Professor Darren Griffin, University of Kent, and Dr Julia Stephenson, Brunel University London, discuss how to create and deliver an online lecture during these pandemic times
As COVID-19 continues to decimate livelihoods and lives, one of the key limitations is complete isolation. Universities closed their doors to the masses of students ordinarily occupying their buildings, libraries and accommodation. For some, the closures resulted in a suspension of the school year, whilst others were simply allowed to take their pre-existing grades and another section enjoyed the trial and error joy of continuing their assessments remotely.
It is no secret that educators globally are struggling to create and smoothly implement classes for their students. On a primary school level, this looks like worksheets and occasional Google groupchats between teacher and students, if the students are lucky. On a University level, this means mimicking the power of a traditional lecture for this eerie, pandemic time.
That means logistical questions, like using the right software and making sure connections remain open, but it also asks philosophical questions of engagement. How can a lecturer make the digital migration in time to deliver a meaningful education to their students? The simple matter of transferring slides online is the tip of the iceberg.
What if two professors figured out every logistic, every possible error and mapped a clear path for other academics to follow?
Here, Professor Darren Griffin and Dr Julia Stephenson discuss the intricacies of delivering an online lecture, including how to get to that point as painlessly as possible. Read within to learn their migration lessons during these pandemic times.
