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And that brings down my first ever Zoom semester. I want to thank my students for being so awesome. It was quite the experience.
I will say this: I think that purely in terms of pedagogy and learning, that was the best semester I have ever had. Honestly if it were a one-class thing, I'd take a Zoom class over in-person any day. There are multiple advantages to the format that you can't replicate in person.
That said, Zoom fatigue is real & there are obvious disadvantages to losing personal connection with the students you're teaching. But overall, I stand to be corrected by student evaluations, but I feel this went really well & I got to experiment with a host of new techniques.
I especially want to thank my Evidence students for robustly embracing the flipped classroom. All semester long, students worked hard in breakout rooms, and I was super pleased with the results.
At the beginning of the semester, I told students about two big advantages of Zoom learning - and I think they held up: 1) Volume control (students can modulate sound and ensure they hear the videos and Prof); 2) Ask questions without fear (make use of the chat function).
Both of these played out. But I neglected what I think are the two biggest advantages of Zoom over in-person learning: immediacy and distraction control. In contrast to our vast auditorium spaces, every student is: (a) right in front of the professor; (b) right in front of...
the video screen/video example. That's a big deal. It allows for a more meaningful and direct connection between speaker and listener. Furthermore, in breakout rooms, you are not confronted with the cacophony of other students groups also trying to answer a question.
In addition, while students working at home have distractions (I am not trying to make the case that Zoom learning is perfect), so do students in the classroom. If you wish to focus, Zoom is made for you. No students surfing next to you or whispering to their neighbour.
These are very real DISADVANTAGES of the large class setting in most law schools. Finally, this semester offered @Steven_Penney and I the chance to do something really outside the box - combine classes - and that was, imo, a smashing success.
Zoom allowed our students the chance to get 2 profs for the price of 1. It also allowed us to alternative cut our classes in half (where needed) and combine them. We could debate certain interesting points. We had one Prof speak while the other handled the chat room.
Honestly, this went better than I even could have imagined. It's not for everyone, but I do think it shows the possibilities that Zoom allows for. Anyhow, those are some of my thoughts about Zoom teaching. Hope you found them interesting!
Just going to tag @cforcese because I am always interested in his take on these kinds of things, and because we did a Podcast right when Zoom teaching was becoming a thing! Might be time for a follow up episode!
