Middleburg
A university in Netherlands is holding outdoor classes in parks, public squares and parking lots to limit the number of lectures taking place online because of coronavirus.
At the foot of a majestic church in the historic centre of the city of Middelburg, science professor Edward Nieuwenhuis demonstrates an experiment on a bench in front of 25 students bundled up in jackets.
With a noisy street-cleaning lorry in the background, and a group of tourists nearby, Nieuwenhuis has to raise his voice so the students from University College Roosevelt can hear.
It’s the first time he’s given his introduction to life sciences outdoors since the university returned from a shutdown because of the spread of COVID-19. Until now classes have been half in person, and half working from home.
“I think it’s really great because you can move around, you can see each other without a screen and digital interfaces, so it’s wonderful. I really like it,” Nieuwenhuis told AFP.
“It’s more relaxed, it feels like you’re not in class, you’re just learning because you want to.”
The Netherlands, which has recorded more than 75,000 coronavirus cases and 6,244 deaths, has lighter restrictions than many other European countries but the government has warned people to be careful after a recent resurgence.
Nowadays in Middelburg, it’s not uncommon to see a philosophy professor under a tree discussing Socrates or a history teacher by a car park talking about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Nieuwenhuis said outdoor learning could be the future. “I hope that it will stick even when corona disappears. I’m sure that we will give a lot of classes outside,” he said.
Students at the university, where around 60 percent of students are from countries outside the Netherlands, are also enjoying the fresh air.
“I really like the feeling of being outside. And just knowing that you can keep enough distance, which you just can’t do in a classroom,” said Anje Boswijk, a 21-year-old Dutch student.
“Whenever I’m following a lesson online, I get more distracted, and I get less motivated to pay attention.”
Ediz Klont, 18, a Dutch-Turkish-American student who wants to be a surgeon, said the outdoor classes were “very engaging”. “After many months of quarantine and online classes, this is really inspiring and fun to have classes outside,” Klont said.
“Outside, we have more social interaction, so people feel happier, like me, I’m very happy when I see people next to me,” he added.
The only hitch in the plan is the Dutch weather. The low-lying country bordering the North Sea has a famously windy and rainy climate that can quickly ruin plans for any outdoor gathering.—AFP
