ZOOMING IN ON VIRTUAL CLASSES AND EVENTS by Farina Zeb
Nova Labs and its fearless instructors and hosts quickly adapted to offering virtual classes and events over Zoom during the pandemic. Let’s look at the topics surrounding the transition from on-site to online!
1
Need for Virtual Classes and Events
Nova Labs closed its doors March 16th with no certainty as to when its doors would reopen. All classes and events ceased, and our members no longer had access to use Nova Labs tools and resources on-site to support their continued learning and MakerQuest, a commitment to make something they don’t yet have the skills for by learning to make it. At the time of the lockdown, many of our members were vocal that they would stick with Nova Labs through the pandemic by continuing to pay member dues in hopes that Nova Labs will be operational post-pandemic. Member
Page 16 | June Newsletter | Nova Labs
retention and improving member experience have always been a focus for Nova Labs, but became more important during the pandemic for our nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. The leadership therefore committed itself to continuing to support members in their enjoyment of making things. Virtual classes was recognized as a means for engaging our members and providing opportunities for continued learning. With our members accustomed to classes and events on-site, we needed to become early adopters in exploring virtual class development and execution. Our ability to adapt, take risks, and be resilient was also dependent on our willingness to step outside of our comfort zones. The worst that could happen, we thought, is that it might not work. Because virtual classes were new to Nova Labs, there was plenty of room to learn and experiment to see what works and what doesn’t work. Limited time and resources in a volunteer environment were expectedly our biggest constraints, but they did not prevent us from moving forward.
