Bulletin No. 2, 2020

Coming Closer at a Distance: Snapshots of CUHK in the pandemic 5 W ong Nim-yan ’s gentle voice and graceful demeanour belie a woman of character and assertiveness. What would the sparks be when the professor well-versed in classical and modern literature took on online teaching? ‘My fear is precisely that all sparks would be lost. On knowing that online teaching was to become the norm, I was taken aback. As a colleague put it half-jokingly: are we becoming YouTubers?’ Most students keep their cameras off during Zoom classes. It must feel discouraging for teachers to speak to rows of black thumbnails, but Wong saw it in a different light: ‘It is easier for me to stay focused. In face-to-face classes, I feel disrupted when students talk to one another. Now they can send private messages, or type their questions in the chat room.’ Humanities students tend to be more reticent and reluctant to ask questions; remote learning is a great way for them to raise their hands virtually and have vibrant discussions. While the medium is cool, the exchanges thereon can be quite heated. Another surprise was increased attendance. Very few had skipped classes even in the second half of the semester when assignments and exams piled up. ‘It was totally unexpected. Distance learning, albeit virtual, offers a way for us to meet each other at a designated time. This sense of togetherness—‘we are together, and are attending the same lecture at the same time’—is valuable. Meeting online makes us realize that face-to-face interaction is not something that can be taken for granted.’ Teaching from home also brings out the beauty of the human touch and human voice. ‘Now I take great delight in listening to my students’ voices. After I have talked to a blank screen for the entire class, some students would turn on their cameras to say goodbye and thank you. I never knew “bye bye” could be such music to my ears.’ Speech mirrors one’s thoughts; our self-presentation similarly tells the regard we have for our very selves. Wong uses ring lights favoured by influencers in her virtual classes. Speaking of those ghastly faces shown up in weird angles or dim light, the Department’s teacher-adviser could not hide her disappointment and amusement. She might even throw in a few words of advice, ‘What happened to those bright young ladies and men I used to know? Why don’t you pop up your computer a little, or find a place where there’s more light?’ She would then add, ‘We speak through the camera as well. It tells others how they should think of ourselves.’ With the pandemic raging, Wong did her share of soul- searching. ‘What is education? Can recorded contents supplant education? I don’t think so. The sense of realness is irreplaceable,’ she said. ‘But the students as well as the teacher have a role to make it real, as every student is unique in his or her problems or ideals. If under the pandemic we have managed to give out any amount of knowledge via the web, then credit must be given to every student, for his or her effort and understanding and for going all the way with us. As a teacher working in the pandemic, I think I owe every one of my students a vote of thanks.’ On a campus that practises distancing, Wong is missing the warmth of physical presence. She took her undergraduate course on thesis writing as an example. ‘It is a war fought by seven or eight people together. In person we can support, press, persuade and criticize each other,’ she mused. ‘The energy is powerful, something Zoom cannot replicate.’