Covid-19 Response: Evidence of How Higher Ed Can Be Completely Restructured?

[marshwiggle]

I suppose that brings up the question of synchronous vs. asynchronous classes in online education.  I've had experience of both as a student.  The asynchronous classes were much more convenient for scheduling purposes, of course, and weren't as subject to being crippled by technical glitches.  But the synchronous classes often benefited a lot from the real-time discussion and interaction.

The mountains of anecdata that come out of this should help to identify the places where each format (synchronous or asynchronous) works best. And how discipline-specific it is. (or not)

[Aster]

Does anyone here prefer synchronous remote instruction? If so, could you provide details as to your class types, class sizes, student type, etc...

[bacardiandlime]

Does anyone here prefer synchronous remote instruction?

Hell no. I have enough trouble with screen freeze and audio glitches during one-on-one student meetings over skype and zoom.
I'm LOVING putting stuff on BB for students to peruse at their leisure, and having the discussion (in a blackboard forum). I also don't need to worry about my students (some who live in different countries) being in 10+ different timezones.

[Parasaurolophus]

Does anyone here prefer synchronous remote instruction? If so, could you provide details as to your class types, class sizes, student type, etc...

Not me. But I think I would like it for small, upper-level classes or grad classes (mine are all 35+ first-year classes). I'll be popping in as a guest in a friend's grad class on Monday, so we'll see how that goes. I can report back. I expect it's just fine (if not as good as face-to-face) for groups which are doing the work, and for which you don't have to work too hard to get them contributing.

[dr_codex]

Does anyone here prefer synchronous remote instruction? If so, could you provide details as to your class types, class sizes, student type, etc...

Not me. But I think I would like it for small, upper-level classes or grad classes (mine are all 35+ first-year classes). I'll be popping in as a guest in a friend's grad class on Monday, so we'll see how that goes. I can report back. I expect it's just fine (if not as good as face-to-face) for groups which are doing the work, and for which you don't have to work too hard to get them contributing.

I had been planning to do this in the Fall, for a small grad class, in part to address student complaints that they were getting little out of asynchronous distance learning. This semester was good preparation, and gave me a lot of insight about what can go wrong.

[backatit]

Does anyone here prefer synchronous remote instruction? If so, could you provide details as to your class types, class sizes, student type, etc...

I use a combination in my classes. Asynchronous for most of the class, with small "conference" sessions for groups of no more than 5-6 throughout the semester. That lets me hit most of the students individually (enough) to build a relationship so that when we discuss things asynchronously I have a better understanding of their projects.

[risenanew]

I'm at a public community college and most of my students are low-income minority students with spotty (at best) access to wifi and technology, as well as chaotic households and work-loads. I don't think there's any way I could corral all 40 students per class (yes, my load is that large) into any synchronous online class meeting... and I think it would honestly cruel to grade my students based on their (in)ability to participate that way.

Instead, I have been recording my videos over my usual PowerPoints & lecture materials (including some scanned hand-written diagrams) using screencastify, then uploading it to YouTube in an unlisted class thread. That way, my students can watch the lectures at any time and leave comments (or just email me) if they have any questions. It's a system that's worked pretty well, since at least half the class has watched videos (based on word-count) and several students have posted comments asking for more info across 15 or so videos.

It isn't a perfect system and I really miss the fun of lecturing in front of a lively class... but it'll do for now, I guess. Plus, if I ever teach the class online again, I'll always have these videos to go back to -- so future prep work will decrease.

[Parasaurolophus]

Does anyone here prefer synchronous remote instruction? If so, could you provide details as to your class types, class sizes, student type, etc...

Not me. But I think I would like it for small, upper-level classes or grad classes (mine are all 35+ first-year classes). I'll be popping in as a guest in a friend's grad class on Monday, so we'll see how that goes. I can report back. I expect it's just fine (if not as good as face-to-face) for groups which are doing the work, and for which you don't have to work too hard to get them contributing.

Just popping back in to say that my experience was really positive. But it was (1) with graduate students, who (2) were prepared, and (3) were few in number (we were 13 altogether). I think I'd give it a try for small upper-level courses, or at least build the synchronous component in in some significant fashion. I also think that more use could be made of the chat function, so that students can interact with each other in real time, raise issues, point to relevant external material, coordinate their attacks on the instructor, etc. Or, indeed, just ask questions via the chat, which might be easier for shy undergrads.

But I'm pretty skeptical that I could approximate that experience in my classes, which are all 35+ first-year courses. I'm sure some people can do it, but I clearly don't have the skills--or the motivation, at this point--to make it work even half-decently under those conditions.

[FishProf]

Perspectives.   

I have a faculty member receiving complaints about "not teaching" because she is NOT doing synchronous class meetings.   Students are complaining that she isn't posting anything and they don't know what is going on.

So I check.  10 Asynchronous lectures to make up for 8 f2f meetings, plus readings, workshops, and online video presentations.  Hmm, that's weird.

So I reach out to some student in the class I know and they LOVE the way the class is going - great content, work on your own schedule, professor is very responsive with questions etc etc.

Even if you do it well from your perspective (or if you think you are dropping all the balls), students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

[Caracal]

Perspectives.   

I have a faculty member receiving complaints about "not teaching" because she is NOT doing synchronous class meetings.   Students are complaining that she isn't posting anything and they don't know what is going on.

So I check.  10 Asynchronous lectures to make up for 8 f2f meetings, plus readings, workshops, and online video presentations.  Hmm, that's weird.

So I reach out to some student in the class I know and they LOVE the way the class is going - great content, work on your own schedule, professor is very responsive with questions etc etc.

Even if you do it well from your perspective (or if you think you are dropping all the balls), students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

I certainly feel like I'm dropping the ball this semester, so this is helpful. I've realized how much of the teaching experience for me is bound up in the anxiety and experience of actually teaching. Before class, I'm worried about being ready for class, during class I have an adrenaline surge and after class I feel tired. Even when class doesn't go particularly well, or I think I didn't do a good job, I still feel like I went to work. I wonder if some students feel the same way. Getting out of bed, putting on your pants, getting to campus and sitting down in a classroom feels like something happened in a way that opening up your computer and seeing a lecture doesn't.

[arcturus]

Perspectives.   

I have a faculty member receiving complaints about "not teaching" because she is NOT doing synchronous class meetings.   Students are complaining that she isn't posting anything and they don't know what is going on.

So I check.  10 Asynchronous lectures to make up for 8 f2f meetings, plus readings, workshops, and online video presentations.  Hmm, that's weird.

So I reach out to some student in the class I know and they LOVE the way the class is going - great content, work on your own schedule, professor is very responsive with questions etc etc.

Even if you do it well from your perspective (or if you think you are dropping all the balls), students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

This may be a genuine technology problem for the students who are complaining that the professor is not posting anything. I teach a planned online course, with a mixture of videos, text, etc. Every semester, I have a few students who self-report that they did not realize that there were videos, because you need to allow "permission" for the kaltura videos to be visible in the Canvas site.  This, along with the "make certain that class announcements are forwarded to your most-used email address", are part of my frustrations in trying to reach students in an online format.

[spork]

[. . .]

students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

Often that POV is "the education part of college means sitting in a classroom being lectured at while I sit there doing nothing." Exercising self-direction and independent effort is not part of the definition of learning or teaching.

[marshwiggle]

[. . .]

students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

Often that POV is "the education part of college means sitting in a classroom being lectured at while I sit there doing nothing." Exercising self-direction and independent effort is not part of the definition of learning or teaching.

There was a study comparing active learning to regular lectures which found that students learned more from active learning, but felt they learned more from regular lectures, since it wasn't so HAAAARD.

[spork]

[. . .]

students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

Often that POV is "the education part of college means sitting in a classroom being lectured at while I sit there doing nothing." Exercising self-direction and independent effort is not part of the definition of learning or teaching.

There was a study comparing active learning to regular lectures which found that students learned more from active learning, but felt they learned more from regular lectures, since it wasn't so HAAAARD.

Regardless of lecture quality, students who don't take notes during a lecture, don't read outside of class, and don't know how to identify important information are going to be displeased if suddenly classroom lectures go away.

[tuxthepenguin]

[. . .]

students are going to see things from their own particular POV, and there is not much you can do about it under these circumstances.

Often that POV is "the education part of college means sitting in a classroom being lectured at while I sit there doing nothing." Exercising self-direction and independent effort is not part of the definition of learning or teaching.

There was a study comparing active learning to regular lectures which found that students learned more from active learning, but felt they learned more from regular lectures, since it wasn't so HAAAARD.

Regardless of lecture quality, students who don't take notes during a lecture, don't read outside of class, and don't know how to identify important information are going to be displeased if suddenly classroom lectures go away.

I'll stop every once in a while and tell them how to describe the concept in their notes. I'll also tell them how they should be studying. When I started teaching, I thought my job was to provide students with an audio presentation of a textbook. When I did that, I had my best evaluations, and not many students blamed me when they did poorly in the class. The more of the "micromanaging" I do to ensure they're actually learning, the lower my evaluations go. Good thing the tenured have the opportunity to teach in the way they think is best.

Oops: This was intended as a reply to marshwiggle.