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Everybody is going through some rough times these days due to Covid19 and struggling with the transition to online education/communication. As someone from academia (and DGS), I would like to share some of my experiences and provide some suggestions:
1) Online education/interaction is new to both faculty and students. Both sides can learn from each other. I found it very useful to organize townhalls with students to hear their problems/suggestions. It is essential to keep an open communication channel between the two sides.
2) It feels strange to teach while staring at a monitor instead of directly to human faces in a classroom. It feels less effective initially. However, there is a very steep learning curve and I am sure things will become much more effective and fun as we go along. Be patient!
3) I highly recommend to spend the first lecture/meeting to discuss the new setup/challenges/rules in great detail. How will the new office hours/homework assignment/exams/grading/etc be organized? It is essential to be crystal clear and set the right expectations.
4) Deciding on the format of core exams and grading methods sooner rather than later will lower stress and anxiety, especially among first-year students.
5) This is a major transition and we need to lead the change. But we can get a lot of inputs/suggestions/recommendations from the students about the effective design of courses/teaching. Regular online office hours are more essential than ever.
6) It will take some time to build the new in-class momentum with the students. Some students might shy away and isolate themselves in this new online world. It would be helpful to turn the lectures into a dialogue by asking more questions to push up the energy level.
7) It is possible for students to lose their motivation due to less interaction with faculty. It would be extremely helpful to have some motivational conversations and also stay online 10-15 minutes extra before/after each lecture just to talk about broader issues.
8) Asking open-ended questions (as opposed to yes/no questions) to grad students would be particularly valuable in order to catch problems that we might not otherwise anticipate.
9) Students learn a lot from their peers. Encourage students to form online study groups and work together. Give them group assignments. This would make them feel less isolated and keep the knowledge spillovers flowing among students.
10) Some students will be directly affected, either because they fall sick, because an immediate family member falls sick, or because of the economic shock. It is essential to provide information on resources for mental health services.
11) To students: Setup a daily routine. Allocate the right amount of time to studying, physical exercise, relaxing (books/movies/hobbies), social (remote) interactions. Keep “physical distance” but also “social proximity” with others by calling your family and friends regularly.
