In ‘uncharted territory,’ CEI helps faculty transition to distance learning

As UB faculty scramble to put classes online, officials from the university’s Center for Educational Innovation have a message: We are here to help.

This week, the center has been running back-to-back emergency courses to help teachers make the transition to distance learning, which supports social distancing as a public health measure that will help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.

The two-hour emergency courses are open to faculty, adjunct lecturers, graduate teaching assistants and others seeking guidance on how to use technology to build effective online classes.

“Because these times are so unprecedented, it can feel scary. As an educator, you’re used to feeling confident when you walk into the classroom: You know what you’re going to do, what’s going to happen,” says Rebecca Rotundo, assistant director of learning and design for the Center for Educational Innovation.

“And now, we’re shifting to a situation where we don’t always know what’s going to happen. Will the technology work? How will students respond?” Rotundo says. “It’s important to remember that students also are feeling this way, and most of them will have patience and understanding if things don’t work the first time. It’s important, also, to remember that students are also in uncharted territory, and faculty will also need to show patience.”

Online teaching resources and a link to register for an emergency online course-building session are available on the Center of Educational Innovation’s website.

Sessions take place through the Zoom video conferencing platform. The classes are group classes, with sessions offered every day.

Faculty, lecturers and teaching assistants who have specific questions or would like one-on-one support can also contact the center to set up a consultation.

In recent days, the center has been guiding teachers through a variety of questions relating to distance learning.

One professor whose teaching style involves a lot of in-person back-and-forth with students wanted to know how to incorporate Q&As into an online lecture. Rotundo showed the faculty member how they could create a text-based discussion at specific time points in video lectures recorded through the Panopto video platform, enabling students to engage in conversation with the professor and classmates.

It’s been a busy time, to say the least, but, “I’m so proud of our center,” Rotundo says. “You would not believe how hard everyone here has worked. They’ve done an amazing job.”

She says that while the transition to distance learning may feel daunting, it’s a transition the whole UB community is making together.

“Everybody understands that it’s a chaotic time. You will find your way,” she says. “I’ve talked to so many people over the past few days. It might be difficult, it might take a week or two, but I think in a few weeks, we’ll get over the initial hump and figure this out.”

The work faculty members are putting into transitioning their classes online, with the support of the Center for Educational Innovation, exemplifies the excellence that make UB one of the best public research universities in the nation, says A. Scott Weber, UB provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

“In this extraordinary moment, I am encouraged and deeply grateful that our faculty, as well as our staff and students, are rising to the challenge and working hard to ensure that we continue to provide our students with an exceptional education. As provost and a faculty member, I am heartened and humbled by the amazing spirit of cooperation and collaboration of our university community,” says Weber.