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Thread on some experiences teaching online:
I just finished and uploaded the final lecture for this summer, and then kept wondering: how much stuff exactly were we putting out there during this pandemic semester?
So I added it up.
I just finished and uploaded the final lecture for this summer, and then kept wondering: how much stuff exactly were we putting out there during this pandemic semester?
So I added it up.
I taught two classes plus one session of a lecture series.
That& #39;s neither especially much nor especially little, in the grand scheme of things.
Many of my colleagues have a much higher teaching load, some have less.
That& #39;s neither especially much nor especially little, in the grand scheme of things.
Many of my colleagues have a much higher teaching load, some have less.
One class was an introductory lecture class. This took the vast majority of my time.
Re-working lectures so they work as videos is neither quick nor easy. Sometimes this took several days for just one.
I put all the lectures online for students to download.
Re-working lectures so they work as videos is neither quick nor easy. Sometimes this took several days for just one.
I put all the lectures online for students to download.
The other class was almost entirely discussion-based, with both synchronous (video calls) and asynchronous components (forum posts, etc.). I only made one entirely new video for this one.
For the lecture series I created two videos, all in all a bit more than an hour of new content.
I made some videos that would work for both of my regular classes with only minor re-edits.
I made some videos that would work for both of my regular classes with only minor re-edits.
When I added up all the content (only counting once the videos for both classes) it came out at 15 hours, 23 minutes, and 57 seconds.
I didn& #39;t know what that meant. So I searched around and found:
A typical 22-episode season of a one-hour TV drama runs 15 hours and 24 minutes.
I didn& #39;t know what that meant. So I searched around and found:
A typical 22-episode season of a one-hour TV drama runs 15 hours and 24 minutes.
I am not claiming these lectures and videos are nearly as complicated or have nearly the same production value as that, but:
I made a TV season& #39;s worth of content in four months, alone, with nothing but my laptop and a digital camera.
I made a TV season& #39;s worth of content in four months, alone, with nothing but my laptop and a digital camera.
And I& #39;m not special here.
Whether they& #39;ve produced special videos or podcasts, sat in hours and hours of Zoom meetings & classes, wrote new introductory texts, new syllabi, tended to LMSes, etc., my colleagues have created massive amounts of new content this summer.
Whether they& #39;ve produced special videos or podcasts, sat in hours and hours of Zoom meetings & classes, wrote new introductory texts, new syllabi, tended to LMSes, etc., my colleagues have created massive amounts of new content this summer.
They& #39;ve done this while juggling home life with work, contending with technology, less than ideal working spaces, slow internet speeds, family responsibilities, noisy neighbors, etc.
What& #39;s striking to me:
My university has a program through which scholars working there can apply to create one teaching video on a subject of their expertise that will then be made available to everyone teaching a similar topic.
My university has a program through which scholars working there can apply to create one teaching video on a subject of their expertise that will then be made available to everyone teaching a similar topic.
These are around 15 minutes long. Making one comes with the help of a whole media production team which supplies everything but the script.
When you& #39;re picked to do one, you get to teach one less class that semester.
When you& #39;re picked to do one, you get to teach one less class that semester.
You make one video. With a team. And you are given time off that equals pretty much half a postdoc& #39;s working load.
Our expectations have shifted massively in just four months.
Our expectations have shifted massively in just four months.
