performance of someone. All I see is dinosaurs trying to fight in every possible way to try and keep their right to exist. Feels a lot like mp3 in the 90s. People who are there for the piece of paper generally don't give a rats ass about the rest. People who are really interested in their field have so many other ways to gather knowledge and experience.
  - jackson1442 5y ago
    > the tests / scores do not reflect the actual value or performance of someone Yes. 100%. In my physics class last term, performance was so consistently poor on exams that the minimum score on exams was 40%, and you could earn 15+% on top of your final exam just for showing up to class. Instructional quality was very poor, due in part to the online format. Knowledge retention was equally poor. If college is to move online, it needs a fresh start. Classes need to be designed for online interactions rather than in person.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    > People who are there for the piece of paper generally don't give a rats ass about the rest. Good schools typically want to filter out these people; You want an environment where people are there for learning and passionate about their field, not just checking stuff off a checklist.
- watwut 5y ago
  How does that imply it is a good thing to close off online option and make it mandatory for everyone?
- checker659 5y ago
  We're interacting here on HN just fine. :)
mercy_dude 5y ago
Online classes just aren’t the same as real lectures. For an area such as chemical engineering, how are you supposed to do lab exercises at home? Not to say, exams are a shit show with rampant cheating.
- dapids 5y ago
  Exactly, the people who argue for online courses as if they are entitled to them are quick to jump to the defence of them, yet they are totally unpractical for swaths of fields.

908B64B197 5y ago

The government seems to be worried he will illegally stay past his visa, either due to his past history or because his country might impose restriction on him coming back due to Covid. This would be trivial to avoid with something simple like a safety deposit; You leave 10k and you get it back once you legally depart the country at the end of your visa. Overstay and lose it. Alternatively, the home country could underwrite it. This would remove any incentive they have for keeping a student from returning home. Even before the convenient excuse of Covid, it seems overstaying or illegally working on a student visa was quite common in Canada [0]. [0] https://thewalrus.ca/the-shadowy-business-of-international-education/ https://thewalrus.ca/the-shadowy-business-of-international-e...