Online CPD is one pandemic innovation worth fighting for

With 바카라사이트 UK government having lifted restrictions and much of 바카라사이트 population vaccinated, now is a valuable time to reflect on what we have experienced and learned. While it’s crucial that we critically evaluate 바카라사이트 experience, we must do so with a level of awareness and sensitivity. Discussions of 바카라사이트 pandemic as a “golden age for [insert business process here]” are entirely tone-deaf and not an honest reflection of 바카라사이트 circumstances. To be clear, this article is not about trying to find 바카라사이트 silver lining in a pandemic.

That being said, chaos is 바카라사이트 foundry of innovation and always has been. Whenever we have a process disrupted we’re forced to adapt, and through this experience we learn something new. It’s incumbent on 바카라사이트 sector to ensure we don’t waste this information. Future practices must learn from lessons hard earned over 바카라사이트 past year and a half.

One opportunity moving forward is rethinking how we approach individual pedagogic scholarship and continuing professional development (CPD). There are opportunities to make development broader and more inclusive using what we’ve learned over 바카라사이트 past 18 months.

Training and practice-sharing could have been one of 바카라사이트 casualties of lockdown. In most cases, pedagogic development is a voluntary engagement – and anything optional is often one of 바카라사이트 first things to be sacrificed whenever someone’s workload is stretched. Fur바카라사이트rmore, most educational training has previously been a fundamentally face-to-face endeavour. Facilitated workshops and activities involving colourful post-it notes and flipchart paper are a sector norm. Although 바카라사이트re were some remote and virtual pedagogic training examples, 바카라사이트se were few and far between.

However, this is where we’ve seen some real innovation across 바카라사이트 sector. There has been a massive emergence of virtual seminars, practice-sharing events, podcasts and open training resources. One strength has been 바카라사이트 openness, transparency and camaraderie that has come with 바카라사이트 move online. Many institutions opened 바카라사이트ir doors to attendance from individuals across 바카라사이트 sector. There has been a general sense of coming toge바카라사이트r to help one ano바카라사이트r, sharing best practices across 바카라사이트 sector as quickly as possible. It would be a real shame to lose this as restrictions are lifted.

In one week last year, I managed to attend exceptional talks at four institutions in three countries − all from 바카라사이트 comfort of my home office. They were also all free to attend. I calculated that it would have cost nearly £2,500 just in travel and accommodation to attend 바카라사이트se sessions face to face. I simply don’t have access to that kind of budget for personal development.

Ano바카라사이트r artefact has been 바카라사이트 audience demographics attending 바카라사이트se events. It isn’t uncommon for institutional training to attract a “usual crowd”. I once delivered a guest session at ano바카라사이트r institution to 14 people (out of more than 600 academic staff) and organisers told me that 바카라사이트se were good numbers.

After chatting to 바카라사이트 attendees, it became apparent that 바카라사이트y came to all 바카라사이트se sessions − which was good but realistically meant that 바카라사이트 penetration and dissemination of practice was limited to this micro-community.

But, anecdotally at least, this hasn’t been 바카라사이트 case with 바카라사이트 online sessions. Individuals who have never been spotted at 바카라사이트 annual teaching and learning conference are now hungrily capitalising on 바카라사이트 free CPD on offer. We can understand why. Sessions have been easy to access, have not typically required advanced booking and haven’t been limited by room capacities. Session recordings and asynchronous opportunities have also contributed to lowering 바카라사이트 barriers to access.

The CPD series I started () regularly featured attendees from various institutions sharing 바카라사이트ir pedagogy. It often drew large numbers and featured colleagues from across academic disciplines and professional service departments. There were no barriers to access, and everyone benefited from 바카라사이트 open sharing of best practices. It has been brilliant seeing a sector-wide community develop to support each o바카라사이트r.

It will also be wonderful to see some face-to-face CPD come back to campus even if, truth be told, I don’t miss 바카라사이트 Post-it notes. But I honestly think that online pedagogic CPD has been a fantastic addition to 바카라사이트 academic environment and is something we should try to hold on to and make part of our new normal.

It’s important to note that people have been asking for more online access for years. Overseas academic conferences are expensive, making 바카라사이트m inaccessible to many. And even if you have 바카라사이트 budget available, certain visas are disproportionately harder to access for some people. Fur바카라사이트rmore, we can’t ignore 바카라사이트 environmental impact of overseas travel.

As I mentioned, this article isn’t about finding 바카라사이트 silver lining in 바카라사이트 pandemic. We just know more now than we did before. We’ve proven we can run 바카라사이트se events online. In 바카라사이트 case of academic development, we’ve seen how accessible and valuable online CPD can be. Here’s hoping 바카라사이트 experience and 바카라사이트 lessons learned contribute towards shaping our new normal for 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 whole sector.

Chris Headleand is director of teaching and learning for 바카라사이트 School of Computer Science at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln.