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Thread on some experiences teaching online:
I just finished and uploaded the final lecture for this summer, and then kept wondering: how much stuff exactly were we putting out there during this pandemic semester?
So I added it up.
I just finished and uploaded the final lecture for this summer, and then kept wondering: how much stuff exactly were we putting out there during this pandemic semester?
So I added it up.
I taught two classes plus one session of a lecture series.
That's neither especially much nor especially little, in the grand scheme of things.
Many of my colleagues have a much higher teaching load, some have less.
That's neither especially much nor especially little, in the grand scheme of things.
Many of my colleagues have a much higher teaching load, some have less.
One class was an introductory lecture class. This took the vast majority of my time.
Re-working lectures so they work as videos is neither quick nor easy. Sometimes this took several days for just one.
I put all the lectures online for students to download.
Re-working lectures so they work as videos is neither quick nor easy. Sometimes this took several days for just one.
I put all the lectures online for students to download.
The other class was almost entirely discussion-based, with both synchronous (video calls) and asynchronous components (forum posts, etc.). I only made one entirely new video for this one.
For the lecture series I created two videos, all in all a bit more than an hour of new content.
I made some videos that would work for both of my regular classes with only minor re-edits.
I made some videos that would work for both of my regular classes with only minor re-edits.
When I added up all the content (only counting once the videos for both classes) it came out at 15 hours, 23 minutes, and 57 seconds.
I didn't know what that meant. So I searched around and found:
A typical 22-episode season of a one-hour TV drama runs 15 hours and 24 minutes.
I didn't know what that meant. So I searched around and found:
A typical 22-episode season of a one-hour TV drama runs 15 hours and 24 minutes.
I am not claiming these lectures and videos are nearly as complicated or have nearly the same production value as that, but:
I made a TV season's worth of content in four months, alone, with nothing but my laptop and a digital camera.
I made a TV season's worth of content in four months, alone, with nothing but my laptop and a digital camera.
And I'm not special here.
Whether they've produced special videos or podcasts, sat in hours and hours of Zoom meetings & classes, wrote new introductory texts, new syllabi, tended to LMSes, etc., my colleagues have created massive amounts of new content this summer.
Whether they've produced special videos or podcasts, sat in hours and hours of Zoom meetings & classes, wrote new introductory texts, new syllabi, tended to LMSes, etc., my colleagues have created massive amounts of new content this summer.
They've done this while juggling home life with work, contending with technology, less than ideal working spaces, slow internet speeds, family responsibilities, noisy neighbors, etc.
What's striking to me:
My university has a program through which scholars working there can apply to create one teaching video on a subject of their expertise that will then be made available to everyone teaching a similar topic.
My university has a program through which scholars working there can apply to create one teaching video on a subject of their expertise that will then be made available to everyone teaching a similar topic.
These are around 15 minutes long. Making one comes with the help of a whole media production team which supplies everything but the script.
When you're picked to do one, you get to teach one less class that semester.
When you're picked to do one, you get to teach one less class that semester.
You make one video. With a team. And you are given time off that equals pretty much half a postdoc's working load.
Our expectations have shifted massively in just four months.
Our expectations have shifted massively in just four months.
What does this teach me?
One: It's unsustainable to continue doing this. The only way I'll be able to teach in winter is by recycling many of those lecture; just fixing some things I messed up the first time around, and create new ones only for strategic points in the class.
One: It's unsustainable to continue doing this. The only way I'll be able to teach in winter is by recycling many of those lecture; just fixing some things I messed up the first time around, and create new ones only for strategic points in the class.
Two: Students very much appreciated these videos. They kept telling me throughout the semester, and again at the end of it.
That means I wasn't on the wrong track when it comes to online pedagogy. But the track I was on created an enormous amount of work.
That means I wasn't on the wrong track when it comes to online pedagogy. But the track I was on created an enormous amount of work.
I kept hearing going into this that creating a good online learning experience takes tons of preparation, expertise, and time.
And boy, does it ever. I made mistakes over and over again because I was out of my depth at first.
And boy, does it ever. I made mistakes over and over again because I was out of my depth at first.
What I'm taking away from all of this: it's absolutely ludicrous to expect professors to prepare both for online and in-person classes at the same time.
If you want to have any chance of doing either well, you need time to prepare.
If you want to have any chance of doing either well, you need time to prepare.
The only feasible way forward is universities making a decision early on which classes can be online, and which ones absolutely can't, and stick to it.
Neither teachers nor students can readjust on the fly and hope for a good outcome.
Neither teachers nor students can readjust on the fly and hope for a good outcome.
NB: I'll either add to this thread or make another thread with some stuff I learned about the technical side of things, which is both less and more complicated in various ways than I first expected.
And here's that continued thread:
https://twitter.com/torstenkathke/status/1283756675976048641?s=21 https://twitter.com/torstenkathke/status/1283756675976048641
https://twitter.com/torstenkathke/status/1283756675976048641?s=21 https://twitter.com/torstenkathke/status/1283756675976048641
