Forward not Backward

In these most recent weeks, it seems as though the forward momentum of life returning to something more recognizable appears to be moving in a backward direction. As we all prepare for the fall semester questions abound as to whether we are facing another potential shutdown.  The good news is we are all better equipped to handle it. Been there. Done that! However, this is about starting where we are today and looking at how best we can move forward, taking all that we have experienced and learned.

So my advice to faculty planning for the fall semester is to consider incorporating some of what you have learned teaching virtually and have a plan b just in case we shut down again. As you think about your fall course, consider how you can integrate in-person, synchronous (live – online), and asynchronous methods (pre-recording material) into your course design. Your options have been expanded, and you can be creative instead of simply returning back to what was done before. Using different approaches can actually free up some of your time as well as the students. For example, if you pre-record a lecture and post it for students to watch within a given time frame, you won’t need to be in the classroom that day, and students are given more freedom in deciding when they want to learn. I believe this dynamic can help us continue to grow as teachers and helps our students become more adaptable learners. We all heard the complaints from our students, “I’m not a good online learner.” As educators, our role is to teach them how to become competent physician assistants and how to become better learners. The events of the last 16 months have set the stage for us to embrace teaching and learning differently and potentially more efficiently and effectively.

Remember when we first shifted to online. Our students wanted to still see us every day. They wanted things to look as similar as they could to being in the classroom. Many of us wanted that too, so a common approach was to take our lectures online, live via Zoom.  By mid-spring semester, both students and teachers were feeling the strain of Zoom fatigue. It wasn’t sustainable. And so, there was more movement toward asynchronous options. My point being, don’t stop using these approaches. Think about how you can incorporate them into your course where they make sense and with an eye on, if we shut down again – am I ready?  Consider one asynchronous class a week or every two weeks. Do a few live Zoom synchronous classes to keep up and expand your skills and encourage students to get more comfortable with different modes of teaching.

None of us knows what the future holds.  So our job is to be as prepared, resilient, and adaptable as possible so that learning isn’t interrupted as it was last March 2020.