Text: Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement, University of Macau 澳門大學教與學優化中心

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, faculty members and students at the University of Macau (UM) have adapted to online and subsequently hybrid modes of teaching and learning. Three semesters have passed since then; this article shares how the UM teaching and learning community has embraced online and hybrid forms of teaching during this period and how, in doing so, we have become more effective and versatile teachers.

In February 2020, the pandemic brought about an abrupt shift of all in-person courses at the University to a fully online environment. To facilitate the transition, the Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement (CTLE) at UM worked closely with different academic and administrative units at UM to prepare professors and instructors to revamp their delivery approaches; significant efforts by all were undertaken to address pedagogical and course delivery issues in the new online teaching environment. At the start of the pandemic in Macao, colleagues at the Centre worked tirelessly to organise workshops, produce demonstration videos and quick-start guides and publish blog posts, all tailor-made for the needs of UM faculty members.

It was evident that to jumpstart the transition to fully online courses, faculty members who were unaccustomed to teaching online were going to need ongoing guidance and timely advice. Initially, to better prepare faculty members to teach online in early February 2020, the Centre produced numerous quick-start guides and informative blog posts on software and tools such as Zoom, a video-conferencing platform, and the course management system used at UM. With mid-term exams fast approaching, the Centre’s dissemination of essential information was followed by an online Faculty Professional Development Workshop on community building and online assessment, in which UM faculty members explored practical ways to solve challenges that arose, including increasing active participation in online courses, conducting effective online assessments and assessing the challenges learners encountered in the shift to online classes.

Blog posts on the Centre’s website proved to be an effective way to provide timely advice and information. In one popular blog post entitled “Our Eyes and Our Screen Time”, Prof Katrine Wong identified tips on how to take care of one’s eyes and provided links to resources on well-being. Likewise, UM’s Student Affairs Office promoted its counselling services and related resources for staff and students. Granted the pandemic has been a stressful period for instructors and students, it is reassuring to learn that researchers from UM and Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) found in a study of Macao residents that the majority were in a stable mental state [1]. These same researchers remind us that as the epidemic continues, individuals should continue to pay attention to their emotional and mental health changes and reach out for assistance when it is needed.

To better understand challenges teachers encountered when teaching online, as well as their experience when using Zoom for teaching and learning purposes, a quick survey was conducted by CTLE in March 2020. Insightful feedback from 138 professors and instructors was collected and revealed examples of more engaging teaching practices. One common way in which UM teachers successfully engaged learners in online course was using the chat function in Zoom. In addition, feedback indicated that the integration of Zoom with the University’s course management system helped students keep on top of their coursework and assignments. While the video-conferencing system was used extensively to teach online, faculty members also found that teaching using Zoom presented unique technical and pedagogical challenges. It was reported that unstable Internet connections and a lack of appropriate equipment, such as headsets with microphones, posed a significant challenge to providing high-quality instruction.

The Spring 2020 semester concluded with an online workshop in which colleagues reflected on how to adapt to a fully online teaching environment. Insights from faculty members revealed innovative strategies on how to best conduct online courses using a variety of teaching approaches, video-conferencing tools and activities within the campus learning management system. Participants mentioned that the pandemic led to a dramatic increase in the use of video-conferencing, which in turn facilitated more frequent use of online office hours with their students. It was evident that to ensure that online courses were on par with face-to-face courses, faculty members at UM had dedicated themselves to accommodating different learning needs in their teaching practices.

Besides, to help UM community understand undergraduate and postgraduate students’ experiences with online learning, a student feedback survey was conducted in June 2020. 746 responses were received. Major issues commonly faced by students during online learning were unstable internet connections, troubles with teachers’ delivery of teaching materials and lack of study spaces and devices.

In the new academic year of 2020/2021, fresh challenges unfolded as some students, unfortunately, could not return to Macao owing to anti-pandemic measures. Faculty members who had students who were outside of Macao in their courses were charged with the task of simultaneously teaching students who were in the classroom and online. This hybrid-mode of teaching ensured that students who were outside of Macao could begin or continue their studies. What is more, it was found that a hybrid-mode of teaching was more effective when there was clear audio input from classroom microphone. Consequently, all classrooms have been upgraded with microphone systems which integrate with the video-conferencing system.

Collaborative professional development events are held regularly to assist faculty members in brushing up their technology-enhanced teaching skills. In Summer 2020, the Centre held a 7-part series, ‘Tech-Enhanced Teaching and Learning Meet-ups’, which provided colleagues opportunities to share practical teaching and assessment strategies activities. Participants shared best practices on how to utilize asynchronous discussion forums, online polls, quizzes and many more tools to enhance teaching and learning in their courses. Tools that facilitate technology-enhanced teaching are integral to online teaching and assessment, and teachers at UM have demonstrated a willingness to explore educational technologies and make effective use of online resources and tools in their hybrid courses.

The commitment by faculty members to upgrading their teaching approaches and strategies for online and hybrid-modes of teaching in the last 18 months has been tremendous. Over 450 colleagues participated in online, hybrid and in-person professional development activities which were organized by CTLE of the University of Macau. In addition, CTLE colleagues showcased the dedication prevalent in the teaching community by sharing their knowledge and teaching experiences at events and in blog posts on a campus website, ctle.um.edu.mo, which is available to the public.

UM faculty members and students have weathered through three unusual semesters and have become more fluent in technology-enhanced teaching and learning. Armed with newly-gained knowledge and accompanied by regular professional development events and blog posts from CTLE, as well as timely dissemination of health and safety advice [2] and information on emotional and mental health [3], the UM community prepares itself for what could yet be another extraordinary semester.

[1] https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/51415/

[2] https://hseo.um.edu.mo/health-and-safety-advice-during-the-anti-epidemic-period

[3] https://www.um.edu.mo/sao/scs/sc/resources/en/scs_self-help_resources.php

Source: DSEDJ (link)