  The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has greatly impacted all forms of
social activities globally, including traditional classroom activities across
all levels of instruction (kindergarten to universities). While many countries
have opted for suspension of lessons, this cannot continue indefinitely and
alternative means to continue lessons must be developed. While online and
blended learning (including MOOCs) have been an active subject of research and
discourse during the pre-pandemic days, onset of the pandemic has suddenly
created an immediacy to such means of course delivery, better than any
administrator or teaching committee could have done. This creates both a gap
and tension in terms of successful and engaging content delivery, where
traditional modes of synchronous content delivery is now forced to be brought
online. Yet, the situation provides educators with an opportunity to explore
the merits and weaknesses of online learning. Thus, this article seeks to
outline the challenges and paradigm shifts involved in such synchronous online
learning as a replacement for traditional classroom learning, following our
experience at SUTD of conducting a full 13-week online physics course between
May to August 2020. At the same time, we reflect on the merits brought about by
the availability of such technologies that can potentially be translated to the
physical physics classrooms.
