Thread by @AMorganByrne, Are you teaching online? Of course you are. Consider building *disaster elasticity* [...]

Are you teaching online? Of course you are. Consider building *disaster elasticity* into your courses. What is disaster elasticity in pedagogy design? You may be able to guess, but you probably don't know for sure, because I just made this term up today. And so: 1/

Pedagogic disaster elasticity is learning design which incorporates maximum flexibility and resiliency to the most responsive level possible, to catastrophe. It shouldn't take a pandemic for us to adjust our teaching to be situationally student-responsive, but here we are. 2/

Let's first look at some typical components for learning:
• Readings and media infuse information into the course.
• Experiences and discussions allow for applied engagement.
• Reflection and application allow for assessment of student engagement. 3/

In the online environment, we often see these things chunked, meaning you get a little bite of information, student gets to reflect, apply, or acknowledge it, there's hopefully a feedback loop for student, and we go to the next chunk. Kind of linear. BUT 4/

Online pedagogy doesn't need to be linear. Theories of social learning and applied industries such as game design, self improvement, and recreation have given us self directed, interactive experiences. So I want to reform right here: 5/

The first thing I can do is stop saying pedagogy. Based on its Greek root, pedagogy would refer to children, while andragogy would be facilitating adult learning. College students are adults. Adult learning has featured self direction for decades. Pedagogy heads that way too. 6/

Part of self direction, for our andragogy, is decision-making. And this is where our course design can really shine! Let's build some mechanisms that allow for us to prioritize our children over a given week's learning. Why? Because that is life. 7/

These mechanisms can take into account the space for someone to get sick, (maybe the instructor, did you consider that?) or for caregivers to take some time to get their routines down. Or for burnout and fatigue. 8/

So the practical components that I've been using include:
• Opportunities for students to choose what material they will specialize in, as individuals or in groups, or both.
• Opportunities to revise academic work. This includes "retake it 'til you make it" tests. 9/

Other components to academic disaster elasticity:
• Finding a budget or resource for students experiencing emergencies: food insecurity, inability to buy course materials, referrals for crisis and mental health, and being ready to consult colleagues when these arise 10/

Academic disaster elasticity also includes:
• Flexible timelines, and if synchronous learning is happening, discussions and experiences that are relevant even to those who didn't do the reading- no putting them on the spot
• Contingencies for instructor sickness, too 11/

Academic disaster elasticity is in my opinion not prescriptive, because it must be responsive. I can't tell you what to do. There is, for example, a push against synchronous learning right now. It's understandable, because there exists a digital divide, 12/

...and some of our students don't have the slack time, hardware, or dedicated space at home to participate in synchronous learning. BUT, also, it can be tremendous to give students in-person support and reliable presence, even via webcam. 13/

I chose to make things optional, flexible, and to warn student parents that if their child interrupts, we will say hello to them and take time out to welcome them. We will welcome interruptions: family is welcome. 14/

I also pulled data from students in advance to see what equipment and material needs they had, and designed discussions, assignments, and materials around affordability (free, in fact) and arranged for hardware deployment too. 15/

I'm teaching 3 courses and each is designed a little differently. One is so asynchronous that our in-person time is more like group office hours and check-in. So all that to say, responsiveness can't be prescribed or rigid. It's andragogy, not Andrewgogy... (tehe) 16/

Finally, I would say a big part of academic disaster elasticity is to allow for me to be at my best too. I have a plan for if/when I catch #COVID19. It's not pretty, but it's better than no plan. I am also gratefully among colleagues who will all cover for one another. 17/

So academic disaster elasticity ( #academicdisasterelasticity) is a mindset, or a schema, through which we prioritize dynamic student and instructor needs in multiple life compartments (health, family, finance, preference) & it has helped me frame why I teach the way I do. 18/18

And that's it, thank you for listening!

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