The experience of the 2020 academic: hi my name is Sylvia and I am struggling with pretty serious depression. 1/

It took me the better part of four months to absorb the instructions given from up high and design a basically entirely new module to fit with what the powers that be deemed to be "a good online programme". 2/

I moved away from just having lectures and handouts. I carved everything I did up into separate small parts of overarching topic. Maximum reading per bit: a few pages? And then some other content. Video, reflective questions. Stuff to reinforce and test learning. 3/

Where I could, I built in exercises - practical 'fill this in' type stuff. Again, to make it less passive to read and (where I thought it necessary) listen to me.

I produced introductory videos, setting out what the point of a topic was. I wrote quizzes to close off topics. 4/

I came up with low stakes group work - no marks attached, tiny bit of reading, just to see if the material was clicking and to make the students deal with different sources. 5/

Introduced way more scaffolding than ever before - there was no formative work in the module where there are now two peer reviewed short exercises to practice writing and get used to the marking criteria and expectations at stage 2. 6/

And I recorded loads of content. Condensed, because in addition to the textbook and other stuff, I did not want to overwhelm - and I assumed that this new integrated model would make it easier for the students to keep up with the also reduced reading! 7/

The first week of term has been hell. The students who were just expecting "lecture + seminar" hate what I've done. Many can't find anything on the new VLE because I'm not just listing downloads. The first "live session" was a barrage of questions, all irritated and confused. 8/

We're now at the end of the week and I've already produced more material and changed the layout of some stuff. The group work will need a rethink. I'm very nervous before the first seminars (usually the best part of teaching) because... More displeasure coming? I have no idea. 9/

Most depressingly, however, the clamours for more guidance and specifically, more lectures, seem to be about me supplying a service they pay for more than actual learning:

Only about half the cohort have watched even part of any of the lecture content for Week 1. 10/

And I know that means that there is the other half of the cohort: the ones who are taking a deep breath and trying to get used to this new format, who are watching and reading and taking notes, who are doing group work, who are trying to do this *with* us. 11/

But, and this is why this has been so devastating: we don't hear from those kids. So I can at most hope that they're getting something out of what I've tried. I may never know, unless they're in my seminar groups. 12/

My job is obviously to teach everyone. But wow, would it be a better experience to put this much effort into the teaching prep if students could be persuaded to tell us what works as opposed to only contacting us when they're unhappy. 13/

So, if you're a student reading this: of course you have a right to say when something isn't working for you. And if you do so constructively we will absolutely try to help!

But please also tell us when something *is*. It would truly help to know. 14/14

One final thought: I am having a LOT of feelings about the worth of pedagogic thought from the top down, which seems to be wildly oblivious to the experience from the bottom up. What's "best" for students really falls off a cliff if they aren't doing or buying into any of it!

PS 2: I'm not underestimating how much the students are going through and how none of this is easy, I promise. But it would be good if we could all try together to make the best of the new way of doing things. (As opposed to be stuck on upset that it's not the old way!)

PS3, first reply to mention 9250 pounds is getting yeeted into the sun. I don't set the fees or agree with the funding model lads! Can't control any of that! Thanks!