educating through adversity
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE Among the first schools in the country to switch from campus to remote learning, the university’s Center for Teaching and Learning played a major role in helping faculty members convert their in-person teaching to online instruction. One of the many useful teaching tutorials was an ongoing program called the Pop-Up Series, which included panel discussions led by faculty and center staff members. The topics were specialized to provide guidance on how to help students succeed with remote learning. Sessions included Teaching International and Multilingual Students Remotely, Supporting Students From Underrepresented Groups and First-Generation College Students and Getting Useful Feedback From Students on Online Teaching. The university’s academic support programs website included information to assist students with the transition to online learning, including tips on required hardware, utilizing Zoom and other software, and setting up schedules and study areas. A free tutoring program connected students and tutors via Zoom.
What many universities offered seem like Band-Aid solutions, but that’s better than nothing, says Matthew Rascoff, who leads digital education and innovation at Duke. “This is first aid,” he says. “We’re calling this remote teaching, not online learning. This is not how you would normally do it.” He and his team had to respond quickly this year when its partner university in China, Duke Kunshan, had to suddenly pivot to digital instruction. That campus offered hands-on learning such as work study or in-person projects, the sort of experience that doesn’t necessarily translate to online coursework. Faculty have been able to use technology such as Zoom to continue classes. Professors can use polls, for example, to engage students in real time as though it was a classroom, Rascoff says. Students were satisfied with the instruction, he adds, but they missed their extracurricular activities. Duke managed to create workarounds. For example, the university provided students with fitness trackers for a physical fitness class. Exercise, Rascoff says, is important when people feel stressed. — Chris Quintana
46 BACK TO SCHOOL | 2020
GETTY IMAGES; DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY
DUKE UNIVERSITY, DURHAM, N.C.