Wrapping Up
Ending your online class well
The COVID-19 virus has presented us with a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. You are now winding down from the unanticipated transition to an online learning environment. For many of us and our students, this has been an adjustment to unfamiliar territory, using new or novice skills, including fostering of inclusivity in the online context. Now, it is time to finish the semester, being mindful of ensuring that all continue to feel a sense of belonging as you wrap up.
Process the experience together
Process the experience together
The abrupt transition to online classes has resulted in changes with significant impact on students. They have shared that separation from their peers and faculty is difficult. Many of them will be completing programs and graduating, losing the opportunity to fully experience this major life milestone. As faculty, we have the opportunity to help students process these issues of separation, loss and their concerns for the present and future, as well as to highlight their positive achievements in this learning context. Here are some suggested processing activities:
- Create space to process the learning journey you have been on together Explore: Where did you start? Where are you now? What were the memorable markers along the way?
- Highlight the transformational development that has occurred. Explore: What are the lessons learned? How have you grown? How have you grown as a learning community?
- Activities: Think-Pair-Share. Reflective journaling. Complete sentence stem in CHAT feature: “What (happened)? So what? Now what?” reflection
Planning for what lies ahead
Planning for what lies ahead
Planning in uncertain times
- Reassurance that courses and clinical will happen.
- Understand that some students will experience greater impact from the pandemic à connect with resources.*
- Focus on competence and resilience. “We can do this in this new kind of engagement.”
- Support agency in making plans
“Staying close” to students
- Reinforce a sense of community that transcends the pandemic.
- Invite continued engagement.
- Be aware of students who are not hooked in and reach out.
- Work together on virtual substitutes to maintain cohort engagement.
- Encourage outreach to students who may feel excluded in this new context.
Celebration
Celebration
This has been a tough year with many disruptions and uncertainty. There have also been so many positives in the way that faculty and staff kicked into high gear to maintain excellence and inclusion in the online learning environment. It is important to mark this important milestone and achievement.
Resources
