For me personally, I was well prepared for the transition to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, I was a few months into my Master’s degree at UVic in Biochemistry. The months and weeks leading up to the transition to online learning, my PI was expecting the schools to get shut down so we were spending extra hours completing crucial experiments in preparation. When the shut down finally did happen, we were actually in a scenario where all of our experiments were done for the upcoming manuscript and we were able to write from home. We would meet every Monday and Friday to discuss progress as well as having regular mid-week meetings if needed. I feel as though this experience would have been very different had we not been prepared for it, or if there was no manuscript writing to be done. The writing process definitely took longer than usual as we had to remote desktop into the computers in the lab to get most of our work done because our at home computers didn’t have the software needed for figure generation and data analysis. If there were any issues with the remote desktop, it would usually take a day or two to fix. I think at the start, I enjoyed being at home in my pajamas with my pets and writing in a comfortable area but there were definitely a lot of distractions. As we got longer into the pandemic I started to miss the social aspects of being in the lab with all my peers. If I had the option to pick between face to face, hybrid or completely online learning I think I would pick a hybrid style. There are a lot of advantages to using online learning like zoom if used properly and not abused. The lab productivity definitely went down, even out of the pandemic, people were used to learning online and working shorter days. That being said, the social aspect and requirement for hands-on learning in science is a non-negotiable and for that reason I would not pick a complete online style.
Being aware and up to date with what is going on is extremely important. Like I said above, my PI was aware and accepting of the upcoming pandemic. He prepared us for what was going to happen and our work style shifted as a result. Some of my colleagues were able to bring their lab computers home with them, and we downloaded remote desktop software onto all computers and setup an online system to be able to access anything we might need. New projects were delegated that had online implications like review article writing, or manuscript writing/preparation. So if I could give advice to myself or new educators about how they can prepare for a transition is to be aware and proactive. Predict an upcoming transition, and start acting on it early. Change lesson plans, projects to fit an online style, prepare the class in advance for what might happen, and create a system to hold information they might need to access. Online learning activities for science are definitely challenging. One activity would undoubtably use Zoom. Now that we all are more familiar with how to use zoom, it is a phenomenal tool for teaching remotely. It allows for breakout rooms for collaboration, to share screens and much more. I would use zoom to lead my presentations on specific scientific topics by sharing my screen. Although engagement online is challenging, we can use breakout rooms to work on assignments or projects and to promote discussion amongst the class in smaller groups. Platforms that I would use, would be to setup a Discord server or Google Classroom, or Microsoft Teams to help manage the class. Discord would allow for a place for students to connect and share resources, as well as the teacher to be involved. Google Classroom and Microsoft teams are similar to Zoom in the sense it allows a platform for notes to be posted and students to access any information they need. The second activity I would be related to ecology. The activity would be an experimental design activity where they could use their backyard as a lens to generate a hypothesis, make observations, and generate a small scientific experiment.
October 17, 2023