Day Four of working from home due to safety precautions being taken by the University due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t mind it terribly, though the days do feel like one long week. I have been wearing my flannel pyjamas all day; perhaps tomorrow I will put on a real shirt, but it is Monday after all.
So due to social distancing, all of our current in-session courses are being moved online NOW. We have been running live session workshops, recording videos, and trying to convert courses as best we can, but we are looking at having to digitize hundreds of courses in only a few weeks in order to support any summer offerings. It is exciting, we are suddenly very much in demand! Where instructors were once very “set in their ways” to their teaching approach, they are now in a rush to, if not embrace, pick up and use the technology!
Of course, there are all sorts of tiny considerations when moving a face-to-face course online. One being, group work! If a professor has never used online learning, and they assign pre-existing group work, then supports have to be in place for the professors to pass on to their learners to ensure a successful transition, especially with social distancing considerations. Make sure to check with your technology teams, or your departments and faculties, about what resources are available to students within the institution for the professor to choose from and pass along.
Remember, moving the course content online is only a part of the battle! Stay safe and healthy friends – until next time!
Mahalo for reading,
Kristy
