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Half-way through my fall pandemic semester teaching online, and thinking back to my previous online courses in the before times, I have some thoughts about how the received wisdom about online classes doesn’t really apply to what we’re doing now.
Short thread
#PSUOpen
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Short thread
#PSUOpen
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First, I think we need to take the advice that “asynchronous is best for online classes” with a heap of salt these days. And I say this having taught awesome asynch classes pre-pandemic!
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My classes started Hiflex and then I had to switch to completely online. (Long story) We continued to meet all together for synchronous sessions. Then mid-semester asked the class if they wanted to switch to asynch, or keep our synch meetings. Only 1 of 75 voted for asynch!
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Second, the adage to keep posted online videos short? Again, add some salt and skip that advice if it is not manageable for you.
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Like, how did analysis by EdX that 6-minute video length is ideal ( https://blog.edx.org/optimal-video-length-student-engagement/) become gold standard for all online courses?
Students have told me that 1) it's hard to keep track of multiple videos, and 2) they can easily pause and skip ahead for long videos
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Students have told me that 1) it's hard to keep track of multiple videos, and 2) they can easily pause and skip ahead for long videos
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So, the question is, why these discrepancies? Ask yourself: Who took online courses pre-pandemic? Who is now taking online courses? These are not necessarily the same students.
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Students now are opting for online out of health concerns, or stuck with online courses to fulfill requirements. This is a much more heterogeneous group than before, when most students taking my online courses pre-pandemic did so mainly out of scheduling concerns
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And also, the world is different now. Life is unstable. Our usual outlets for socializing are absent or different.
And so many things besides just classes have moved online, whereas before an online class might be the only major activity on the internet for a student.
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And so many things besides just classes have moved online, whereas before an online class might be the only major activity on the internet for a student.
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All this is to say, I am surprised by what my students are asking for in my online classes this semester, because it does not match with what has happened in the past nor what a lot of official advice says to do.
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But I know all this because I ask students in surveys, reflections, and check-ins, how the class is going for them and what they want/need from me.
And that advice never goes out of style.
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And that advice never goes out of style.
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