ZOOM FATIGUE AND OTHER EDUCATION TRENDS // TRAINING & EDUCATION
ZOOM FATIGUE AND OTHER EDUCATION TRENDS READYING FOR THE POST-COVID NORMAL
BY JOHN HARDY
C
algary training and education was already being innovatively re-defined when the COVID-19 panic--at least the intense and focused scramble---happened.
Some local education experts say that, from sudden Zoom sessions to the tricky fine details of online synchronous course delivery, the COVID scramble accelerated changes and adjustments that were in the works or being considered. Dr. Brad Donaldson, SAIT vice president, academic points out that “within weeks after COVID hit, SAIT’s Centre for Learning and Technology department developed a course for all faculty to prepare for and deliver their courses online. The goal was to set students up for success by ensuring faculty knew how to be most effective and comfortable engaging in these environments.”
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AUGUST 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM
All levels of training and education, particularly businessrelated programs, are embracing the changes and have been gradually and subtly making adjustments for several years. In business, there’s an expectation that “the supply” effectively trained (re-trained) and educated students will “the demands” of business. “One of the biggest trends is incorporating high impact practices such as experiential learning, including engaging with the business community,” explains Leighton Wilks, associate dean of Teaching and Learning at the Haskayne School of Business, “incorporating work experience into the classroom, curriculum integrated learning and research opportunities. Another emerging trend is lifelong learning and embedded certificates within programs. For example,
