Students and parents might be wondering how professors are going make the switch to online classes. Syracuse University is one of the many colleges to make this decision.

Many professors are going to be using virtual classrooms. With the help of web cameras and special online platforms like Blackboard and Zoom, teachers will be able to see and hear all their students. 

Nina Kohn, director of online education at Syracuse University's College of Law, helped launch the nation's first fully interactive online law degree program, and has taught students online and in person for more than a decade. Some faculty members might discover they even like teaching online, she said.

"I think this transition is going to have a lasting impact on higher education," said Kohn. "But I hope in the long run it'll give us a chance to better reflect on how we do education, and what we might want to do going forward to make our teaching even better."

The transition might be easy for lecture-style classes. But some professors who teach more immersive subjects, like studio arts and engineering, say they really don't have any idea what their students are going to do, if courses stay online beyond that one week after spring break.