Reflections on Pivoting to Distance Learning: Lorna O’Ngesa

“Pivoting to distance learning has helped me to discover new talents and skills I didn’t know that I have!”

I have been a face-to-face instructor for quite some time and everyday I applied the same pedagogical skills, but with the pandemic I shifted gears and learned how to be an online teacher. At the beginning, it was not easy as both instructors and students were trying to navigate how distance learning works. I got used to it quickly though and it helped me to discover certain skills I didn’t know that I have. I found using these skills in my class was so fulfilling, and it was fun learning how to use systems that I had never heard of before.

Every new experience comes with it’s own challenges and there are certainly challenges with teaching in a distance learning modality. One of the challenges I faced at the beginning was students’ time management, as students would come online a little late. Yet understanding that it was new to them and that they were trying to figure out things like the internet, home responsibilities, and so many other things was paramount to us as instructors. Listening to their concerns and providing psychological support really helped a lot and we saw students adapting quickly and starting to show up on time.

Another key learning was communication management. Our Learning Management tool is Canvas, but students preferred to use WhatsApp as it doesn’t require too much bandwidth. I wanted to ensure my students remained engaged and participating, so I was flexible and connected with my students via WhatsApp for easy communication. We also used Padlet, Gmail and SMS to supplement Canvas. By using a range of different tools, students could get any help they needed on time.

Although it’s not easy to be on all apps and staying connected all day, distance learning has been a great journey. I am so grateful to my students for embracing distance learning, adapting so fast to the new systems, and for the positive energy they bring to class everyday. They made me enjoy this ride and I learned a lot from them. Instructing has never been this fun!

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