How do you take a science lab final online?

All in-person classes and finals at the University of Washington have been canceled. Because of the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, students will have their courses and tests online until the end of the quarter on March 20.

Bill Radke spoke with Jake Goldstein-Street, a student at University of Washington and the News Editor at the UW Daily.

Can all school finals be taken online?

Students and professors at the University of Washington are figuring that out now.

The continued spread of COVID-19, the sickness caused by coronavirus, led the university to suspend all in person classes and finals until the end of the quarter on March 20.

For some classes, the transition to online is easy. The UW already makes use of ed-tech products such as Panopto, for recording lectures and Canvas, a learning management platform. While out of the classroom, several students have been able to send in final essays, video conference or make calls to professors.

The University of Washington signed a $200,000 license with Zoom Pro, the video conferencing app, to ensure that professors would have access to the platform as they make these transitions.

Ed-tech does not translate easily to all classrooms. Courses in STEM and performance arts are grappling with ways to replicate lab work or stage performance online.

One class in the finance department is trying to combat academic misconduct by having students video conference themselves taking an exam.

Some professors have canceled finals altogether. Jake Goldstein-Street, a news editor with the UW Daily, says that ultimately, "it's up to the discretion of the professor," and that thus far, "departments haven't been given a lot of guidance."

The University of Washington says it is "aiming to ensure that students are evaluated in a way that is fair and recognizes the hard work that they have put into this quarter," according to Victor Balta, Senior Director of Media Relations at the University of Washington.