Rethinking the first-year experience during COVID: Trading spaces, pedagogies, and technology
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a significant disruptor on university campuses worldwide, forcing rapid change in the use of physical spaces, teaching modalities and methods, and instructional technology. The pandemic is also expected to make a lasting impact on the readiness of incoming college students who have experienced similar disruptions in their K-12 education. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the forward-looking curricular innovations that one college is implementing in its first-year seminar to account for these emergent contextual realities. The primary innovations include the following: (1) Renovation of a general access computer lab into an active learning center as the home base for the first-year seminar. (2) Pivot to a blended instructional approach integrating online educational resources with engaging place-based, small group sessions. (3) Development of all new online content to be consistent with industry standards, using an accessible and mobile-friendly platform.
