Action News "attends" class at West Chester University

WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- At this point, most colleges and universities have returned to instruction, many of them remotely.

West Chester University made the decision to go virtual in July, after realizing it would be impossible to control parents every move on and off-campus.

"We were confident that we could do it. We had to make sure that the students were prepared and set up," said West Chester University President Christopher Fiorentino. "We had to ensure that they had adequate connectivity and had both the hardware and software that they needed."

Action News was invited to log into a communications class taught by Dr. Eryn Travis. She is able to pull up lessons right online. She's found breaking the large class into smaller groups helps students feel connected and more likely to contribute.

"I think a lot of it is making students feel visible and valued in the online space," she said.

Juliana McKee is a senior from King of Prussia. "For me, you just have to commit to your education and maybe work a little bit harder to adapt to the new, hopefully temporary, but new way of remote learning."

Dr. Travis added, "So far, we're off to a great start. Are there technical glitches? Absolutely. We had one today coming in. It's patience and positivity, and when we do that, it's a faster adjustment."