I think it’s the case for many of us in this program where we finished or had at least part of our undergrads through the pandemic. For me, it was the end of my 3rd year and all of my 4th (and last year) that were completely remote. When everything first got shut down, it seemed as though no one knew what online learning was going to look like, teachers and students alike. I had profs who added material and assessments, and some who eliminated them, as well as some classes that remained relatively stable. If I remember correctly, all the lectures were asynchronous for me in that spring. Zoom hadn’t quite emerged as the be-all end-all software for remote meetings. I enjoyed finishing up that semester; I was at home with my family and cats and could get quite comfortable in a secluded area of our house to get work done, but could also post up on the kitchen table if I wanted to be social when I was doing lower-intensity work. There were times when the lack of accountability caused me to loaf a little but I took reflected on being allowed to continue my education in an global situation that was scary for everyone.
When I came back in the fall of my 4th year, classes were largely allowed to run synchronous lectures. One class that I took that was interesting to see delivered online was a “Shakespeare in film” class. It was actually quite effective where the prof would lecture for about 15 or so minutes, introducing the film, and then would share his screen and show the film for us over zoom. We did have access to the film outside classtime for reviewing purposes, as well as for the first time in the case of a Hamlet adaptation that was over 4 hours long. One thing that the class did not really allow for was peer-led discussions of the films. We only completed individual assignments and I think discussions are one of the best parts of taking a film class so I think the learning environment was hindered slightly, but overall the class was still delivered effectively.
The worst part of online classes for me was the lack of social interaction, which was emblematic of the time. For instance, when I finished my degree, I received a box in the mail with a couple UVic stickers. Whoopdie-doo!
As a teacher, should we be forced back to exclusively online learning again, I think we’ll all be more more prepared. That said, it’s always going to be a challenge to provide a positive and engaging learning environment for students remotely. I think film is a great way to keep students engaged. If it’s discussion-based as well, I think that lends itself to productive thinking in regards to what they see on the film, what it means symbolically, and what it means to their own lives and learning experiences. Another great way to engage students using remote learning is through online, interactive, synchronous games. Kahoot, Quizzizz, and Jackbox are great examples. For instance, Jackbox allows for students to send answers to certain games from the phones regardless of where they are. It can be very entertaining with decent production values. It is paid (one-time purchase), but it’s a great game to have in your back pocket for education and parties within your social life.
