by: Lindsay Cox
With Parkland closing in response to COVID-19, teachers and staff are trying their best to make the transition from the classroom to online as smooth as possible. Student success is extremely important; with this in mind, the staff has made sure to have tutoring and other online resources available.
While teachers are working hard to make the transition easy, there has been some concern about the matter. Rose Dalton, a biology professor at Parkland said, “My students’ success is extremely important to me and I love seeing and interacting with my students. Changing to online has altered this connection and I am concerned about the delivery of the content.”
“My students’ success is extremely important to me… Changing to online has altered this connection and I am concerned about the delivery of the content.”
Another professor, Amber Landis, who teaches English and literature, is also worried about how her students will handle the online transition. “I’m thinking of the best ways to provide instruction for non-native English speakers. They really benefit from face-to-face instruction, so maybe I will include some videos about my materials,” Landis said. “Take MLA style rules, for example. I can post long instructions in writing about how to format citations, but how helpful are those if you don’t understand certain phrases or if you have questions?”
Landis also plans to incorporate discussion boards in her online classes, replacing in-class discussions. “I am thinking of trying real-time video conferencing, but that may pose logistical challenges,” Landis said. “I am trying to think about modifying assignments so that it would be easier to complete on a smartphone. The reality is that some students may not have easy access to other devices on which to complete course work.”
The most important thing to Landis is the ability to reassure students that she is willing to work with them and that their Parkland experience will still be a good one. “I am making a conscientious effort to reply to all student emails quickly and to keep informing them of course changes and requirements,” Landis said. “I am emailing, posting on the front page of Cobra, and even accepting social media friend requests. Some students just have better and more access to those platforms.”
For professors like Amy Penne, an English professor and Director of Professional Development and Instructional Technology, there hasn’t been much of a change. “I think many wonderful things will come from this, actually. Though not all courses are suited for online, like those lab courses and health professions and automotive courses and welding where you really can’t learn what you need to learn by looking at a screen,” Penne said. “Many instructors are going to find new tools for teaching and learning and I think, in the end, this will be a tremendous help in the area of teaching and learning.”
There is no doubt that there might be challenges for students and faculty over the next few months, but Penne is excited about the possibilities and the ingenuity that she knows is going to be birthed in this challenging moment in history. “I will not be surprised that brilliant Parkland faculty will come up with creative and rigorous ways to use online tools to actually improve teaching and learning during this crisis,” Penne said.
It is strongly recommended that students check their emails daily to keep up with the changes in class schedules. The Center for Academic Success is also working on ways to help students online. For more information about ways to get online help, visit the Center for Academic Success website here.
