Bahçeşehir University Starts Online Classes

Bahçeşehir University (BAU) will continue its education, which was suspended due to the coronavirus, through a distance education system. Starting on 23 March, the courses will be delivered, in support of face-to-face classes, via theitslearningmanagement application and the freeAdobe Connectvirtual classroom system. Students will be able to join classes directly through links to be announced on the itslearning management application.

Education, which was suspended for 1 week due to the coronavirus, continues through distance education. To ensure that the process runs effectively and efficiently, Bahçeşehir University decided to move its classes to an online platform. BAU President Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz, who stated that all courses have already been created in the learning management system and that educational technologists provide faculty members with up-to-date system training at regular intervals at the beginning of each academic term, gave information about the distance education system. 

"Our students and academics are experienced in this" 

Stating that BAU students can access these systems via mobile devices and PCs from their very first day at the university and that they use this system, Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz said: "Our faculty members make the content they develop and all course resources available to our students through the learning management system. Since distance education courses delivered synchronously and asynchronously are already part of our programs, our students and academics are experienced in this. With the online teaching that has come to the fore due to the coronavirus, an action plan has been created in coordination with our University's Distance Education Unit and other relevant units. All our preparations have been completed to deliver all our courses online effectively and efficiently. In addition, training has been provided for all our faculty members to update their existing system knowledge and to create more effective course designs in line with digital pedagogy. Resources to help part-time and full-time faculty members on all campuses during the process have been prepared along with the training and sent to them after the training. Additional guides have also been prepared for all our students."

"Classes will be conducted with audio and video, just as in a physical setting" 

Stating that the University will carry out the distance education process with two different platforms, Karadeniz gave the following information about the system: "Our live classes will be held via the Adobe Connect system. In this system, our students and academics will be able to meet simultaneously and conduct their classes with audio and video, just as in a physical setting. The system also offers interactions such as short polls, Q&A and presentations. Classes are recorded, giving students the opportunity to review the relevant class. In addition, these classes will be supported by the learning management system: through the platform, video, audio and content related to the course are shared, there is a discussion forum, and assessment is carried out with test and assignment tools offering different question types. Furthermore, the system's instant messaging tools are actively used to enable students to interact with one another and with their course instructors. In addition, our students and academics maintain all their communication through the existing system, also using the instant notification feature on their mobile devices. Our classes will continue according to the current schedule. Our academics will be able to conduct their online classes according to the plans made for the existing course schedules. During this process, the Distance Education Unit will attend online classes to ensure they run smoothly."

It was also stated that those who need technical support in this context can reach the Distance Education unit 24/7 by phone, e-mail and the technical support line, and that in the event of a problem with the system, users can report their issues via the support line and the corporate WhatsApp line.