Preparing for Coronavirus?

[spork]

I plan on buying more coffee at the membership club on the way home from work today.

I am getting really annoyed by all the email announcements from organizations about how "prepared" they are for Covid-19.

[apl68]

Since it's the tail-end of flu season we're just continuing to use our existing sanitizers and sanitizing measures at work.  Our janitor has been out sick a lot lately (NOT anything contagious), so we've had a bit of a challenge there. 

I recently heard of an elderly patron who got a call from a well-meaning relative advising her as a senior citizen to stay inside and away from people during the virus crisis.  She wasn't happy about it!  We're in a state that has yet to have a single case reported, and literally over a hundred miles from any of the cities where the first case in the state will surely be identified.

[nebo113]

We also just got the news that we need to move everything online for at least two weeks starting next week. As I am teaching statistics to math-phobic grad students, I am a little nervous. At least in a face to face class, I can see the level of panic in front of me and adjust as needed.  Also, very few of my students have a personal license for the stats software they need for class (we meet in computer labs), so they are going to have to watch my online lectures in the campus computer labs anyway. I'm thinking that this somewhat defeats the purpose of putting my class online, but I guess the point is that students are not forced to meet as a large group?

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

[Engineer13]

If you move to online, don't record yourself talking for X number of hours. It is deadly and students simply will not watch it. I've taught online for a while and know the ropes. Did you know the average YouTube video is watched for under 4 minutes? The same will be true for a recorded lecture. If you have to replace an in-person lecture, do it with a variety of media: a short written-out piece with pictures and diagrams, a Power-Point, an amusing and/or helpful clip from YouTube (already made by somebody else), etc. Divide the information up and put the different parts in different formats, as appropriate.

This is really good advice!  I'll keep it in mind if we have to go totally on-line.  Thanks!

[OneMoreYear]

OneMoreYear, I wonder if you can try to find a workaround, as many universities are sending students home as well as moving all classes online.  Can you manage without the fancy software, just for this term?

Yes, met with a colleague in the same boat this morning, and we are going to demo online what it would look like if they used the software, but not require them to actually run the stats. Class will focus on interpretation of output, which is mostly what our students need. Best we can do for now.
Our students are in a professional program, and, therefore, will remain in the area for other responsibilities even though classes are moved online.

We also just got the news that we need to move everything online for at least two weeks starting next week. As I am teaching statistics to math-phobic grad students, I am a little nervous. At least in a face to face class, I can see the level of panic in front of me and adjust as needed.  Also, very few of my students have a personal license for the stats software they need for class (we meet in computer labs), so they are going to have to watch my online lectures in the campus computer labs anyway. I'm thinking that this somewhat defeats the purpose of putting my class online, but I guess the point is that students are not forced to meet as a large group?

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

My initial thought is that my university should waive the fees for student software access, so they can download onto their home computers, but I realize there is not a chance in hell of this happening, so we're going with Plan B.

[nebo113]

OneMoreYear, I wonder if you can try to find a workaround, as many universities are sending students home as well as moving all classes online.  Can you manage without the fancy software, just for this term?

Yes, met with a colleague in the same boat this morning, and we are going to demo online what it would look like if they used the software, but not require them to actually run the stats. Class will focus on interpretation of output, which is mostly what our students need. Best we can do for now.
Our students are in a professional program, and, therefore, will remain in the area for other responsibilities even though classes are moved online.

We also just got the news that we need to move everything online for at least two weeks starting next week. As I am teaching statistics to math-phobic grad students, I am a little nervous. At least in a face to face class, I can see the level of panic in front of me and adjust as needed.  Also, very few of my students have a personal license for the stats software they need for class (we meet in computer labs), so they are going to have to watch my online lectures in the campus computer labs anyway. I'm thinking that this somewhat defeats the purpose of putting my class online, but I guess the point is that students are not forced to meet as a large group?

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

My initial thought is that my university should waive the fees for student software access, so they can download onto their home computers, but I realize there is not a chance in hell of this happening, so we're going with Plan B.

Why won't your uni waive fees???

[OneMoreYear]

OneMoreYear, I wonder if you can try to find a workaround, as many universities are sending students home as well as moving all classes online.  Can you manage without the fancy software, just for this term?

Yes, met with a colleague in the same boat this morning, and we are going to demo online what it would look like if they used the software, but not require them to actually run the stats. Class will focus on interpretation of output, which is mostly what our students need. Best we can do for now.
Our students are in a professional program, and, therefore, will remain in the area for other responsibilities even though classes are moved online.

We also just got the news that we need to move everything online for at least two weeks starting next week. As I am teaching statistics to math-phobic grad students, I am a little nervous. At least in a face to face class, I can see the level of panic in front of me and adjust as needed.  Also, very few of my students have a personal license for the stats software they need for class (we meet in computer labs), so they are going to have to watch my online lectures in the campus computer labs anyway. I'm thinking that this somewhat defeats the purpose of putting my class online, but I guess the point is that students are not forced to meet as a large group?

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

My initial thought is that my university should waive the fees for student software access, so they can download onto their home computers, but I realize there is not a chance in hell of this happening, so we're going with Plan B.

Why won't your uni waive fees???

Because that would be logical and helpful?

[Aster]

In the restroom today, I found myself in a queue of people waiting to wash their hands.

Usually, over 70% of students do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. For the 30% that do, about half of that group don't even use soap. They just wet their hands and dry them.

But TODAY, it was like the Twilight Zone. EVERY SINGLE PERSON was washing hands, and EVERY SINGLE PERSON was using soap.

This made me curious, so I found reasons today to keep visiting the bathrooms. I noticed another weird thing happening. People who were washing their hands (or in the queue), were surreptitiously watching other people wash their hands, and then mimicking the motions. It was like people were so unused to washing their hands that they needed some visual aids. Ha ha ha.

I wish that we could have had a coronavirus mass-public hysteria last month during flu season. That would have been more practical.

[clean]

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

And grocery stores should just give food to people!
And Winnebego should give campers to homeless people so at least they can travel and not burden any particular city

And the government should just print money so that there would be no poor people!

Because that would be logical and helpful?

How about because it is not theirs to give away?  There are contracts that limit the number of licenses that they have. 

[OneMoreYear]

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

And grocery stores should just give food to people!
And Winnebego should give campers to homeless people so at least they can travel and not burden any particular city

And the government should just print money so that there would be no poor people!

Because that would be logical and helpful?

How about because it is not theirs to give away?  There are contracts that limit the number of licenses that they have. 

Perhaps so.  Students can rent the software for semester long periods (we don't require it b/c we hold class in the computer lab, and students often stay after to do the homework). I guess I was thinking there could be some type of waiver fee on the rental period for this semester.  But, like I said, I don't think it's possible.  We've got a Plan B, and we're dealing the best we can like everyone else.

[RatGuy]

I have a cough today -- the clinic tells me its a run-of-the-mill sinus infection. Still, that didn't stop one of my colleagues from spraying my office door with Lysol as soon as I stepped out for a second.

[Liquidambar]

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!

And grocery stores should just give food to people!
And Winnebego should give campers to homeless people so at least they can travel and not burden any particular city

And the government should just print money so that there would be no poor people!

Not comparable.  Cheap academic licenses are often available for specialized technical software.  It's an investment so that students get used to the software and want it once they graduate and are working at companies.  The regular software price for companies is usually very expensive.

[clean]

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!
And grocery stores should just give food to people!
And Winnebego should give campers to homeless people so at least they can travel and not burden any particular city

And the government should just print money so that there would be no poor people!

Not comparable.  Cheap academic licenses are often available for specialized technical software.  It's an investment so that students get used to the software and want it once they graduate and are working at companies.  The regular software price for companies is usually very expensive.

It absolutely is!  "cheap" is NOT Free! 
For this emergency, why dont you donate your salary back to the university to help the students that may be suffering because of campus closures?  Students who purchased a food package and lived in a dorm now have to pay for food that they technically already bought.  Why dont you donate your wages to support them? HOW is that different from being in the position of the software company?

[newprofwife]

This situation will be interesting for sure. I did work at a uni that was closed for a few weeks due to a hurricane. I also have a friend who was a grad student in New Orleans after hurricane katrina. I'm wondering if universities will use similar protocols to when natural distastes hit campuses and shut them down for weeks/months. Also interesting to go over these discussion threads: https://www.chronicle.com/forums/index.php/board,27.0.html         

[Liquidambar]

Stats software company should just give the product to students!!
And grocery stores should just give food to people!
And Winnebego should give campers to homeless people so at least they can travel and not burden any particular city

And the government should just print money so that there would be no poor people!

Not comparable.  Cheap academic licenses are often available for specialized technical software.  It's an investment so that students get used to the software and want it once they graduate and are working at companies.  The regular software price for companies is usually very expensive.

It absolutely is!  "cheap" is NOT Free! 
For this emergency, why dont you donate your salary back to the university to help the students that may be suffering because of campus closures?  Students who purchased a food package and lived in a dorm now have to pay for food that they technically already bought.  Why dont you donate your wages to support them? HOW is that different from being in the position of the software company?

Huh?  I'm not suggesting that software companies should have to give out free stuff because of an emergency.  I'm just pointing out that you're comparing apples and oranges (giving away free stuff out of altruism vs choosing to give up revenue on licenses now as an investment with the outcome of more future revenue).