Online learning, teaching

Because schools nationwide had shut their campuses, students had to take courses online before May.

Xu Xiaomin, a chemistry teacher at Wuhan High School, says it took the whole of February for herself and her students to get used to online teaching and learning.

"Some students felt at a loss when facing a computer screen, as there is no immediate feedback or interaction with other students," Xu says.

As a teacher, Xu has tried many methods to adapt to the new way of teaching. She learned to use new video-editing software, livestreaming platforms and virtual whiteboards, among other e-learning apps.

"There's a lot to learn for us teachers, too," Xu says, adding that the school and the local education bureau organized seminars and training for teachers in February.

"Everyone was fumbling around in the virtual world, and teachers shared their tips for online teaching with each other during the process," she says, adding that in the beginning she had to spend three to four hours to prepare for one 45-minute class.

In Shanghai, the city launched a television class for its 1.4 million students from primary to high schools, with each class lasting 30 minutes.

Zhou Tianchen, a student of Shanghai Wuai Senior High School, says he found that his individual needs were not addressed.

"It often happened that I had not finished reading the question before the teacher on TV started to explain it," Zhou says.

Online teaching also reduced the amount of mock tests that he used to take. "We need more written tests to get familiar with the real exam. Taking tests online is different to using pen and paper," he says.

Other problems also emerge, not least distractions.