The Spring 2020 semester was crazy as we “pivoted” to “emergency remote instruction.” Many of us—faculty and students— were learning new technologies daily if not hourly (at some points). It was, at turns, exhausting and exhilarating (mostly exhausting). Now, however, when we get the courage to look up again, we will find that we are facing an uncertain Fall semester. We know that we have to plan for a semester that is likely to be delivered at least in part through remote instruction. The big difference: we see it coming! So, now we are challenged to take the “emergency” out of “emergency remote instruction” and create meaningful courses that can adapt—more or less at a moment’s notice—to a change in delivery style.
What do such courses look like? This is the beginning of my attempt to answer that question. I think most of us realized that we can’t simply talk into the webcam and hope for the best. As I develop resources for the faculty at the college where I teach, I will share my ideas, questions, frustrations, and (hopefully) inspirations on this blog.
For today, I nod to Chris Jernstedt from Dartmouth University. He was the featured speaker at a Zoom faculty development meeting I attended at the end of the semester. Chris is a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Founder of the Center for Learning Outcomes at Dartmouth College. He reminded us that students (well, actually all of us) learn in three ways: cognitively, socially, and emotionally. The challenge—always when teaching, but especially when teaching remotely—is to engage all three pathways of learning. How can we design courses—structures and activities—that can not only build in all three ways of learning but also maintain them in remote instruction situation?
I will keep you posted as I learn…