Brave New Horizons? This past week I had the chance to work with instructors and instructional leaders in a number of different situations. In our conversations a metaphor kept surfacing, one that intimated that we have all been a little at sea, we’ve buffeted the waves and are looking to make some course corrections. I’ve been doing some thinking about that, like all metaphors… it works until it doesn’t. The COVID 19 pandemic set off a storm that we are all experiencing. More specifically, at the college, it caused us to jump into action, with a call for “all hands on deck” and people put themselves to work: bailing, tending to the sails, and taking turns at the rudder. We saw managers and staff working side by side handing out computers, making phone calls to check on our students, solving tech and logistical issues, and finding innovative ways to deal with the situation (like running a program out of one person’s garage). As the violence of the storm settled a little and the waves quieted a bit, we’ve had a chance to do a bit of a re-assessment. We know that the storm isn’t over and we will be asked to make any number of adjustments and sacrifices going forward. Government cutbacks - both federally (LINC) and provincially - are not going away, enrollment numbers are uncertain, programs and campuses are being re-examined, and the way our courses and instruction might look going forward may be very different from the way it has been. Already the U of A has been discussing the possibility of keeping all classes online when start-up happens in the fall, and at NorQuest I have heard some talk of “hybrid” instruction, with face-to-face classes complemented with regular online teaching. People are trying to figure out their new roles, as instructors and leaders, in changing conditions. There’s been some tension as people try to reclaim their authority, figure out their ongoing responsibilities, and try to enlist (conscript?) others in visions for post-secondary learning. As such, there is some skillful negotiation and navigation that needs to take place in order to settle in to new routines. And we are also seeing dear colleagues leaving the college for both financial and programming reasons. Now I know that there is also some sadness for what was left behind. The comforts of the safe harbors that we have left are beginning to be a fond, nostalgic memory. However, this storm is testing our mettle. It is helping us to discover new abilities, as we adapt to online and distance programming. We have been given the opportunity to work together and determine what will be required of us going forward, as we set out towards new horizons. But before we get too much further, it may be worthwhile to take a moment and acknowledge the work and investment that has already happened. We need to value and validate those around us and acknowledge their efforts and commitment. Most of our students have been patient resilient and accommodating as we shifted our programming. Our colleagues have been supportive and encouraging, sharing materials, innovations, and ideas. Our leaders have been willing to jump to the emergent needs, and take on unpleasant and difficult tasks. So while last week I focused my thoughts on perseverance, resilience and thankfulness, this week, I hope to make a point of saying “THANK YOU!” to the individuals and groups I will be working with. Thank you to security, the cleaning group, the staff, the administrative professionals, the faculty, the instructional leaders, the leadership and management groups and the executive. As we survey the horizon, anticipate what may lie ahead, and start making preparations for our journey in the coming months we will need to draw on each other’s strengths and work together.
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From your friendly neighborhood faculty developer… Last week, I sent out a meeting request to faculty for a Friday morning MSTEAMS meeting; a Faculty Talking Circle on Creating Community Online. It was a bit of an experiment, based upon some suggestions from Bev Suntjens and a couple of others. In the end 43 faculty joined us for an informal sharing session. It was a big group, but somehow we managed to share and compare quite a number of ways that instructors work to make their online environments a little less sterile and a little more connected. People suggested scavenger hunts (LINC students run and find object in their homes), chat cafes (leaving the link open before and after class so students can catch up), breakout rooms, chat board competitions, offline groups (through what’s app or Facebook Messenger), forums and wikis, and a whole host of other ideas. The Faculty Talking Circle was great, and I am thankful for the help of Joan and Sarah, especially when I had to shut my computer down and restart partly through the session. And that’s the reality of online teaching that just keeps coming back. Sometimes the technology works for us and sometimes it throws curve balls and we have to react quickly. Sometimes the WIFI works and sometimes we come across as garbled or as modern day equivalents of Max Headroom (for those of us who remember the 1980’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt56RMbpq_0). Instructors have shared some of the challenges they faced in the past few weeks: 1) uneven attendance, 2) students who have limited or shared access to computers, 3) students who have financial or familial pressures that trump their schoolwork, 4) students who have little aptitude for technology, and 5) instructors (themselves) who are uncertain and unfamiliar with many of the online learning possibilities. Now, with the semester coming to a close for many of the programs, people are challenged with making sense of the experience and of assessment evidence that calls into question the hallmarks of quality: fairness, reliability, reliability, and rigor. Did my students get a fair deal this term? Can I confidently stand behind my assessment measures? Can I trust that the judgements I make about student progress are sound and reward diligence, understanding and the development of professional judgement? Of course, these are issues we struggle with every term, but the online environments have challenged us to look at assessments in new ways and has further raised concerns about academic integrity, honesty, fairness, and trust. And as I reflected on all of this, this past weekend, I kept coming back to three words: perseverance, resilience and thankfulness. I am constantly amazed at how most of our instructors and students have persevered through the challenges, and in the past week I heard from many who said they were ready to take the “next step”. They were interested in intentionally and pro-actively planning out their online experiences for the coming term, learning about and leveraging the online tools and the teaching strategies that they and their colleagues were discovering. As NorQuesters, we have shown a measure of resilience and determination, and that has served us well. Does that mean that there aren’t those who are struggling with the uncertainties brought about by this new reality? Certainly not! I’ve been hearing that students and staff alike have been accessing many of the supports found in NorQuest for both academic and mental health support. And I wonder how many more are just hunkering down and hiding their anxieties. I hope each of us, as NorQuesters, can keep a “weather-eye” out for colleagues and students who may be showing signs of the strain and stress and to find ways to support these people or help connect them to services that might assist them. But most of all, this weekend I found myself thinking about thankfulness. At this point, Alberta is not experiencing the wave of hospitalizations and ICU admittances that were initially predicted. Our province and our Chief Medical Health Officer (Deena Henshaw) have done an admirable job in limiting the effect of the virus. Having two front-liners in my house (a nurse and an HCA) I am especially thankful for that! And at NorQuest, we have, so far, managed to stay clear of the kinds of outbreaks that are plaguing various institutions and businesses across this province. And, as my week continues, I think I want to continue to focus on that, on thankfulness, and not on the moment-by-moment frustrations and fears brought on by the virus or changing technologies. In light of the short week, I’ll keep my message short!
Over the weekend I have been reflecting on the importance of community. Holiday weekends like this past one, really bring home the need for people to reach out to family, friends and faith groups. We gain strength and hope from each other. This weekend, I was blessed to celebrate Easter and the 90th birthday of my mother – albeit in a much different way than was originally planned. Perhaps we took community for granted, when much of our teaching was face-to-face and we all had lives to go to after classes. Now, with all the COVID restrictions in place, many have re-discovered how important community, also in online teaching. Instructors have told me that they set aside time each class for sharing and re-connecting, and that their students are hungry for it. They miss each other. And, from what I can tell in my chats with NorQuest Faculty, we are also hungry for community as well. The Great Hack of 2020… I continue to be amazed at how quickly that we, as a human race, have adapted to the present COVID 19 crisis. We’ve learned many lessons about social distancing, hygiene, and the difference between needs and wants. (You don’t really need that much toilet paper…) In the same vein, we have - as faculty, adapted very quickly in response to the COVID 19 crisis. Within a very short time, instructors have made the adjustment to teaching online. Just how have we done so? Well that’s a question that Viola Manakore and I hope to investigate in the coming weeks and months. And Viola and I are not alone, I know of several others, both inside and outside the college, who have an interest in studying this phenomenon. It is a fascinating and historic time in teaching, this “Great Teaching Hack of 2020”, and it is worth studying. This past weekend I spent time thinking about the factors that made the transition possible (Thanks Clara!). At first look I had to say that the transition could only happen because of 1) the urgency of the situation, 2) the teamwork mentality of instructors and leaders, 3) the professional support through workshops videos and tip sheets, and 4) the fact that NorQuest had IT capacity and timely IT support. But, digging deeper, I would have to say that the heavy lifting in making this transition was really upon the shoulders of our instructors. Our faculty stepped up, and I would suggest that many of you did so on the basis of four factors: Agency, Assurance, Adaptive Capacity and Authenticity. The COVID 19 crisis pushed our college in ways we never even imagined. It was like the perfect storm. In the past couple of years, we had been talking about disruption and innovation, but change comes slowly when things seem to be going just fine. Why change what is already working? At the same time, we have been going through a cultural change at the college, one that advocates for giving our employees more autonomy and the freedom to “work from anywhere”. People leaders were/are being challenged to stop micro-managing, trust their colleagues and empower them. And now COVID 19 forced us all to be innovative, work from anywhere, trust and empower! Whether they were comfortable with it or not, many instructors were given the agency to make changes to their delivery approach, planning and assessments in order to make whatever changes necessary in shifting their delivery. This newfound autonomy allowed you to take on the daunting but exciting challenge of re-thinking your whole approach to teaching. It asked you to use professional judgement, which is extremely empowering. Closely linked to this agency is the need to be intentional and reflective. Our present circumstance forced us all to visualize just how an online environment might be used to generate interest, provide support, build collaboration and conduct assessments. And, as the weeks progress, we will need to be very reflective, asking questions about the efficacy of our online practices. Along with this newfound agency and autonomy, most NorQuest instructors needed to be given some assurance that they could and would get through this transition. Anxiety and self-doubt do not promote professional learning, and instructors who are insecure about their technical and teaching skills, need an ear, some reinforcement, permission to make mistakes, and the courage to ask for support. Those messages had to come from Norma and the leadership team, from the deans, chairs and associates, and from faculty supports like our department, the library, curricula, IT, and the learning/assessment centre. I believe those messages were relayed and reinforced and this helped with the transition. As instructors, you were also forced to tap into your adaptive capacity – the ability to make adjustments minute to minute and second to second. In the classes, workshops and meetings that I was involved with this week there were all too many of those “unplanned for” moments. There were connectivity issues (How can I teach if my WIFI keeps popping in and out?), technical problems (I had students whose microphone sounded like a jackhammer.), unfamiliarity with the environment (One of the apps I was using only allowed 10 participants, I wondered why 5 didn’t show up…), and the overwhelming responsibility of teaching through technology (How do I respond to the chat, upload poll questions, provide insight, work through the presentation, and check if people are actually listening – all at the same time?). I’m guessing that many of you were working through the very same problems and many more. And that you are still working through these issues on a daily basis. But you can, and you will. And finally, I believe that many of you found ways to make your new teaching environment reflect a little of who you are and how you connect. Our teaching is an extension of our person. That’s why I’ve always bristled when educators sling around phrases like “best practice” and “research says”. I know that every classroom comes with its own unique set of circumstances and that there is as much an art to teaching as there is a science to it. That’s why it is important to remain authentic. I know firsthand that our NorQuest faculty is a diverse bunch and that different instructors are successful for very different reasons. While one instructor makes connections through anecdotes and stories, another uses group activities, discussion boards and debates. Some instructors are uproariously funny, while others are “all business”. There are instructors who show their concern for their students through regular email and conversation and others who do so by providing a wealth of resources and support. But, regardless of what type of instructor you are, you have to find a way to live and breathe in this new teaching reality – a way to make your new environment a vibrant, engaging and personable space. |
AuthorJeff Kuntz Ph.D. ImagesExcept where indicated, images used in the blog posts are personal photos, images from NorQuest College or images from Pixabay. Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images, videos and music. https://pixabay.com/ Archives
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