No one expected this on March 1, to be conscripted and then sent immediately to the front lines of online teaching. I certainly didn’t; for me, having to transform a class in video production into a fully remote experience has given me a few sleepless nights, and I’ve been at this online learning game for over 20 years. I can only imagine what it must be like for instructors whose assessments include tactile manipulation of chemistry or biology lab equipment and specimens, let alone fine arts, nursing, and other fields where experiential learning involves the physically tangible.
And yet, here we are. Ineluctably.
After a couple of weeks, what seems to be happening is a type of “calming down,” a settling in, dealing with frustrations as best we can. This perspective comes from a recent discussion with 25 instructors, who were invited to weigh in with their individual stories. For some, being unable to see the students’ facial expressions has been a very tough barrier to overcome. Video conferencing has helped, and as its utilization has skyrocketed. Video conferencing platforms do offer counterweights to the frustration of remoteness or isolation from students. But it’s not the same as being in the classroom.
And because online learning is not the same, obviously! there have been necessities for instructors to deal with: much greater flexibility with students, some of whom are facing the pressure of caring for loved ones while being a student at home; being patient with them as they figure out, for example, how to simply submit an online video assignment. “Be generous in favor of the students,” one professor said. Being patient with oneself as an instructor facing the difficulty of adapting to online learning and its tools is of utmost necessity. Knowing and sharing the knowledge with students that, “we’re all in this together,” could be the start of truly effective team-building, where on many levels you and the students are, indeed, equals; perhaps a refreshing thing to realize. By keeping the goal in mind: teaching and learning, student performance, and accomplishment, one may find the intrinsic motivation to take enough agency to find a way. Find a way.
“Be generous in favor of the students,” one professor said. Being patient with oneself as an instructor facing the difficulty of adapting to online learning and its tools is of utmost necessity. Knowing and sharing the knowledge with students that “we’re all in this together” could be the start of truly effective team-building, where you and students are equals.
One professor found a way to show her students a pure chalk-and-talk styled solution to a field-related math problem by stabilizing an iPad on a bookshelf and shooting real-time video of her handwritten notations, then sharing this with her students as a recorded video. Another professor whose expertise in chalk-and-talk lecturing is at the level of a virtuoso has made the transition to teaching online through use of video conferencing and screen-sharing in one day.
Others are finding strategies to adapt, such as recording video lectures in relatively short “chunks” and putting them online, followed by activities and discussions to engage students and continue the thread of learning; polling with digital tools available for download free of charge; embedding quizzes into online videos; peer reviewing of assignments, etc. The motivation to teach has prompted many instructors to overcome their fear of webcams, with the realization that a visual and virtual presence is key to a student’s satisfaction and engagement.
The motivation to teach has prompted many instructors to overcome their fear of webcams, with the realization that a visual and virtual presence is key to a student’s satisfaction and engagement.
Still, obstacles remain: poor connectivity for more than a few students, the inability to use virtual whiteboards with a clumsy mouse, the lack of some platforms’ abilities to deliver functionality, and the dilemma of delivering an online test without adequate proctoring to prevent cheating.
In many ways, these foibles represent where we are with this perforce transition to online learning, Version 1.0. The experiences we all gain from adapting, team-building, problem-solving, flexibility, and faith will lead us to an even better Version 2.0. You are on the front lines, but you’re not alone. Educational technologists don’t just troubleshoot problems or teach you how to use tools; we can help you solve problems with the pedagogy of online learning and are happy to consult you.
Be well, be safe, hold fast, and have faith.
Glen Gummess, Ed.D., is an Educational Technologist in the Department of Academic Technology at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL. His recent dissertation “Faculty Initiative and the Role of Self-Efficacy in Raising Digital Literacy” argues that professors are more willing to engage with academic technology, and report a higher level of confidence with digital literacy, when they choose the technology platforms they want to learn. The dissertation also recommends that professional development programs incorporate opportunities for faculty to select their own technology.
Lirim Neziroski 
Leave a comment