Pilots Prevent
April 20, 2021
Last March, when most of the world began going into lockdown mode and classes at University of Portland were paused, UP faculty had two days to change everything about the classroom as they knew it and transition to online learning. It was a daunting task, but faculty and staff partnered to provide a network of support to make sure that education and ongoing training were available to faculty to make the transition, and give students the best experience possible.
Though most faculty had never used Teams or Zoom, Associate Provost Elise Moentmann says they received immediate support from their fellow staff and faculty in the Learning Commons and Academic Technology Services & Innovation (ATSI) to get them through the second half of the semester. Over the summer, with a little more time and space, a Task Force of faculty members and ATSI staff created a Moodle Basecamp as a hub for faculty on all things online learning. It’s open to every faculty member as a space to share experiences, review training videos, consult one-on-one for specialized training, and more.
“There’s been a lot of collaboration,” says Moentmann. “We all realize that it’s not ideal, but our faculty is dedicated, and we’re here because we want to teach. We all understand that UP is first and foremost a teaching institution. We made the best of it, and we do what we can to give the students the best online versions of ourselves and our classes.”
In fact, the transition to online learning has added a lot of value to classrooms, and in some ways enriched the teaching and learning experience. “A number of people have discovered that there are things we’ve learned from technology and the use of it that is beneficial moving forward, even though we’ll be teaching in-person again,” says Moentmann. Asynchronous learning, for example, has added more value to classroom time. If a faculty member can record a lecture in advance and have students watch it, they can come to class prepared to discuss the material in small groups, ask questions, and engage with it in more meaningful ways.
Opening up office hours to an online format has also encouraged some students to reach out to faculty, who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t be able to make it. Other technologies—such as VoiceThread, allow students to post reactions to material through voice recordings. This can be beneficial to students who excel at verbal communication but might struggle with written. “It’s about making material more accessible,” says Moentmann. “Why not give students the best chance possible to succeed?”
Moentmann sees a future where online support forums, virtual trainings, and asynchronous learning can continue to enrich UP’s course offerings, even with the return to in-person instruction. “Nothing is going to replace face-to-face community that we all know and love and miss,” she says. “But there are ways of finding and creating community online, and there are tools online that can actually enhance in-person learning. Technology can help us be more equitable.”
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