Togetherness: the central tenet of an effective institutional online pivot

Bellamy, G. , Brown, R. , Cleland Woods, H. , Labrosse, N. , Senn, H. , Singer, J. and Vezza, M. (2021) Togetherness: the central tenet of an effective institutional online pivot. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 9(2), pp. 82-90. (doi: 10.14297/jpaap.v9i2.491)

Abstract

This case study explores a collective response to the challenges of learning and teaching within the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The College comprises seven diverse schools, each of which has a rich and heterogeneous pedagogical culture. As soon as national lockdown commenced, we identified an immediate priority to devise and implement a flexible approach to learning and teaching for the incoming academic year.Flexibility was an inherent requirement of our approach because of the uncertainties we facedin terms of changing government guidance which dictated student travel and presence on campus in Glasgow. This led to considerations such as whether students were able to connect andengage remotely worldwide. This narrative report presents our institutional strategy over nine months, from the formation of an interdisciplinary flexible learning committee, through the various stages of planning, to the successful delivery of a semesterof remote teaching. We explore various factors that contributed to this positive outcome. Activities to support our institutional pivot include: (1) developing exemplar specifications for model courses; (2)trialling early adoption of new technology platforms; (3) mediating central messaging to each teaching unit; (4) sharing good practice within and between teaching units; (5) developing remote labs; (6) incorporating student experience in a dynamic feedback loop; and (7) supporting student wellbeing. Thecommon theme running through these activities is the sense of a ‘campus collective’ with a ‘distributed leadership’ model.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic response, remote pivot, learning strategy.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Senn, Dr Hans and Brown, Professor Roderick and Vezza, Dr Marco and Bellamy, Professor Gwyn and Labrosse, Dr Nicolas and Singer, Dr Jeremy and Cleland Woods, Heather
• Authors: Bellamy, G., Brown, R., Cleland Woods, H., Labrosse, N., Senn, H., Singer, J., and Vezza, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Chemistry; College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science; College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity; College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences; College of Science and Engineering > School of Mathematics and Statistics > Mathematics; College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy; College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology
• Journal Name: Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice
• Publisher: Edinburgh Napier University
• ISSN: 2051-9788
• ISSN (Online): 2051-9788
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice
• First Published: First published in Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice 9(2): 82-90
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License