Thread by @Dr_Joe_McIntyre

#onlinelearning in the chaos of #Corvid_19

THREAD 2: Pivoting in a Pandemic

In this thread I will offer some tips on making this transition. It builds on my general concepts thread, and will be augmented by a third tech and teaching thread

If you missed it, here is my first thread

https://twitter.com/Dr_Joe_McIntyre/status/1240067190549708800

This first thing to remember is that this are truly exceptional circumstances, and we are trying to do in days what normally takes months. With that in mind, I am framing everything in this pivot by reference to this hierarchy:

Our first priority in the next few months is keeping people safe.

EVERYTHING else is secondary to this.

Nothing we do is helpful, supportive or useful if it in any way undermines safety. This requires a fundamental shift of paradigm.

Secondly, we need to do everything we can to minimise stress and anxiety for our students - good communication, honesty, being generous with extensions, marking etc.

We also need to be kind to ourselves - lowering our expectations of what we can do, doing a bit at a time etc

Finally, we need to help our students learn a bit (and us teach a bit)

To be clear, the learning experience for our students will be inferior to what they would have had. They will learn less. THIS IS OK - remember this is only our third priority

Lets talk about stress. There are many sources of this for students, and we need to acknowledge this and develop responses

Remember, this is our priority number 2. If it is a choice between lowering your academic standards &lowering your student's stress, do the later EVERY time

This ⬇️will be the thing that dominates the next six months+. This is not life as normal, &we need to respond accordingly

The biggest stress for the students will be assessments. Be generous with more time, more guidance marking etc - and tell them this.

EXAMS: I am converting all exams to assignments - eg a problem Q with less content than the exam would have. They will have a week or so to do it. Half the class will advise P and half D.

A 'take-home' exam over a weekend is, in my opinion, too stressful in these conditions

While considering the needs of students' don't forget about yourself. There are huge stresses on academics atm - but there are things we can do:

Again, and I repeat our priorities are Health > Minimise Stress > Teach a Bit

Try your best, but your best in these circumstances, not what you would do normally.

Example: my brain died on me yesterday afternoon. I went home and slept for 2 hours. Life became possible after that.

One thing that is exhausting for everyone atm is dealing with emails. One option that worked really well for me yesterday was to organise a virtual 'drop-in' session for students, where I answer questions about their assignment + everything going on

This was much more efficient than dealing with a slew of emails - and had the advantage of familiarising them with zoom

The point I am making is that you must not try to do what you DID. You are currently doing a pile of extra preparation, and this is impacting on teaching. Again, that is OK. Physical & Mental Health is the priority atm

You may feel like this is not recognised by central admin, but they are overwhelmed themselves - and often behind the eight-ball with old priorities. This is a crisis on a global scale though, and you need to take control and only do what you can.

The best thing you can do to minimise student stress is BE HONEST. This transition will be inferior to what they would have got. But it is better than the alternative - nothing

As I said the other day, OL is fundamentally limited, but that is OK

Your ambition is to teach the students A BIT. Limit your ambitions about what you are going to do in the first instance

This is not the time to push your self to do something amazing, to make students laugh, to do fancy videos. This is the time for quick, dirty ugly (hierarchy of needs again)

There are some great people out here doing some amazing things. Don't feel like you must compete.

This is going to be our new normal for AT LEAST all of 2020. You will have plenty of time later to scaffold up your skills and learn better tools - that is not a task for now

Lastly, it is important for you to have an experience of what the students are getting with the tech. Practice a zoom with a colleague where you are a student - give yourself time

Online teaching has a steep learning curve to do well. It is more exhausting that traditional teaching, and takes more time.

Monitor your health and well being - you are only trying to offer something. You would not be doing this if not for a pandemic

Be gentle, be kind - on your students, your colleagues and on YOURSELF.

Remember Health > Stress > Learning a bit

There are lots of us out here willing to help - don't be afraid to reach out

Best of Luck, and stay safe