When the coronavirus flipped teaching on its head, Richard Meredith, Lecturer in Management, swiftly created a plan.
Although the 254 students in his Year 1 business module were scattered across the globe – many having returned to their home countries for lockdown – Richard ensured that they remained engaged in their studies, thanks to a considered mix of learning technologies and careful lesson planning.
Now, Richard has detailed his academic findings in a new research paper, which outlines his response to the sudden pivot to online teaching right in the middle of a new term.
In his research, Richard Meredith notes that one of the biggest challenges is developing a lesson plan that grabs the attention of young digital natives, who are likely suffering from information overload. Educators, he says, must prepare material that cuts through the digital noise, especially in a time when emotions are running high.
'In the virtual classroom, interactive, authentic and experiential learning tasks and assessments require digital alternatives to physical paper handouts, whiteboards, groupwork and student presentations.
'If students are engaged intellectually, emotionally and socially,' he adds, they will feel that each 'learning task is authentic.'
Read the full working paper: Successful COVID-19 pivot: A satisficing teaching plan for distance learning
