In a new article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lauren N. Henley shares her perspective as a professor who learned how to teach for the first time during a global pandemic. One essential part of her experience? Implementing Packback as a way to save time and engage with students on more meaningful level.
In a year marked by constant change, higher education stands to learn a great deal from one group in particular: the post-pandemic generation of faculty.
In a new article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lauren N. Henley, assistant professor of leadership studies in the University of Richmond’s Jepson School, shares how becoming a professor during a global pandemic helped to shaped her best practices as an instructor, and how takeaways from her experience can inform the future of higher education.
Rethinking traditional grading, embracing new and innovative technology, and taking extra care to recognize students’ humanity are among the lessons Henley shares in the article as essential to shaping the way we teach college students moving forward.
“Embrace the best of technology. I know from firsthand experience that the pandemic made many academics feel like they had to become tech experts overnight. That pressure had a polarizing effect. Some instructors scrambled to adopt as many tools as possible; others eschewed any tech that wasn’t absolutely necessary and struggled with the basics of Zoom […]
That preference will be different for everyone. For me, it was Packback, a platform that facilitates inquiry-based online discussions. It helped me save time on the rote parts of assessment in order to engage with students on deeper and more meaningful work.”
An excerpt from “What It’s Like to Start Your First Faculty Job in a Pandemic”
Read the full article from The Chronicle of Higher Education
