During the Pandemic, many activities pivoted online. Now that we can return to face-to-face, what should we keep doing virtually? This session will share decision making matrices and qualitative considerations when planning and communicating about what should stay, what should go, and what should be revised in the new normal.
Session Outcomes/Key Takeaways:
By the end of this education session, participants will be able to:
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Implement a matrix as a data-based decision-making process that includes the human element to determine levels of use, impact and concerns for innovations.
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Identify projects and processes that should remain online, revert back to face-to-face or be improved or revised.
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Explore communication strategies to highlight the importance of faculty support teams for designing and implementing online/virtual events and content
Topic Description:
The COVID-19 pandemic forced colleges to pivot to online instruction for everything almost overnight. Many faculty, instructional designers and technologists were key players in this rapid modality switch. Now that we can again work and learn face-to-face, what should we keep doing virtually?
Institutional leaders frequently use matrices and reports that support data-driven decision making to guide the complex processes of integration of new tools or methods. This session will share specialized decision making matrices and processes that can help participants begin to think through what materials, tools, and techniques they want to proceed with or jettison as they return to face-to-face teaching. These matrices and processes are designed specifically to help educators determine, levels of use and the impact of their instructional innovation as well as to identify concerns that may have arisen when using them and ideas for improving them in the future.
While data has its place in making decisions about moving forward with innovations, an often overlooked factor in the decision making process is the human element...the people in the trenches. When considering what should stay and what should go, we also need to assess unique attitudes, beliefs, and experiences (Hall and Hord, 2015) of those who have contributed to successful innovations. This session will explore ways to bring this human element into the decision-making process in order to help gain consensus on what should stay, what should go, and what should be revised for teaching in the new normal. The session will also cover ways to promote clear communication about successful innovations in teaching and learning in ways that highlight the value of instructional support teams for designing and implementing online/virtual events and content.
The presenters will share examples of their own innovations during COVID as well as how those innovations “measure up” using the decision making tools. Projects to be shared include:
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Brown Bags
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Course development projects
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Signature learning experiences
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Faculty Development for continuing education credits
Plans for Interactivity:
In order to help participants use such tools to make data informed decisions and communicate value, the presenters will provide them an opportunity to experience the process. Using what they have learned about data-driven decision making tools, they will start the development of their own matrix based on their context to develop a case on what to preserve into the new normal. Participants will consider how they want to communicate about their experiences during the pivot to online and what will stay and what will go. There will be time set aside for questions and sharing.
Reference:
Hall, G. E., & Hord, S. M. (2015). Implementing change: Patterns, principles and potholes (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.