Lessons Learnt in an Online Teaching Environment, and Cues for the Future

The COVID pandemic was declared in early 2020, and the winter session at the university was abruptly disrupted. The last few weeks were switched to an online format of education and the assessments, including the final exam, were done in virtual settings. In this work, we present the adjustments that were made at the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology at McMaster University in adopting this change. We also outline the challenges faced in this process, the lessons learned, and the changes made in Fall 2020 when the academic session was again offered in a virtual format. Specifically, we found that in Winter 2020, the School was underprepared, just like several other departments, with respect to infrastructure, instructor, and student preparedness. Most of these issues were sorted out during the summer of 2020, and a better equipped and well-prepared faculty operated during Fall 2020. However, there are still challenges concerning assessments, content delivery, and technology disruption. Additionally, there are new and emerging challenges in mental health issues with students who are struggling to perform well in a physically isolated setting.