This is our first Guest Post related to the impact of school and university closings that are catapulting schools into distance teaching on the fly!
This one is from a lurker, and we’ll be seeing guest posts from others in the coming week.
And now, The Lurker: (Thanks, Lurker!)
So I attended a workshop to try to get us very quickly prepared to teach at a distance until the end of the month. There are a few things I’ve learned that I think are important to share:
- Be kind to yourself and your students. Everyone is stressed, even if they’re playing cool. That includes faculty. And that’s okay.
- Many universities have a considerable number of pedagogical experts that, quite frankly, I have only been dimly aware of until yesterday. Be kind to these people. They are suddenly very slammed.
- There are a much larger number of faculty on university campuses that desperately need to retool. We have faculty who do not know how to use even the course management software that we’ve been on since I’ve been here (12 years). It is moments like this when that disparity becomes really fraught. It is also unacceptable.
- You will not recreate your classroom, and you cannot hold yourself to that standard. Moving a class to a distance learning model in a day’s time excludes the possibility of excellence. Give yourself a break.
- Prioritize. What do students REALLY NEED TO KNOW for two weeks. This one is hard for me. But we have to strip it all the way down–in my campaigns class, that means I need them to post infographics on their research and now post narrative context and slides. But I’m going to punt on presentations because we just don’t have time. Which sucks. But these are not normal circumstances.
- If you’re making videos, student viewership drops off precipitously at 5 minutes. Make them capsule videos if you make them. And UPLOAD to YOUTUBE because it TRANSCRIBES for you. Do not assume your audio is good enough or that students can understand without transcription. This is like using a microphone at meetings–I don’t care if you don’t need it, someone else does and they don’t want to ask.
- Make assignments lower or no stakes if you’re using a new platform. Get students used to just using the platform. Then you can do something higher stakes. Do not ask students to do a high stakes exam or assignment on a new platform.
- Stay in contact with students, and stay transparent. Talk to them about WHY you’re prioritizing certain things or asking them to read or do certain things. I’ve moved to doing that in all of my face-to-face teaching anyway, and it improves student buy-in because they know content and delivery are purposeful.
- Do not read on best practices for distance learning. That’s not the situation we’re in. We’re in triage. Distance learning, when planned, can be really excellent. That’s not what this is. Do what you absolutely have to and ditch what you can. Thinking you can manage best practices in a day or a week will lead to feeling like you’ve failed.
- Be particularly kind to your graduating seniors. They’re already panicking, and this isn’t going to help. If you teach a class where they need to have completed something for certification, to apply to grad school, or whatever, figure out plan B. But talk to them. Radio silence, even if you’re working, is not okay.
What follows is not something I learned in the workshop (some of these other things aren’t either, they just make good sense), but for those in positions where they have to report on their year’s activities, including teaching and service–REPORT ON THIS. We are, in real time, doing very significant labor for the university at no additional compensation and with little training.
Report on that in your activities for the year. Frame your work as both teaching AND service. You are helping put your university on more solid ground by doing this and doing this on the fly–that is LABOR. Frame it as such. I told every junior faculty person in my department to do this, especially, and told them I would highlight that in my reports on them so it’s repeatedly on record.
Note from WaterGirl:
This is just the first post of a number of posts on this topic.
For sharing, and for future reference for yourself, you might want to bookmark the whole series.
https://balloon-juice.com/category/health-care/covid-19/distance-teaching-coronavirus/
You can also find it under Featuring in the sidebar (it’s in the menu bar / hamburger on mobile).
K488
We’re going through the same thing at my institution, and I have to say this post offers the best of the advice I’ve heard and not heard in a very concise manner. Thank you! I also second your last paragraphs concerning what we are all doing for the health of our educational institutions, and we need to make that very clear on our yearly reports. Again, thank you!
Matthew
“5. Prioritize. What do students REALLY NEED TO KNOW for two weeks.”
Oh… that’s a trap. It will not be just two weeks. It will be more. Think about the meme going around about “flattening the curve.” What does that mean? Probably 6 weeks at least.
A Ghost to Most
New/repurposed servers will be needed everywhere. My educated guess is that while many places have established online learning to some degree, their capacities are nowhere near what they are about to experience (perhaps 20%). How much is server production down in China?
Rick Taylor
I’m a math instructor at a community college in California. We’re going to online instruction this Monday. There’s a weeks worth of classes before final exams, and then after spring break we’re doing Spring quarter. My biggest concern currently is how to do online examinations, particularly for the upcoming final. Currently I’m thinking I may go to multiple choice questions, or questions that can be answered without using much symbolism, and have students mail in their answers. We have catalyst and Zoom. I’m not currently trained in catalyst, though I think I’ve got Zoom working.
PenAndKey
Yup, definitely bookmarking this one for future reading and passing it on to my friends among the university staff from when I was a student and TA. They’re all freaking out right now since the microbiology department is so dependent on practical labs for instruction and they just found out last week that the campus is distance learning only for the spring semester.
marklar
Thanks to the Lurker, and to Watergirl for posting this. I’m exactly in this position right now, and this distillation is VERY helpful.
RobertB
@A Ghost to Most: I’ve been looking over my daughter’s shoulder, and I think you’re right. Maybe 75%+ of homework assignments are turned in online, and paper textbooks are a thing of the past; at least in the Psychology department right now. But I’m curious how the online classroom will work out.
As for the ‘professor who doesn’t use the online tools’, my daughter’s English professor has demanded that their midterm project needs to be turned in by hand by 3/27. Are you f’in kidding me? I’d send the head of the department a nastygram telling them to go pull this guy’s head out of his ass before I go cough on him, but I think it would be a good life lesson for my daughter to send the email.
RobertB
@Rick Taylor:
Zoom is what we use at work, and it works, sort of. When it’s sharing screens it’s a resource hog; everything else on my machine comes to a screeching halt. Don’t be surprised if students start complaining if you ask them to do a lot on the PC while you’re showing a lot of stuff on screen.
Red Cedar
We’re going online, and I have a fair amount of experience with online teaching, but the Transition Now thing is really hard. I’ve been reading tons about what to do and really appreciated this approach:
https://anygoodthing.com/2020/03/12/please-do-a-bad-job-of-putting-your-courses-online/?fbclid=IwAR2246Gx1AbRYK3SgaXfuUN0V5_TsqqgybllKzot8S8CkhUWD2Tsk1eUzX0
kindness
Didn’t we see that pup pic yesterday? Love the look on it’s face.
PenAndKey
@RobertB: Tell your daughter to tell the department head that not only will she be submitting it electronically, but that she’ll be notifying your regional news agencies that the professor is putting everyone at risk. If said professor wants to be a jerk, about this, it’s time to play hardball.
Butch
I taught a distance learning writing class for about 15 years. The most disconcerting part is that people are really reluctant to speak up in that setting, so you can end up feeling like you’re talking to a wall – there’s just no reaction to what you’re saying. I tried polls, waiting people out (thinking that if I was quiet long enough the silence would become uncomfortable and someone would speak up), multiple choice questions…..never could get anyone to participate.
The other thing I learned is that the verbal tics such as uh, um, you know stand out more than anything else you’re saying; a pause is better than any verbal filler.
DougJ
Thanks a lot
Bill K
For some reason the picture of the dog is really freaking me out.
CCL
@Butch:
Hope these help and are not stating the obvious. If anyone finds these tips useful, I can get my brain better organized and jot some more down.
lee
@PenAndKey: That is exactly my recommendation as well. If they want to be stupid even when politely confronted about it, they should expect to be named and shamed.
RobertB
@PenAndKey: I like that better than my idea of going down there and chokeslamming this guy. Passed it along to my daughter.
Butch
@CCL: I do get a list; I actually never thought about picking people and posing the questions to them directly. One of the issues for me – it’s for a specific company; there’s no homework and there are various reasons for participation – some want to, some are forced, some think it’s an accomplishment they can list on the annual performance evaluation, so not everyone is equally engaged.
WaterGirl
@PenAndKey:
This is just the first post of a number of guest posts on this topic.
For sharing, and for future reference for yourself, you might want to bookmark the whole series.
https://balloon-juice.com/category/health-care/covid-19/distance-teaching-coronavirus/
You can also find it under Featuring in the sidebar (it’s in the menu bar / hamburger on mobile).
CCL
@Butch: Yup – that’s what I often face as well. If it’s any help, I have not had complaints about calling on folks. I do also use the icons (if you have those) like green checks – red Xs – “Please give me a green check when you are done with the exercise on page xx” I wait for the green checks, often say something “Like whoosie, I don’t see a green check, do you need more time?”
Hope this is useful info, of course, ignore if not.
PenAndKey
@RobertB: Many of my initial reactions in life are only stopped because my brain goes, “nope. bad idea. jail is still a thing”. I honestly can’t imagine the stress right now that students and educators are facing. Everyone here who’s dealing with it has my sympathies, because lord knows my skillset isn’t up to helping them unless they’re looking to get into asynchronous Youtube/Udemy style instruction. The closest I’ve ever done to real-time education is trying to teach a group of Minecraft players how to assemble a group project via Discord (which was way harder than expected, btw).
@WaterGirl:
Done :)
A Lurker
Here’s a link to rubrics related to discussion:
https://topr.online.ucf.edu/discussion-rubrics/
As far as participation in online courses by students, there are as many who will thrive in the online environment when they would just sit in a F2F. So much of this is highly individualized and NOTHING is universal.
We always told folks that once we solved the problem of cheating in the classroom we’d concentrate on online. It takes thought to construct assessments that don’t lend themselves to cheating and that’s a whole area that is well documented.
Mandarama
This is a terrific post, and a tremendously helpful series. I am off this semester, but I’m an underpaid adjunct (not that there’s any other kind) and on behalf of all of us, thank you. ??
WaterGirl
I received this email from the University of Illinois this morning. Sharing here in case any of the information might be relevant elsewhere:
Wednesday night you received email announcing that we will be suspending face-to-face instruction starting March 23. This message contains important details about this transition and available support resources.
LOGISTICAL DETAILS:
KEY GUIDELINES:
SUPPORT RESOURCES:
PenAndKey
So… I take it that rules out any platform that doesn’t have a university contract? That seems like it’s going to cause issues and severely restrict possible solutions. That’s definitely the sort of thing people looking to set up remote coursework should ask their departments about if they haven’t already.
Brachiator
I noted this nugget in a previous thread:
More people have been told to work from home, and some schools are ramping up remote learning. But Ars Technica reports that disruption of the supply chain because of the virus is affecting people who are trying to buy computer hardware so that they can comply with the new reality. Some folks are also having problems getting parts for repairs.
Also, a general discussion of the equipment and tools that students might need to participate effectively in remote learning might be in order.
Issues of security are important as well.
ETA: I heard a radio commercial for Zoom yesterday. I don’t think that they were a regular advertiser on this station, but they perhaps recognize that a number of schools in the Los Angeles listening area might be able to use their services.
oldster
Wow. The photo of that extremely stressed pup makes me extremely stressed every time I see it.
It’s okay, pup! Come get a cuddle! You’re going to be alright!
zhena gogolia
@Red Cedar:
That’s the one our faculty have been sharing.
I’ve been in workshops for two days now and my conclusion is it ain’t gonna work. I asked at a meeting, “Could I just send them letters and have them send me letters back?” Half seriously. But I guess the postal system might break down.
FlyingToaster
If you’re trying to do work online in groups, please, please remember that the ‘Net is really clogged. Everybody, everybody’s pet pig, and and everybody’s DVR are all online at once, from ~8:30am to ~10pm. It’s going to be like this for a while, no matter what your {varying degrees of evil} ISP claims about capacity.
***
My daughter’s tiny school had already put plans into place; they’ve been working on it in the background since mid-January. They already use Schoology for homework and non-paper assignments; IXL for math practice. The MS and grades 4-5 teachers have been tooling up to use Google hangouts, but they’re not going to do stupid stuff like try to be online 6 hours a day (normal instructional day is 8:30-3:15).
I’ve already been in touch with the principal, and we were discussing latency. Like sudden, random freezes in connectivity, not connected to my home wifi or somebody (ahem) downloading the OED.
Since we’re both working from home already, adding in WG’s school is just icing on the fucking cake.
WarriorGirl’s music school is also going remote, which for individual lessons and music theory should work pretty well. We have had to do remote lessons before in both Facetime and Skype, and for a one-to-one pipe, not been hit badly by latency. For group classes, it’s going to suck. Trying to play a 2-part Bach Violin Concerto over Zoom with the normal 9-12 violinists will be horrible.
Aleta
@CCL: very helpful, thanks.
Thanks @Lurker and the other tipsters
Many parts of my subject matter don’t adapt at all to online instruction, yet so much of this is very useful. The panic at school today is spiking. And judging from the student parking lot there may not be anyone in class today (the last one) …
RSA
@WaterGirl:
I was just chatting yesterday with a colleague who uses Blackboard Collaborate when he teaches, as an adjunct. One reason he likes it, he said, is that there’s a mobile app students can use to participate, which is a much lower threshold than a PC and a fast Internet connection.
WaterGirl
@kindness: That pup will be the image for all of these posts, at least the ones I put up myself. Branding!
Brachiator
@Rick Taylor:
Obviously, many institutions and instructors will need to quickly implement something that works.
A company I worked for used an online multiple choice quiz for our video conferenced customer training courses. One of our programmers wrote a routine that would randomize the correct answer choices so that customers could not collude and pass an answer sheet around.
WaterGirl
@Bill K: I’m sorry. :-( I thought he captured how everyone who has to suddenly teach online might be feeling.
WaterGirl
@CCL:
Those kinds of tips seem really useful to me. Please jot them down and send them to me. (Or the front pager of your choice.)
It takes a village.
Kent
I’ve done some of this as a HS teacher in Texas. My best advice is to do everything you can to make your class a community, not a portal. Task out responsibilities to the better students, create tutoring groups, that sort of thing. Do what you can to get the students engaged without your presence. There is nothing more satisfying to log into a class portal, see a bunch of questions about an assignment or concept that have already been addressed and discussed by other students.
Give them some leeway to be silly and off-topic in the larger objective of building your class site into a place they go to.
WaterGirl
@oldster: The pup needs you as his emotional support human. You will both be okay.
BGinCHI
@RobertB: As an English Prof with formerly shitty colleagues like that (not any more, thanks retirements), I’d say definitely email the chair and CC the Dean. Be as professional and clear as you can be, as shrillness is too easily dismissed.
Ella in New Mexico
@RobertB:
Absolutely! Teaching my daughter this is what made her an A student vs. the B/C student’s her older brother’s were (even though I taught them similarly). They often just got mad and bitched and moaned but accepted a situation rather than confront their instructors about an unfair grade or other problem, at least until they were Seniors. She, on the other hand, was one of those annoying students that was always waiting outside the professors door to challenge her grade right down to the 1/2 point.
She’s still a fiery little kick ass. Even her 73 year-old boss is afraid of “disappointing” her. ;-)
pika
English prof here in Mistermix’s area–A Lurker’s advice is hugely helpful, and I just shared it with my department. Most of what I’m hearing from the students–especially as Lurker put it, the graduating seniors–is grief. There’s also been a lot of reckoning from some among the “burn it all down” crowd: isn’t this what they wanted? The very stability, predictability, and sheer miracle of a structure that allows conversation about important issues and texts is something some squandered and ridiculed, and now those folks are understanding what they’ve lost. Compassion for those folks is also needed.
RobertB
@BGinCHI: I wasn’t joking about letting my daughter do it. My daughter would be nicer about it than either me or my wife, and it would look better from the student in question than it would from Yet Another Angry Parent.
Walker
Be careful about 6.
If your lecture uses images or music you are not cleared to use it can get in trouble. We have had faculty members sued for lectures that contained music, when those lectures were just available in a public GitHub repo.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
I think he’s kidding. The dog is adorable.
zhena gogolia
@pika:
Wow, fascinating comment.
PenAndKey
You’re a better person than me.
WaterGirl
@pika: I wonder if we should have a separate post for a discussion of the emotional side of things for students. Would you be interested in putting something together, to at least get things started?
Anyone else interested in this, as well?
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
Yes, that would be helpful. These are the only threads I’m reading as I have reached peak panic.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: just to make sure I understand… are you thinking emotional side of things based on students suddenly losing their normal lives, related to distance teaching/learning?
Or are you looking for a post to talk about the emotional side of coping with the current situation, not related to distance teaching?
Either / both is fine, just want to be sure I know what you’re asking for.
pika
@WaterGirl: Sure–once you hear from some more folks about what they might find helpful…
pika
@PenAndKey: Not necessarily. I can’t tell you how many sentences on the screen and in the air I have censored.
WaterGirl
H/t geg6
Adding this to this thread so I can find it later to add this to the (upcoming) Resources page.
WaterGirl
@pika: How about if you start putting something together? If others want to contribute, we can add to yours. If not, we’ll have something that’s kind of ready to go.
Would that work for you?
pika
@WaterGirl: Sure! Shall I email it to you?
WaterGirl
@pika: Perfect!
Kirk Spencer
Once more finally getting into an almost dead thread…
Would it help to hear from the many (I hope) rpg GM’s who run online sessions? I mean, it’s usually only for three to five players – I know a couple who’ve managed
righteight though. Still, much smaller classes. But it’s experience that might translate?zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
Well, both sound great and needed, but I assume Pika’s topic would be the first one.
JillianG
@Rick Taylor: Hi Rick! One idea: Release a timed assignment (exam) on your learning platform (we use Canvas). Most questions can be multiple choice/single values to “check” knowledge. But, you could make one “long” problem as say the last one. At the end of the exam time, students upload a picture/screenshot/scan of their written answers to the platform, which you can then assess as a “regular” exam problem, symbols and all. Hope that helps!
BGinCHI
@RobertB: I think that’s exactly right.
evap
Thanks A Lurker!! This is very helpful, I’m passing this on to my spouse, who will start remote teaching (math at a small liberal arts college) in a week. The school has extended spring break an extra week to help everyone get ready. I’m am so happy that I had the good luck to go on sabbatical this semester and so have no teaching to worry about.
Bill K
@zhena gogolia: Actually I’m not kidding. However, I think the dog’s picture is an accurate expression of the feelings of people dealing with radical changes to their jobs. I feel WaterGirl is doing a great service by discussing her ideas for online teaching and I am enjoying the article. I…just…can’t…look at the dog.
WaterGirl
@Bill K: Bad dog!
Just need to correct one thing…
I am just the facilitator here – I can’t take credit for the content. :-)
jl
Thanks for a very important post. As someone who has been forced to do poorly planned distance learning periodically, my two cents below:
The big weakness in pure distance learning is loss of motivation by students who need more individual attention, who fall behind, or who don’t have internalized high incentive to master the material.
Very important to watch out for those students, ID them and intervene early. The reason for any late or sketchy assignments need to be investigated.
And, from what I have read, the most efficient way to teach with distance learning is a mix of in-person and distance learning. When measured in terms of the proportion of students who sign up for the class and then pass and honestly master the material, a mix is by far the most cost-effective.
So, don’t let panic prevent you from in-person meetings wherever possible. Use common sense. I haven’t heard of any social distancing restrictions below 50 people, so you can certainly have a meeting with three or four. If that is not possible, get on the damn phone and talk with them, or an individual remote PC session that allows back and forth conversation. The human touch is essential for some students.
Lyrebird
@Rick Taylor: Best wishes with your classes!
I haven’t used catalyst; if you have a Google account, you could put the multiple choice questions on a Google form. I think it can randomize answer choice order. My students are pretty handy with sending me cell phone images of stuff they had to do by hand. I have also had reasonably good results with including some sort of pledge or honor statement on online tests.
I’m feeling okay about the switch bc I have done some hybrid courses, but my kids will be home too, now, holy moly wish us all luck.
A Lurker
Another resource
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1NUKLZN7hGSu1Hzm70kfzBKs-lsSELaEMggS60Bi2O2I/htmlview?usp=embed_facebook&fbclid=IwAR22JjzUHG__IN9pXWG5uUtkKZaUhVOBwNs1JuxF8_GglVHMtxYyXtMJWsw&sle=true
No One You Know
Jane Bozarth of the North Carolina school system already solved this problem for hert state years ago.
She figured out how to make an underestimated, poorly used, and badly misunderstood tool provide online interactive student experiences that could be read, edited, saved, scored, and then reused by anybody in the school system without spending an extra dime on elaborate software.
She was awarded PhD for her work in online instructional design. I enjoyed being in the audience when I took her class. We made text, animation, labs, and graphics using principles of instructional design and Ruth Colvin Clark’s Graphics for Learning (book documenting 10 years of what works in online learning, founded in cognitive science).
THIS ISN’T HARD, because…
You can do it with “Better Than Bullet Points, ” her book on creating distributed, customizable (or not) classes.
In PowerPoint.
And I’ve done it.
WaterGirl
@No One You Know: Anything concrete that you could share? Maybe a guest post on what you did and what you learned?