{"id":9112,"date":"2021-03-20T09:28:43","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T09:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=9112"},"modified":"2021-03-22T14:27:10","modified_gmt":"2021-03-22T14:27:10","slug":"pandemic-pedagogy-in-praise-of-collaboration-and-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2021\/03\/pandemic-pedagogy-in-praise-of-collaboration-and-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"Pandemic pedagogy: in praise of collaboration and compassion."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Samantha Ahern is Faculty Learning Technology Lead at University College London. She wrote to the blog to share her reflections on learning technology developments during the covid pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samantha writes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In responding to the pandemic and how it has impacted higher education, now more than ever there has been a need for and move toward collaboration and partnerships within our institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The academic mission has only been made possible by these collaborations. Educational developers working with digital education and faculty teams, supported by underpinning Professional Services. Certainly, my role as a faculty learning technology lead would not be possible without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been a tough year for everyone. I am saddened by some recent articles criticising faculty for not embracing new technologies or not seeing them as creators of learning content and materials. Because in my experience this is just not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, there are always some colleagues who take more of a tortoise approach to developing their digital pedagogy. And there are also those that are hares, always trying something new, pushing boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the most important thing is that is that whatever approach they take, it\u2019s considered. It\u2019s pedagogy rather than technology driven. It is accessible in both senses of the term for all students so that they have an equitable learning experience, and it is ethical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, there are some amazing technologies that are becoming available to us, and some have great promise. But are they the right thing, at the right time for the right reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s too easy to see many modern learning technologies and digital platforms as mere tools, instruments for our use. But they are more than that. They are human made, constructed into them are their creators ideas of what education should be, how it should be moulded, what is important and crucially all our biases conscious and sub-conscious. I am never in a rush to adopt the latest shiny new thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong. There are platforms, equity considerations and approaches to designing blended and online learning that I would like faculty colleagues to engage with. But much like our students I know that they are in a different place in their learning and development. I choose what to champion and when, based on my knowledge of them and their needs. I identify what is the one thing I would like them to focus on. There are many things I could ask them to adjust, tweak, and change. But in know that it\u2019s not always appropriate. I hope my interactions, support and interventions are compassionate and empowering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been heartened by the efforts of all colleagues. Particularly by the ownership of online learning spaces and the desire to create good learning experiences for students. Those who teach and support teaching activities have always been both content creators and curators. For many this year, the types of content they have created and the considerations that requires have been completely new. Not only has a new way of thinking been required, but also a new way of doing and in very short space of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really hope that these collaborations, experimentations and pedagogic re-evaluations \/ considerations will continue post pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes, maybe, things have not been approached in the way they would have been by a learning design expert or specialist content creator? But, so what. Instead of criticising colleagues for what they aren\u2019t doing, why not celebrate them for what they have done and support them in continuing to do so.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samantha’s approach to learning design is shared in this blog post <\/a> and she clearly believes in the importance of putting people before processes. She also writes this about digital wellbeing<\/a> and shares practical advice about coping during covid. <\/p>\n\n\n

Samantha Ahern (FHEA, ACMALT)
\nFaculty Learning Technology Lead (Bartlett),
\nDigital Education, Information Services Division, University College London
\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Samantha<\/a>
Samantha Aherne @2standandstare<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

If you enjoyed reading this article we invite you to join the Association for Learning Technology (ALT)<\/a> as an individual member, and to encourage your own organisation to join ALT as an organisational or sponsoring member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Samantha Ahern is Faculty Learning Technology Lead at University College London. She wrote to the blog to share her reflections on learning technology developments during the covid pandemic. Samantha writes: “In responding to the pandemic and how it has impacted higher education, now more than ever there has been a need for and move toward […]","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":9139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[774,1401],"class_list":["post-9112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-my-opinion","tag-community","tag-samantha-ahern"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2021\/03\/elena-mozhvilo-I9CwZchCIqA-unsplash-1.jpg?fit=600%2C399&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9869,"url":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2022\/01\/developing-an-anti-racism-toolkit-for-technology-enhanced-learning-seeking-your-feedback\/","url_meta":{"origin":9112,"position":0},"title":"Developing an anti-racism toolkit for technology-enhanced learning: Seeking your feedback","author":"Christina Vines","date":"18 January 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Samantha Ahern, Faculty Learning Technology Lead (Bartlett), UCL Alistair Cooper, Educational Technologist, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge Coco Nijhoff, Senior Teaching Fellow (Library Services), Imperial College London Following on from our presentation on the 15th of December at the ALT winter conference, we would like to invite ALT\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Anti-Racism and Learning Technology SIG"","block_context":{"text":"Anti-Racism and Learning Technology SIG","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/category\/anti-racism-sig\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2022\/01\/LT-at-the-core-people-only-widescreen.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2022\/01\/LT-at-the-core-people-only-widescreen.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2022\/01\/LT-at-the-core-people-only-widescreen.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2022\/01\/LT-at-the-core-people-only-widescreen.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12392,"url":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2024\/08\/how-the-pandemic-changed-your-job-academic-perceptions-of-e-learning-after-covid-19-and-how-to-change-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":9112,"position":1},"title":"How the Pandemic Changed Your Job: Academic Perceptions of E-Learning after COVID-19 (and How to Change Them)","author":"Debayan Dey","date":"6 August 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary The definition of e-learning teams has evolved since the early 2000s (Joyce and Lisewski, 2003). In my roles as an E-Learning Technologist, Technology Enhanced Learning Advisor (TELA), and Digital Education Specialist, I've witnessed these changes firsthand. Until the COVID-19 Pandemic the factors affecting the role had generally been internal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Innovative practice"","block_context":{"text":"Innovative practice","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/category\/innovative-practice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Andrew Larner will be discussing this research at ALTC24","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-Blog-Cover-700-%C3%97-216px-8.png?fit=700%2C216&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-Blog-Cover-700-%C3%97-216px-8.png?fit=700%2C216&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-Blog-Cover-700-%C3%97-216px-8.png?fit=700%2C216&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-Blog-Cover-700-%C3%97-216px-8.png?fit=700%2C216&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9157,"url":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2021\/04\/the-anti-racism-learning-technology-community-of-practice-guidance-for-content-developers-part-2-of-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":9112,"position":2},"title":"The Anti-Racism & Learning Technology Community of Practice: Guidance for Content Developers -Part 2 of 4","author":"Monica Chavez","date":"12 April 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s time to start thinking about anti-racist content for technology-enhanced learning Introduction We are writing from one of three subgroups within the recently formed Anti-racism & Learning Technology Community of Practice (AR<CoP). This sub-group aims to explore practical ways to examine and interrogate digital content in the curriculum through the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Anti-Racism and Learning Technology SIG"","block_context":{"text":"Anti-Racism and Learning Technology SIG","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/category\/anti-racism-sig\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2021\/04\/integration-1777538_1920-e1618234391889.jpg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2021\/04\/integration-1777538_1920-e1618234391889.jpg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2021\/04\/integration-1777538_1920-e1618234391889.jpg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2021\/04\/integration-1777538_1920-e1618234391889.jpg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1112\/2021\/04\/integration-1777538_1920-e1618234391889.jpg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10692,"url":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2023\/02\/top-10-for-2022-research-in-learning-technology-journal\/","url_meta":{"origin":9112,"position":3},"title":"Top 10 for 2022: Research in Learning Technology Journal","author":"Fiona Jones","date":"6 February 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"After a successful year for the Research in Learning Technology Journal, here is a brief summary of the top ten most downloaded articles in 2022. 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