Changes for the 2021 Spring Semester
Changes for the 2021 Spring Semester
  • Reporter Lee Seung-Joo
  • 승인 2021.02.28 01:54
  • 댓글 0
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▲Main Entrance of POSTECH
▲Main Entrance of POSTECH

 

 

POSTECH has once again declared to hold the spring semester online. All classes, including laboratory, physical education, and hands-on courses, began online on Feb. 22. Only selected students enrolled in or engaging in research or school activities that require residence in Pohang were allowed to reside in or move into dormitories this semester. If the school decides to return to face-to-face classes, a notice will be sent out to the student body at least two weeks before the conversion. 
All imminent school events were also postponed or held online. The 2021 Commencement Ceremony supposedly to be held on Feb. 5 has been indefinitely postponed to May. Meanwhile, blockchain certificates were distributed via individual mail and the POSTECH KakaoTalk account. A photo zone was installed on campus, and graduation gowns were available for rent at the POSTECH laundry shop from Feb. 4 to 10. The 2021 Matriculation Ceremony was held online on Feb. 19. Participants in the event included President Moo Hwan Kim, student representatives from the Graduate and Undergraduate Student Union (SU), Student Union of Mueunjae Undergraduate Studies, RA and SA, and the 2021 matriculates and their family members. The 2021 Orientation was also conducted online. 
At the end of 2020, the Innovation Center for Education conducted a survey regarding the 2020 Fall Semester which was held online, and a total of 587 responses were collected. The survey was held in order to investigate and evaluate student opinions on current online courses and to identify means to increase student satisfaction and effectiveness towards the online learning environment. According to the collected responses, 85% of the respondents replied that courses were thoroughly conducted, and over 82% of respondents were satisfied with the information and support from the school regarding last semester’s online conversion. However, almost half of the respondents also mentioned that class participation for online courses was evidently lower than that of offline courses. Regarding what the school should adopt to ease such difficulties and improve learning experiences, students suggested the enhancement of the course platform (19.3%) and increased support for utilities for better online experiences (28.1%).
In response to such needs, POSTECH introduced PLMS. PLMS is a new online learning management system based on Moodle, a free open-source learning platform already adopted by many universities, including KAIST and Ewha Womans University. PLMS aims to integrate LMS and POSTECHx into a single platform to provide its users an integrated learning experience. It will also offer various features such as Webex, blended learning, and Wiki. The school expects PLMS to act as a more flexible means to handle online semesters for the convenience of the students. PLMS was officially opened on Feb. 8 at 2 P.M., marking an end to the previous LMS service. 
Also, the SU membership fees for the spring semester have been decreased. The SU membership fees of 31,000 KRW have been lowered to 20,000 KRW. The final price was decided through a survey conducted by The Postech Times and meticulous calculation of the predicted expenses for the semester. The membership fee collected for this semester will be used to aid students throughout the online semester. For example, the Emergency Student Union Committee (ESUC) announced an alliance with Class101, an online learning community. Class101 offers over 510 creative classes for students to enroll and learn new skills from. The ESUC also announced that it would host more online events and lectures, including the online Sunrise Festival. Through various activities and events, ESUC aims to offer Postechians a chance to sincerely enjoy this semester, even though it is conducted online.