Lessons learned: 9 takeaways from teaching online during COVID-19
Tips for remote instruction developed in the past 10 weeks
Like most educators, the coronavirus pandemic forced me to move my teaching online. And quickly.
My institution, the University of Oregon, like many others had to make some rapid calls about the move to online instruction.
Although I had some experience of creating materials for online courses, there is a big difference between contributing a few pieces to a MOOC, and delivering 3 x 10-week classes — at short notice — to a cohort which is both unsettled, and skeptical of the value/quality of teaching you might provide.
That many of these students had yet to take a class with me before, was also a factor. They didn’t know me. And I didn’t know them.
The learning curve was going to be steep. It still is.
Nonetheless, I am pleasantly surprised with how things have gone, and as we rapidly approach the end of term, it’s a good opportunity to pause and reflect on the experience.
With that in mind, here are nine key things that I have learned so far:
