Student Perspectives and Faculty Resources: COVID-19 Learning

The goal of this web page is to provide faculty resources, students perspectives, and other helpful tips amidst online learning.  

1. Student Perspective on Online Learning

Student Perspectives on COVID-19 Learning PowerPoint [PDF]

This PowerPoint presentation contains interviews from EMU students, staff, and faculty in regards to student perspectives and needs during online learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources and tips are provided in regards to responses. 

Eastern Echo - EMU Students Adjust to Life During a Pandemic

In the wake of the pandemic, students face numerous challenges. This article is from April, but it still represents the student opinions that many have now. 

Educause - Dear Professors: Don't Let Student Webcams Trick You

Instructors who teach live online classes should thoughtfully consider whether to require students to use their webcams during class.

Educause - What Incoming First-Year Students Want Online Learning to Be

A college professor and a high school senior asked college-bound seniors who were finishing high school under quarantine in the spring of 2020 what they want their first semester of college to be as it begins online. Student survey of their last year of high school is included, and a section with faculty suggestions. 

Inside Higher Ed - Grading for a Pandemic

This article has insight from EMU English Professor Steven D. Krause on how lenient professors should be with students right now in terms of grading. 

2. How to be Better While Being Remote

Rice University - Inclusion, Equity, and Access While Teaching Remotely 

This article gives some insight on how to sustain an equitable and inclusive class while teaching remotely in these uncertain times. This article discusses tips for those instructing classes, but it also informs instructors on things that students are going through during this time, their needs, and ways to help them succeed. 

Oakland University - Being Human Online During COVID-19

This article talks more about how to be personable online, especially during COVID-19. It gives advice on how to structure a course while seeing how students are doing with themselves, and the course itself. 

The Chronicle - The Secret Weapon of Good Online Teaching: Discussion Forums

Six ways to lead meaningful class discussions in an online asynchronous forum. This article shows some of the benefits of having an online forum discussion that can be helpful and provide interaction to students and the professor. 

Eastern Echo - Advice from EMU Professors on How to Survive a Semester Online

Six EMU professors hosted an online seminar, "Let's Talk About Online Learning," on Thursday, August 27, 2020 to answer questions and acknowledge the difficulties that students may face during a virtual fall 2020 semester. 

3. Digital "Toolbox" 

These are some tools that may be new or familiar to you that you may want to utilize as a faculty member. 

Quizlet for study help

Flashcards, games, and review tools. 

Flipgrid for video discussion

I used this on my first day of class to introduce myself. It is a way to provide a video response. 

Padlet for collaboration

A way to have a discussion board. This can be anonymous. 

Anchor for podcasts

A great way to record podcasts for students. I know a lot of faculty like to post virtual lectures, so this might be another alternative to that. 

Newsela for organizing resources

Great for K-12 resources, many news articles and current events. This may great for the education department and their students. A library of non-fiction texts across different subjects.

Canva for making digital posters, flyers and other creative content

It can be difficult to modify a Google Doc, but Canva makes it easy with its formatting. There are many templates to utilize too. It is great for digital design.

Loom for demonstrating and communicating

Free screencasting software, this is a great way to create a video and show web pages as needed.

Animoto for video making 

Drag and drop video maker. This is a cloud based video creation service that produces videos from photos, video clips, and music into video slideshows and web based presentations. 

Quizizz for quiz making

This is very similar to Kahoot. Kahoot can cause issues for some such as being hacked by other students, so this is an alternative option.

Chegg Prep for virtual flash cards 

Free service for students where they can find, create, share, and study flashcards for any subject without a monthly subscription. Includes 20M+ flashcards that are already created, for students to study or use in their own flashcard decks. 

4. Advice on Feeling "Burnt Out"

Inside Higher-Ed - Beating Pandemic Burnout

This article focuses on purpose and compassion, which can help you cope with challenges in times of uncertainty. The author of this article, Rebecca Pope-Ruark, talks about her own experience of feeling "burnt out," and ways to combat this during the pandemic. 

University of Nebraska Medical Center Faculty Development - How to Mitigate and Combat "Zoom Fatigue" in the Online Classroom

The feeling of "Zoom fatigue" is explained throughout this article, and ways to help educators feel less of this during online learning, and help online learners feel the same.

5. Separating Work and Personal Life 

YouTube - Work Life Balance

This video discusses the importance of being well rounded at multiple tasks, rather than a complete professional and expert at one singular task. It says we may feel behind and less adequate due to not being so perfect at so many areas of our lives. We have chosen a breaths of variety over total focus and narrow perfection.

Glassdoor - How to Achieve Work Life Balance When Working Remotely

This provides eleven tips to achieve work-life balance when working remotely. Also, it provides ways to try and stay motivated, stability, and how to find a positive balance while working at home and produce better work. 

YouTube - STAY STRONG - Relationships: Managing Work, Life, and COVID-19

This video is from the Montefiore Health system from Dr. Simon Rego, a chief psychologist. He gives tips on how to keep focused and maintain a healthy balance during COVID-19. Reminding us to be gentle with ourselves, and give ourselves time to adjust and learn every day. 

Flexjobs - Attaining Work-Life Balance and Productivity When You Work From Home

How to increase productivity with a positive work-life balance from home. Eight steps for achieving a stronger work life balance and productivity. Making work-life balance when working from home is ia priority to have.

YouTube - How to Actually Work...When You're Working From Home

From the Harvard Business review, it informs us that a lot of people are having a hard time staying motivated while working remotely, especially right now, as it is mostly not by choice. This talks about how to set boundaries for yourself and create a successful work environment at home. 

Harvard Business Review - How to Stay Focused When You're Working From Home

It can be hard to focus while working remotely, and this article talks about the struggles of that and some tips to help resolve it, and get more work done. This article was linked from the YouTube video above.