Cottrell Scholars Share Tips, Tools for Student Engagement
How do you keep students engaged in an age of virtual instruction? Nearly 50 teacher-scholars met online September 15 and 18 to discuss this question and more during the latest in RCSA’s series of Cottrell Scholar Conversations.
“With everything that is happening right now, it’s amazing that this community will take the time to get together and share ideas about the things that really matter,” said Senior Program Director Silvia Ronco. “As leaders in teaching and research at their institutions, Cottrell Scholars are committed to improved learning and equity, now and after the pandemic has passed.”
Discussion participants described a host of challenges they face with online or hybrid models of education, from Zoom fatigue to having to manage new technologies while trying to gauge student understanding with little immediate feedback.
Student stress and accessibility issues are major concerns. Whether they lack reliable internet or are logging in from home environments that are not conducive to participation, students may lack the ability to enter into a discussion or even view a lecture without interruption. What's worse, teachers may be so overwhelmed they may not be aware of it.
“As we get comfortable with these new modes of instruction, have some students just been left behind?” CS 2020 Britt Lundgren asked.
While online meetings may free up time and offer more flexibility for staying in contact, the reduced barrier to scheduling meetings also presents time-management challenges for some teachers.
“Limiting my daily hours of Zoom meetings is part of my self-care package,” said CS 2017 Jamie Neilson.
With the spring 2021 semester starting to look very much like fall 2020, some Cottrell Scholars are looking past simply surviving the move to online instruction. Some tools and techniques may present longer-term opportunities for better and more equitable teaching, they said.
“This pandemic shook things up in an interesting way,” said CS 2016 Jahan Dawlaty. “Once we were forced to use new technology, we saw that some of those tools are a big improvement. Now we are thinking about how to keep using them.”
One big plus is that most classes are now recorded. Students appreciate the ability to go back and review, even if they attended the lecture in the first place.
Asynchronous office hours, with students posing questions and teachers writing or recording a response that becomes available to everyone in class, have also proved popular with teachers and students alike.
While issues of access have exacerbated inequities for some students, the online format can sometimes be more inclusive. Some students who would never ask questions in big classes may feel more comfortable speaking up in small breakout groups online.
“This virtual world may present an opportunity to accelerate a student-centered approach to education,” said CS 1999 Rigoberto Hernandez. “The question is, how do we do this right?”
Participants agreed that limited in-person contact with students and colleagues has spotlighted the importance of personal interaction, and in spite of the challenges, many Cottrell Scholars are making it a priority.
“It’s caused all of us to think about what’s really important,” said CS 2009 Penny Beuning.
Aside from providing a format for Cottrell Scholars to share tips and tools with each other, Cottrell Conversations generate important ideas for RCSA and partner philanthropies.
RCSA President & CEO Dan Linzer said input from discussions last spring helped guide RCSA’s initial response to the pandemic. After hearing where support was most needed, RCSA repurposed funds for in-person meetings in 2020 toward research directly related to COVID-19, to fellowships for postdocs facing hiring freezes, and to supplement funds for lab equipment at primarily undergraduate institutions affected by budget cuts.
“Our goal is to support your work and your research ambitions,” he told discussion participants. “Your input helps make our programs more relevant, fairer and more inclusive.”
