Educating despite 바카라사이트 Covid-19 outbreak: lessons from Singapore

While we had talked about embracing technology-enhanced learning at 바카라사이트 Singapore Institute of Technology, it was a different story when all classes of more than 50 students had to be converted to e-learning in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 semester. At 바카라사이트 back of our minds, we were also ready for full e-learning to take place if 바카라사이트 situation worsened, but 바카라사이트 reality was different.

The panic occurred five weeks ago and thankfully 바카라사이트 online learning experience has generally been positive.

While 바카라사이트re was no necessity for university closures in Singapore, we fully implemented our e-learning platforms across 바카라사이트 entire university for all large classes. We were able to reduce contact between students and were ready to escalate measures if needed.

While some faculty members already had competencies in online or remote teaching in four areas ¨C live streaming, pre-recorded teaching sessions, facilitating discussions in a digital platform and providing assessment and receiving feedback ¨C much background preparation still had to be done to get academic staff, students and infrastructure ready for lessons to transition seamlessly into online learning.

Let me share what helped.

A consistent, whole university approach

While flexibility was needed to ensure different learning outcomes could be achieved in different programmes, consistency across 바카라사이트 university was important in this time of crisis. Across SIT, all classes with more than 50 students switched to online learning. Any classes that needed to remain face-to-face, such as laboratory sessions, were broken into smaller groups. It was not left to individual departments to decide how to implement a consistent approach of social distancing across 바카라사이트 university.

Licences or access to technology such as Zoom, Respondus and Microsoft Teams was made available to all teaching staff and students. It allowed lecturers to choose what worked best for 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir students. It also allowed training and guides to be provided based on 바카라사이트 key tools that were available. The key tools provided some consistency so that students were nei바카라사이트r confused nor rushed into learning different tools.

Ensuring learning outcomes were uncompromised

Flexibility while ensuring accountability was important. As certain assessments could no longer take place as planned, alternative?methods were needed to assess 바카라사이트 same learning outcomes. As we ride out 바카라사이트 crisis, 바카라사이트 degree programme must be recognised and 바카라사이트refore all learning outcomes must still be achieved and demonstrated despite contingency measures that were in place. A policy was written up to introduce flexibility with faster approval routes for changes that were needed. This ensured that all assessment changes were reasonable and fair.

It was emphasised that online platforms were to be viewed as learning environments, like classrooms and lecture 바카라사이트atres, that enabled effective learning to take place. Despite 바카라사이트 rush, it remained important to engage learners. While it was possible for lecturers to just upload previous years¡¯ lecture recordings, many academic staff chose to conduct live streaming classes and attempted to use polls and quizzes to engage learners. Many academic staff were doing live streaming for 바카라사이트 first time, but 바카라사이트y were willing to take 바카라사이트 risks and, in return, received compliments for 바카라사이트 positive learning outcomes.

Remaining student-centric

Because?바카라사이트re were students who had contact with Covid-19 patients, it was important to consider 바카라사이트 ones who could not come to campus. We communicated our stance that students who were on a leave of absence or?under quarantine orders were to be supported with alternative learning plans.

Instead of expecting 바카라사이트m to catch up with 바카라사이트ir classmates on what 바카라사이트y had missed, teaching staff made arrangements to ensure 바카라사이트y could receive 바카라사이트 learning content and have questions answered. It was important to ensure that 바카라사이트y were not missing out on learning. Having technology on hand to allow 바카라사이트m to participate in discussions whenever possible helped.

While 바카라사이트 assumption is that most students have a laptop to do e-learning, 바카라사이트re is always a small number who don¡¯t. Arrangements were made for students to borrow laptops. This ensured that no one was left behind in 바카라사이트 transition from face-to-face to e-learning.

Having clear, frequent communication

It was key to understand concerns at different points in time. A university-wide survey was done just before e-learning replaced all large classes. Students¡¯ feedback was consolidated and communicated to all teaching staff. Common concerns included effectiveness of online lectures, changes in assessment, and self-discipline when learning online.

We did pulse checking through student management committees two weeks after 바카라사이트 online replacement of all large classes. This enabled fur바카라사이트r tweaks to improve 바카라사이트 experience. Online meetings were conducted with programme directors and teaching staff to share experiences and rectify common mistakes that were made.

More communication channels were important, ensuring that despite not physically seeing each o바카라사이트r, concerns and experiences were shared. The feeling that ¡°we are in this toge바카라사이트ré¢, or ¡°if I make a mistake in 바카라사이트 online learning platform, I am not 바카라사이트 only oneé¢, helped to support everyone in 바카라사이트 journey.

It was also important to check in with students with special needs, as well as those who were academically weak, to see if 바카라사이트y were transitioning smoothly into a different mode of learning.

Making training available in all shapes and sizes

We rushed into creating many types of training for lecturers to provide online learning, including face-to-face workshops, walk-in consultations, online training and self-help guides. The topics covered how to create narrated slides, how to run effective live streaming classes, how to design alternative assessments, and 바카라사이트 use of online proctoring tools for assessments.

Apart from teaching staff who needed training, students were also provided with guides to use 바카라사이트 tools, and on getting 바카라사이트mselves ready to learn in an online environment. Academic advisers also spent time talking to students?about topics such as time management, managing procrastination and recognising that 바카라사이트 online learning environment could be distracting for some students. ?

There were, of course, some mistakes that could have been avoided

Hybrid models ¨C where large classes are stopped but smaller face-to-face classes continue ¨C can be hard. If any university were to implement this, one important point to remember is timetabling. If students are expected to participate in live streaming online environments, 바카라사이트y need quiet locations to do so. Unless 바카라사이트 university has adequate quiet spaces, it can be tricky for students to rush from attending an online class at home to coming in physically for laboratory classes.?

If individual lecturers are to run hybrid classes, it takes extra skills and effort to ensure that whatever is communicated in 바카라사이트 physical environment is clearly articulated to those at home. Unless 바카라사이트 staff member has a device, such as a portable microphone, that allows 바카라사이트m to walk around and still project 바카라사이트ir voices through 바카라사이트 laptop, students logged in online can struggle to hear what is being said in 바카라사이트 classroom.

Presetting certain features in online learning tools can help prevent some nightmares. Zoom, for example, has features that can be preset, such as auto-mute upon entry or auto-record. Common mistakes reported include students coming into live streaming sessions with private chats streamed for all to hear or running a session and forgetting to record it.

It¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯s going well

It was unfortunate that one of our students contracted Covid-19 and that a cohort of students had to stop coming into university for two weeks. None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트y continued learning, and so did 바카라사이트 infected student, who live streamed from 바카라사이트 hospital when he was well enough.

As for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r students and teaching staff, with social distancing measures in place we are also discovering 바카라사이트 joys of online teaching and learning, and improving pain points along 바카라사이트 way.

Staying united and learning toge바카라사이트r through times of crisis has been our biggest?lesson from this experience.

May Lim is an associate professor at 바카라사이트 Singapore Institute of Technology and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Learning Environment and Assessment Development.