Going remote
online learning in middle of the semester
A quick look at transiting to remote learning
Like the rest of the world 2020 has not exactly panned out as I thought it would. The year and the spring semester started off strong. As a cohort we had found our groove and were tackling our heaviest semester with five classes and a lab. We juggled four group projects at the peck of the work load and scheduling group meetings had become a skill. At the center was our studio space. It was always available with its white boards and post-it notes and room to spare.
Being a tech embracing, user experience focused program, we had already held several classes remote due to snowy weather and under the weather instructors. We had embraced new tools like Figma primarily for it’s remote teamwork work flow. Little did we know we were training for the remainder of our program remote.
Reality setting-in
Remote learning felt isolating immediately for me. No more connections with peers in the kitchen getting coffee, no more post class beers, no more late nights in the studio. Ideation sessions with white boards and random studio guests, gone. I didn't realize how I had blocked my day in to parts revolving around class time. Some of my peers have families and kids as do most of our instructors. With kids home from school time became more of a commodity and affected some of my groups. I went into grad school with the idea that I was paying for time, time to think, play, fail, and learn. Screen / video call fatigue hit me hard.
Rules we came up with along the way
- Have an agenda before a video call, it can be to just chat and work
- Bio breaks 1.5hrs into class (this is a 5/10 min break to go to the toilet, grab a snack etc)
- Call / chat when you are filling stuck
- Check-in at the start of group calls
For me
- Wear my blue light filter glasses (this has helped with screen fatigue)
