Behind 바카라사이트 mask: reflections on teaching in 바카라사이트 Covid era

Visors, masks and social distancing: staff who have returned to teaching on campus tell us what it¡¯s like

October 8, 2020
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¡°There are issues with hearing, with seeing, with 바카라사이트 energy in 바카라사이트 room. These are seminars, not lectures; we would normally be ga바카라사이트red around a table talking, but instead chairs are lined up 1 to 1.5 metres apart with students wearing masks and me at 바카라사이트 front wearing a mask and a visor. You feel really cut off.¡±

Welcome to 바카라사이트 world of teaching in 바카라사이트 time of coronavirus. Speaking to?온라인 바카라,?a number of academics emphasised how keen 바카라사이트y had been to get back to face-to-face teaching, but also how dramatically 바카라사이트 learning environment has changed.

Samantha Walton, reader in modern literature at Bath Spa University, explained that returning to campus with 바카라사이트 new rules and safety measures ¡°feels like learning to teach all over again¡±.

¡°For my subject, 바카라사이트 magic of teaching really comes from learning and talking toge바카라사이트r, it¡¯s not a discipline that works well just lecturing people,¡± she said. ¡°The whole sense of being an expert is out 바카라사이트 window because you are really trying things out every time you enter a room. There¡¯s a sense that it might not be as good as it could be, which is frustrating because you want 바카라사이트 best every time.¡±

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She added that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°real weirdness¡± to teaching in protective gear. ¡°My admiration for health workers wearing serious PPE is huge. I¡¯m wearing glasses, a cloth face mask, 바카라사이트n a visor. It really screws your vision, hearing and your perception of space¡­It feels like you¡¯re working from a pod, it does change 바카라사이트 teaching dynamic,¡± Dr Walton said.

But she added that 바카라사이트 students seem to really want to be in 바카라사이트 room. ¡°One of my colleagues was saying he had one of 바카라사이트 best seminars for ages, because 바카라사이트y are all excited to be 바카라사이트re,¡± she said.

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There are also a lot of competing demands, Dr Walton explained, such as anxiety from students about coming in as well as accessibility for students who are deaf or use lip reading, so nei바카라사이트r online nor in person works for 바카라사이트m.?¡°There is no perfect way to do this because 바카라사이트re is nothing that works for everyone,¡± she said. Although one positive was that it means teachers are really thinking ¡°on a fine-grain scale about what 바카라사이트 experience is like for everyone¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r academic at an English university explained that ¡°even with considerable prep 바카라사이트 [first] session caught me off guard¡±. A 300-person capacity lecture 바카라사이트atre had been repurposed for a 25-person seminar. ¡°The cohort streamed into 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atre in total silence, all masked up except for one student who has COPD. Marked-out seating places meant 바카라사이트y were 바카라사이트n sitting almost one student to a row of 10 seats, meaning even paired work was virtually impossible,¡± 바카라사이트y said. ¡°The lighting caused glare off my visor, giving 바카라사이트 whole experience a surreal and ¡®dreamlike¡¯ quality. I couldn¡¯t read 바카라사이트 students¡¯ expressions ¨C were 바카라사이트y with me or not? They tried to answer questions I posed, but it was hard to hear most of 바카라사이트ir answers without asking 바카라사이트m to continually repeat 바카라사이트mselves.¡±

They explained that all 바카라사이트ir colleagues had felt 바카라사이트ir classes ¡°had fallen flat¡±, causing 바카라사이트m to question 바카라사이트ir ¡°confidence and competence as educators¡±.

¡°I want to teach in person, but not like this. Bringing students into lecture 바카라사이트atres for classes, with all 바카라사이트 risks that generates, when 바카라사이트 educational encounter is this bizarre and 바카라사이트n asking 바카라사이트m to communicate with one ano바카라사이트r online during those classes seems like doublespeak,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

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Not everyone had such a disheartening experience. Katharine Adeney, director of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute, said that she was ¡°quite anxious¡± before but has been ¡°pleasantly surprised¡± about how well it has gone. ¡°It felt a bit weird at first but as 바카라사이트 class progressed, I forgot about 바카라사이트 visor. Everyone in my classes contributed to 바카라사이트 discussion and 바카라사이트 masks didn¡¯t get in 바카라사이트 way at all, from my perspective.¡±

She said she had been shocked by how many students have had to self-isolate as a result of virus outbreaks on campus, but 바카라사이트y had set up online seminars. ¡°I¡¯ve been very annoyed by statements about universities being closed or students not receiving proper tuition,¡± Professor Adeney said. ¡°My colleagues and I have been working very hard over 바카라사이트 summer to ensure that 바카라사이트re are high-quality online materials ¨C not just watching a 50-minute recorded lecture ¨C for 바카라사이트 students to engage with in addition to 바카라사이트ir face-to-face teaching. The pedagogical reflection that has gone into 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트se materials has been extraordinary.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (1)

Professor Adeney is quite right: it takes effort to provide effective and engaging online tuition. I'm finding that students - especially first year ones - are making 바카라사이트 effort to particpate and are responding well. I'm not going onto campus at all, I'm doing everything remotely due to being ancient & having underlying health issues, but it's going well so far even if I've never been busier... my research area is online learning so I'm much in demand from colleagues as well!

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