A Practical and Effective Response to Teaching during the Pandemic. Issue 2 (12th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maharaj, Radha
• Is Part Of: Clearing house. Volume 95:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 90
• Page End: 96
• Publication Date: 2022-04-12
• Subjects: Experiential learning -- kindness in pedagogy -- remote teaching -- active learning -- flipped classroom -- critical thinking -- technology -- learning environments -- classroom environment -- distance education -- assessment -- collaboration -- motivation; Education -- Periodicals; Junior high schools -- Periodicals; Education, Secondary -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 373.05
• DOI: 10.1080/00098655.2022.2042170
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-8655

Abstract

Abstract: In this article I share my experience of the emergency transition to remote teaching. I discuss the logistics and lessons learnt from transitioning my third-year economics course from in-person instruction to online instruction after the Covid-19 pandemic was declared. I ascribe my constructivist approach to teaching as a key factor which assisted in mitigating stress and allowed for greater malleability in the transition. In the process of the switch to remote teaching, I implemented a three-pronged approach which consisted of a flipped classroom model which facilitates an experiential learning environment with a greater recognition for and an application of kindness in pedagogy. Overall, the emergency transition, though it required a greater expenditure of time, hastened the restructuring of my teaching practice. The verbal feedback from students and the official course evaluation suggest that this approach has the capacity to provide a conducive environment for learning and enhance student experience. This three-pronged approach is suited for both online and in-person instruction. The intention is to continue to apply this approach to both online and in-person teaching. In so doing, it will facilitate the further validation of the efficacy of this approach in providing a conducive environment which engages and motivates student learning.