Bulletin No. 2, 2020

Coming Closer at a Distance: Snapshots of CUHK in the pandemic 19 Leung has the forthrightness of a sports lover who speaks up and lets her doubts be known. Subsequently, she and other teachers encouraged their students to switch on their cameras, and the atmosphere of face-to-face teaching slowly returned. ‘Switching on the cameras allows us to correct their movements and students can interact with one another.’ Online PE lessons may sound inconceivable, but Leung explained that they would only teach simple movements, such as forehands and backhands in tennis and squash. Students repeated the movements at home, which only required as little space as their opened arms. The online lessons also covered topics on sports knowledge such as hydration, long distance running and weight control. She also reviewed with the students competition tactics by showing video clips, and explained to them competition rules, culture and history. But physical education after all calls for physical training, and one-third of the time was usually spent on stretching and physical conditioning, including high intensity interval training, yoga and gym ball. What pleases Leung is that online learning helps embolden shy students. She recounted how teachers of the Physical Education Unit would choose the suitable exercises and accompany the students to do them the whole year round. Many students tended to hold back at first, but would gradually fall in line and were finally able to complete the whole set of exercises. They would come to realize the benefits of working out, and would then become a friend and not a stranger to physical exercises. Leung, who has been awarded numerous teaching awards, said in no uncertain terms, ‘Adapting to changes is a characteristic of the teaching profession, and sports professionals like us should not be afraid of meeting new challenges. ‘I am grateful to my colleagues for reviewing with me from beginning to end the whole course. It was a rewarding process. We faced difficulties together and stood by each other, and of course we also overcame those challenges as a team.’ In October 2020, the pandemic showed signs of slowing down. The Physical Education Unit therefore planned for the revival of face-to-face teaching, but the sheer number of students—a staggering 3,500 of them—gave the University pause. The team did not give up and made more careful planning and preparations. Finally, in mid-November, they were permitted to hold blended classes where the teachers would instruct those students physically present while at the same time supervising the others via the Internet with the use of tablets. The seasoned educator, who specializes in swimming and has recently taken to running, said, ‘Online teaching is a fascinating novelty made possible by technology, and its efficacy is beyond question. But in terms of establishing a relationship between teachers and students, and promoting interaction between students, face-to-face teaching is still irreplaceable.’ Reflecting on the importance of health in the time of the pandemic, she said, ‘The first person in Hong Kong who died of COVID-19 was very young, but he had diabetes, which can lead to serious complications. Health has to be built up gradually, and you’ve got to manage your body and mind well to prepare for changes in circumstances. All this goes to show how important sports are.’ A hybrid lesson seeing students joining the class in person or via the web. On the left is a tablet on a stand, through which students may take part in class remotely