How COVID-19 has changed ICMS Class Delivery

Face-to-face, online, and now ‘blended-synchronous’ class delivery – the global pandemic’s legacy has meant that ICMS students have more classroom delivery options than ever.

The year since the COVID-19 pandemic altered the way the world could operate, the International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) has continued to seek the best possible way to deliver the world-class, career-focused higher education the Australian institution has built its reputation on.

The recent introduction of ‘Blended-Synchronous’ classes takes the ICMS learning experience to a new flexibility level. Blended-Synchronous classes give online students the freedom to join a live class from anywhere in the world and feel like they are present in the class.

These modern and interactive classes go beyond a Zoom experience, with each class session and learning activity being offered in-person and online simultaneously, meaning you can decide how you want to participate. Skilled teachers facilitate activities that allow them to interact with students physically on campus and those studying overseas or remotely.

“The global Covid-19 pandemic may have disrupted our normal operations, but a year on, it is clear that we have adapted. We have emerged on the other side with a dynamic higher education offering that has pushed our technological and delivery strategy plans forward,” ICMS CEO Rowan Courtney-O’Connor said.

On 23 March 2020, in line with government recommendations, and due to the closure of international borders and near-global lockdowns, ICMS went entirely online.

Twelve months on, thanks to innovation and flexible forward-thinking by the ICMS academic faculty, digital and operational teams, the technology at ICMS has transformed how students learn.

With the successful February 2021 intake, the ICMS campuses in Manly and Sydney CBD are alive with domestic and onshore international students. The return of offshore international students remains a waiting game for Australian higher education. Until international borders open, offshore international students currently enrolled can have confidence that they are progressing through their course virtually and will graduate with an Australian degree.

“With the challenges of the pandemic, we believe it is vital for all students to have access to higher education, regardless of how the border closures have impacted them,” Courtney-O’Connor said.

Many core subjects are now being delivered face-to-face again at ICMS. Covid-19 cases are very low, and there haven’t been any locally acquired cases in over a month in New South Wales.

“We were pleased to have a successful February intake, and we were also able to host the traditional welcome ceremony for our students safely. The campus is alive again,” Courtney-O’Connor said.

“COVID has accelerated change, and we chose to adapt by offering more flexibility and technological solutions to our students. Of course, we all can’t wait for international borders to open and for our international students to return to campus safely. Still, until then, with our ‘Blended-Synchronous’ classes and full support to our students from our teams in Australia and abroad, we can be proud of how far we have come over the past year, and we look forward to a bright future.”

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About Blended-Synchronous Interactive Classroom Delivery

ICMS worked with Sydney-based companies Merge Technologies and Commbox.