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Higher education institutions are confronting new challenges brought about by the present health contingency of COVID-19, ranging from the need for online educational resources to the creation of a complete curricular structure made possible by educational technology. In recent months alone, we have seen an enormous advance in the infrastructure of resources that enable online academic programs. The primary educational needs of universities are being addressed, but valuable learning does not only include coverage of academic subjects.
Extracurricular programs, which include cultural activities and sports, are indispensable for the integral formation of students and complete campus life. But what happens with these activities during a pandemic? What are universities and schools doing to ensure the continuity of these programs?
An overview
In the face of the imminent closure of schools and institutions of higher education, governments worldwide have already begun to implement strategies for the continuity of distance educational activities. China is one of the most outstanding examples in this respect. Since mid-February, the Chinese government has launched a National Public Service Platform for Educational Resources, also known as “national classroom in the cloud,” that made possible the return to classes of 200 million students.
This is relatively easy with academic subjects, which have been implementing distance educational resources and learning management systems for years, such as Blackboard and Canvas, PowerPoint presentations, Facebook groups, and WhatsApp. However, the extracurricular subjects of the arts and sports have always depended more on the face-to-face teaching dynamics, as they require a more hands-on approach, specialized equipment and installations, materials for manual work, and, ideally, direct interactions.
The need for art
Zeng, an elementary school art teacher in northeast Qingdao, is one of the thousands of teachers who use online platforms to stay in touch with their students. Zeng talks about her experience as a neophyte in DingTalk, one of the resources for providing classes online. “It’s my first time teaching online (…) Facing over 200 students and parents from eight classes on the screen, I was a little bit nervous so I don’t think my teaching was very effective,” Zeng commented how art class can become a catalyst not only to register and process what is happening but also to turn this crisis into something positive. The teacher explained that her students saw medical personnel as heroes and is what they highlighted in the drawings which they shared on virtual platforms.
“It’s the first time that I am teaching classes online (…) Facing over 200 students and parents from eight classes on the screen, I was a little bit nervous so I don’t think my teaching was very effective”.
In Mexico, universities understand not only the need to maintain art programs afloat for the benefit of students but also how these benefits can be extrapolated and become a support for the emotional health of the public in general. “Not even one teacher has stopped, we’re all 100% in because we know that these activities help to lighten the academic burden and the stress that this contingency can cause”, says Eloísa Hernández, Coordinator of Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Department of Arts and Culture on the Monterrey campus.
Hernandez reported on the collective efforts of the institution to continue education in the arts. All the classes that were given in person have been included in online platforms like all the academic courses. In addition to this, the representative artistic groups such as Roots, Mexican Joy, Symphony Orchestra, Choir, Cheer, Dance Borregos, and Mexican Joy at the preparatory level continue rehearsals and practices from their homes, coordinating efforts through technological resources such as Zoom and WhatsApp groups. Workshops and virtual masterclasses are also held to maintain the level of these groups.
A video made by the Symphonic Orchestra of Tecnológico de Monterrey was recently posted on social media to provide a rehearsal for students and a positive message to the general public.
“We know that these activities help to lighten the academic burden and the stress that contingency can cause.”
Roberto Hernández Vivero, the director of the orchestra, emphasized that the most relevant job of teachers and leaders is to maintain the work of the artistic groups; in fact, contingency agendas have already been developed that teachers and students follow to the letter. “Even though it was an experiment with students, it has been very successful in our community because of the message of love and solidarity that it conveys in these times of anguish and uncertainty,” the director said.
Sports during quarantine
Quarantine is especially difficult for children and young people accustomed to a level of daily physical activity. This aspect is also a health issue. In Spain, the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs, and Social Welfare recommend three hours of physical activity per day of any kind for children up to six years of age and an hour of moderate or vigorous exercise for those from six to eighteen years old.
In China, physical education instructors introduced a mini-program on WeChat that provides students with professional training videos to watch from home. Teachers also demonstrate how various exercises are done and advise how to perform them. During the online classes, the students follow the instructions in the videos, film themselves doing the exercises, and send the videos to the teachers for review.
The difficulty of establishing programs of physical education of any level is greater than that of other subjects, comments Sigifredo Treviño, who works in the Athletics and Sports department in the North Region of Tecnológico de Monterrey. “All of our teachers send a physical training preparation plan for doing at home. A WhatsApp group was formed to be in continuous communication and answer questions. Zoom sessions are enabled on the day and time of class to be able to work the program,” Treviño said, adding that specific activities have been designated for the conservation of the level of the competitive teams of the institution.
“All of our teachers send a physical training preparation plan for doing at home. A WhatsApp group was formed to be in continuous communication and answer questions.”
All the squads in the various sports have been sent a program of physical preparation dedicated to helping them keep in good shape. This has been done through a platform called visual coaching in which students are given timely follow-up on the work they are doing, as well as monitoring their fatigue, rest, and how they are developing in general. Treviño also commented on the opening of six intramural e-sports tournaments, with titles such as FIFA 20, Clash Royale, Call of Duty Mobile, and League of Legends.
It is essential to understand the educational offering as a whole. Academic subjects are what we need to ensure the continuity of learning, and the artistic and sports activities enable us to have this continuity of academic learning because they are the ones that help us maintain stable emotional and physical health.
What resources is your school or university using to keep the arts and sports programs alive? Tell us in the comments.
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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
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