Adapting to the New Frontier: Embracing Technology-Driven Teaching Innovations
The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped the landscape of higher education, ushering in an unprecedented era of emergency remote teaching. Faculty members, thrust into this uncharted territory, found themselves scrambling to adapt their instructional practices and leverage technology tools to facilitate learning in a virtual environment. This chaotic transition was marked by a steep learning curve, as educators rapidly adopted new platforms, explored alternative teaching techniques, and reconsidered assessment strategies – all while navigating the personal and professional challenges of the pandemic.
However, amidst the turmoil, a remarkable phenomenon emerged: many faculty members made lasting changes to their teaching practices, continuing to utilize the tools and techniques they had acquired during this period of crisis. These enduring pandemic practices have become a focal point for higher education institutions, as they grapple with the long-term implications and seek to sustain the momentum of this pivotal educational development.
In this comprehensive article, we delve into the insights and experiences of faculty across four diverse higher education institutions – a community college, a small university, a medium-sized university, and a large research university. By examining the self-reported data on their continued use of educational technology tools and teaching techniques, we uncover the valuable and enduring changes that faculty have made to their instructional approaches.
Embracing the Unfamiliar: Faculty Adaptation During the Shift to Emergency Remote Teaching
The sudden shift to emergency remote teaching thrust faculty into uncharted territory, forcing them to rapidly adopt new technologies and explore alternative teaching strategies. This transition was not without its challenges, as faculty members grappled with an overwhelming abundance of resources and support services, often feeling overburdened and fatigued.
As higher education institutions rushed to address the immediate needs of faculty and students, they drew upon established practices in online teaching, creating resources and guidance to facilitate the pivot to a remote learning environment. Many campuses, however, lacked the necessary continuity plans and preparedness to address the unique demands of this abrupt transition.
The proliferation of resources, ranging from institutional websites to educational technology provider guides, created a sense of “resource overload” for faculty. Educators often found themselves turning to peer networks and social media communities for information and support, as they sought guidance from colleagues who had experienced similar challenges.
Despite the initial chaos and steep learning curve, faculty members demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability, embracing new technologies and teaching techniques to ensure the continuity of student learning. This period of emergency remote teaching became a pivotal moment in the educational development landscape, as faculty inadvertently participated in a global shift toward technology-driven instruction.
Sustaining the Momentum: Enduring Pandemic Practices
As faculty returned to their campuses, higher education institutions recognized the need to sustain the momentum of the enduring pandemic practices that had emerged during the crisis. The survey findings across the four institutions reveal that a significant proportion of faculty continued to utilize the educational technology tools and teaching techniques they had adopted for the first time during the pandemic.
Enduring Technology Tool Adoption
Approximately 62% of the faculty surveyed reported the continued use of an educational technology tool they had adopted during the period of emergency remote teaching. These tools spanned a wide range of functionalities, including:
Video Conferencing and Production: Faculty widely embraced video conferencing technologies, such as Zoom, Webex, and Microsoft Teams, to facilitate remote interactions, hold office hours, and record class sessions for student review. Many also utilized video production tools, including Mediasite, Camtasia, and WeVideo, to create content libraries and enhance the learning experience.
Collaborative and Productivity Tools: Faculty demonstrated a sustained reliance on collaborative suites (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams) and cloud-based productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Drive) to facilitate student collaboration and streamline their own workflow.
Engagement and Assessment Tools: Faculty continued to leverage a variety of tools to foster student engagement and support alternative assessment strategies, such as Edpuzzle for embedding quizzes in instructional videos and Jamboard for collaborative whiteboarding.
The enduring use of these technology tools highlights the value faculty found in their ability to support remote and hybrid learning environments, enhance student engagement, and improve administrative efficiencies.
Enduring Adoption of Teaching Techniques
In addition to the continued use of educational technology tools, the survey results indicate that approximately 34% of faculty reported the enduring use of a teaching technique or strategy they had implemented for the first time during the pandemic. These techniques were often designed to address the unique challenges posed by remote and hybrid learning, and included:
Flipped Classroom and Formative Assessment: Faculty adopted flipped classroom models, utilizing pre-recorded video lectures and dedicating in-class time to interactive learning activities. Many also incorporated formative assessment techniques, such as embedded quizzes within instructional videos, to monitor student progress and understanding.
Flexible Classroom Management: Recognizing the diverse needs and challenges faced by students during the pandemic, faculty implemented more flexible classroom policies, including adjustments to attendance, deadlines, and participation requirements, to create a more equitable learning environment.
Student-Centered Engagement: Faculty experimented with a variety of student-centered techniques, such as worksheets with embedded questions, to foster active learning and maintain student engagement in both remote and in-person settings.
Rethinking Assessment: The shift to emergency remote teaching prompted faculty to reconsider their assessment strategies, exploring alternatives to traditional exams, such as authentic assessments and open-book evaluations, to better align with their learning objectives.
These enduring teaching techniques demonstrate that faculty members found value in the pedagogical shifts they had implemented, recognizing their potential to enhance student learning, engagement, and equity.
Sustaining Momentum: Recommendations for Higher Education Institutions
As higher education institutions grapple with the long-term implications of these enduring pandemic practices, it is crucial that they take proactive steps to sustain the skill-building momentum of faculty and ensure the continued effectiveness of the tools and techniques adopted during the crisis.
Assess Institutional Needs and Priorities
The first step is for institutions to survey their own faculty to identify the specific tools and techniques that have endured on their campuses. By understanding the unique experiences and needs of their faculty, institutions can tailor their support and programming to address the most pressing priorities.
Revitalize Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Offerings
Inviting faculty back to CTLs through workshops and programming is a vital component of sustaining the momentum. These offerings should be designed to address the enduring tools and techniques identified on the campus, providing opportunities for faculty to refine their practices and share their experiences with peers.
Additionally, institutions should consider establishing or strengthening their CTLs to ensure that faculty have access to the necessary support and resources, particularly for those campuses that lacked a robust teaching and learning infrastructure prior to the pandemic.
Embrace a Partnership Approach
Partnering with faculty is essential in evaluating the effectiveness of the enduring pandemic practices. While the self-reported data suggests that faculty are continuing to utilize the tools and techniques they found valuable, the less-than-ideal conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to suboptimal implementation.
By collaborating with faculty, institutions can work to further refine and improve these practices, ensuring they are genuinely effective for student learning. This approach allows for the identification and remediation of any modifications that may have neglected key components necessary for successful implementation.
Cultivate a Culture of Sustainable Innovation
Finally, institutions should foster a culture that embraces sustainable innovation, recognizing that the enduring pandemic practices are not simply stopgap measures, but rather opportunities to reimagine and enhance the teaching and learning landscape.
By valuing faculty’s time and investment in their own educational development, institutions can demonstrate their commitment to supporting the momentum of these enduring practices and empower faculty to continue exploring and refining their instructional approaches.
Conclusion: Harnessing the Power of Enduring Pandemic Practices
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on higher education, catalyzing a rapid and widespread shift toward technology-driven instruction. The faculty members who navigated this turbulent transition have emerged as educational pioneers, having inadvertently participated in a historic educational development phenomenon.
As institutions now grapple with the long-term implications of these enduring pandemic practices, it is crucial that they take proactive steps to sustain the skill-building momentum of faculty and ensure the continued effectiveness of the tools and techniques adopted during the crisis.
By surveying institutional needs, revitalizing CTL offerings, embracing a partnership approach, and cultivating a culture of sustainable innovation, higher education institutions can empower faculty to build upon their pandemic-driven accomplishments and reshape the future of teaching and learning.
The insights and experiences shared in this article provide a roadmap for institutions seeking to support and nurture the enduring practices that have emerged from this transformative period, ultimately creating a more resilient, engaged, and adaptable educational landscape.
