What would be a reasonable approach to classroom teaching in the fall?

[Cheerful]

In my role as a senior faculty member who mentors colleagues, I'm being asked to provide advice on how to teach a fall course under these kinds of conditions:

• Class held in an auditorium with fixed seating, to accommodate social distancing requirements.
• 25 students in the room, all masked.
• 2 students who are connected remotely are supposed to get the "same experience" as those in the room.
• Instructor at the front of the room, masked.
• Given that the subject of the course is literature, classroom sessions in the past have been entirely discussion-based. The faculty member does not lecture.

Suggestions?

A tech assistant to help with the remote connection.
Whole Group Discussion:  Someone with one of those brooomstick handle microphones (with a fabric covering on it) like they use at press conferences.  Student raises hand, assistant brings the broomstick microphone.
Small Groups:  Same.

Challenging case.

[Morden]

Would the students have smartphones or laptops? If so, you could have them text each other during small group "discussion" and then have a member from each group report back to instructor who could collate responses on computer with VPU and ask additional probing questions, resulting in another round of texting.

[spork]

Would the students have smartphones or laptops? If so, you could have them text each other during small group "discussion" and then have a member from each group report back to instructor who could collate responses on computer with VPU and ask additional probing questions, resulting in another round of texting.

This leads to the question of "If all students in the room are communicating with each other, and with remotely-connected students, via laptop or phone, why have them meet in a physical classroom at all?" The answer I get from university administrators on this question is "Because."

[Aster]

I recommend that that professors who are lecturing while wearing mask either put on a microphone, or train themselves to speak a lot louder.

After experiencing three months of mask-wearing restaurant, retail, and other business staff, it has become painfully clear to me that masks significantly muffle one's voice.

[dr_codex]

I recommend that that professors who are lecturing while wearing mask either put on a microphone, or train themselves to speak a lot louder.

After experiencing three months of mask-wearing restaurant, retail, and other business staff, it has become painfully clear to me that masks significantly muffle one's voice.

Microphone. No question.

[Bonnie]

Would the students have smartphones or laptops? If so, you could have them text each other during small group "discussion" and then have a member from each group report back to instructor who could collate responses on computer with VPU and ask additional probing questions, resulting in another round of texting.

This leads to the question of "If all students in the room are communicating with each other, and with remotely-connected students, via laptop or phone, why have them meet in a physical classroom at all?" The answer I get from university administrators on this question is "Because."

Exactly that, spork. Because.

[apl68]

The public schools in our state seem to be planning to start on-campus in August and go online after fall break.

[Nightshade]

I will be teaching in person with smaller class sizes than the already small limit in normal times. I'm debating getting a face shield - perhaps better than wearing mask? Or should one use both?

[research_prof]

I will be teaching in person with smaller class sizes than the already small limit in normal times. I'm debating getting a face shield - perhaps better than wearing mask? Or should one use both?

Both! I am lucky that I can teach remotely in fall. I was seriously considering wearing a hazmat suit if I had to teach in person.

[spork]

Chronicle article quoting people who are highly critical of the wholesale adoption of a "hyflex" model for fall teaching:

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Say-Hybrid-Courses/249162.

(paywalled)

[Vkw10]

I will be teaching in person with smaller class sizes than the already small limit in normal times. I'm debating getting a face shield - perhaps better than wearing mask? Or should one use both?

Both! I am lucky that I can teach remotely in fall. I was seriously considering wearing a hazmat suit if I had to teach in person.

According to our campus experts, face mask is preferred to face shield. Mask captures the respiratory droplets that carry virus. Face shield protects you from getting splashes and spits in face and eyes, which is isn't a concern in most classroom settings. People like dentists, who work very close to patient faces, should probably wear both.

[spork]

A semester to die for.

[Cheerful]

Anyone have data from countries other than the U.S. that have opened their K-12 schools and universities?  I know the virus infection rate is highly relevant.

Awhile back, I read something about YMCA child care centers in the U.S. having very few virus cases.  They were providing care for children of health care workers.

[Stockmann]

Anyone have data from countries other than the U.S. that have opened their K-12 schools and universities?  I know the virus infection rate is highly relevant.

Awhile back, I read something about YMCA child care centers in the U.S. having very few virus cases.  They were providing care for children of health care workers.

Singapore didn't close schools, and that was probably the first empirical evidence that children aren't particularly contagious. South Korea reopened schools, I'm not sure about colleges. Likewise Denmark. Reopenings seem manageable in these places - but bear in mind that in none of these places was the pandemic ever truly out of control, and at least S. Korea and Singapore have fully enforced stringent measures - from everyone correctly wearing facemasks in school buildings to taking everyone's temperatures to plexiglass around every desk. I think China has likewise reopened schools. So it seems if the overall pandemic is locally under control, and if stringent measures are taken and actually enforced on the ground, it's manageable. Since college students are probably substantially more contagious than children (and certainly more likely to die or become seriously ill), plus probably a larger proportion of elderly instructors, HE is more problematic.

[Aster]

Anyone have data from countries other than the U.S. that have opened their K-12 schools and universities?  I know the virus infection rate is highly relevant.

Awhile back, I read something about YMCA child care centers in the U.S. having very few virus cases.  They were providing care for children of health care workers.

Israel has been having a lot of problems with having to close down dozens of its schools. NPR reported on that back in June I think.

And there's this new report.
"Summary of School Re-Opening Models and Implementation ApproachesDuring the COVID 19 Pandemic"
https://globalhealth.washington.edu/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20Schools%20Summary%20%282%29.pdf?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTkRreE5XWXlORFF3TXpNeCIsInQiOiJIbVNQTTVySEo0Vzk1cHVBZVVqWnFGVmR1UEJxRGdpd01mTXg4OGw3Mk5nTnpmaUoyMGt2UXIwWVZBOE5GVjIybHA5aStrbzJ3MUxsanoxamZibmlocmpSbXZyVFVoV0VHYU1aTGx0RnpsMXlmOEtXSVJqaDJsZ0RJU1BQcVZjZSJ9