This semester, Indiana University returned to in-person classes and a more typical campus experience; but the fall 2021 classroom bore little resemblance to its pre-pandemic cousin. IU East Professor of Psychology Amanda Kraha, sums it up nicely. "The pandemic," she says, "radically changed today's learning landscape—college as we once knew it."
Given this new "learning landscape," IU's teaching and learning centers were braced to field an onslaught of questions as faculty transitioned back to campus, according to Randy Newbrough, manager of instructional technology consulting for the Campus Centers for Teaching and Learning. "But," he says, "faculty have adapted wonderfully."
A likely explanation for the successful transition comes from Rob Elliott, IUPUI teaching professor of computer and information technology. He notes that in 2020–21, faculty reflected on their processes and considered different tools, processes, and assignment structures that "yielded the same effect, but that are more effective for students, and a more effective use of faculty time."
Experimenting with Canvas and software
Without a doubt, the widespread use of Canvas in 2020–21 had a transformative effect on faculty.
Even those who had formerly used only the Canvas Syllabus tool got a taste of organizing course content with Canvas Modules, building collaborative spaces with Canvas Discussions and VoiceThread, and applying an array of Google tools. Robin Morgan, director of the IU Southeast Institute for Learning and Teaching Excellence, notes that faculty are experimenting—importing "online" tools into in-person classes and seeking to make programs richer and more multi-layered.
For example, IU Northwest's Monica Solinas-Saunders, associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, discovered that recording herself preparing for class yielded segments of class materials she could post online. She began to record two- to eight-minute videos of materials that students could review at their convenience, outside class. The videos freed up more class time for in-person interaction while adding dimension to in-class discussions.
Faculty also explored ways of incorporating different kinds of software into their courses.
Tina O'Neal, director of the Teaching All Learners Program, needed to provide virtual field experiences for juniors and seniors in the Bloomington School of Education last year. She used GoReact software to capture video footage of pre-service teachers as they worked with students in small groups. The software allowed O'Neal to uniformly monitor student teaching progress and to provide feedback, critique skills, and issue grades.
IU has provided faculty with a wide range of support resources. The Keep Teaching website is continually updated. Professor Jessica Calarco's webinar "Bridging the Digital Divide: Teaching with empathy and equity in the wake of COVID-19," builds awareness of digital inequities and their continuing impact on student success and mental health. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Arts and Sciences provides guidance on accommodating and assessing students' various abilities and access, adjusting expectations, and building community.
Lessons learned
For Morgan, the need to teach wholly online highlighted the range of skills faculty need to succeed as instructors. One or two tools or teaching strategies are not enough. It's critical, she says, that faculty continually develop as instructors and use tech tools in proven pedagogical ways. As she sees it, "We'll do things in 15 years we couldn't imagine today." The instructor's role is to determine what tools or modalities (in person, hybrid, online) are most effective for students learning different skillsets.
Solinas-Saunders urges colleagues to prepare for the unknown by taking advantage of learning opportunities. IU innovates every month in new products, new training, and new protocols, she says. "We're all in this together. We would fail as a university if we didn't keep students engaged. Our job is to convince students to stick with academics."
As for the rest of the fall semester and into spring, Newbrough voices cautious optimism. "Everyone is holding their breath." Faculty got through the quick pivot in 2020. They learned the scope of university resources and can now teach in any format. "Spring," he says, "will be rockin'."
