Every year, the Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Awards celebrate teachers and teams that have applied innovative thinking in their support of student success.
This year innovative thinking is something that has been thrust upon us, with COVID-19 requiring us all to adjust the way we do our work. Academic staff in particular have had a mammoth task, with all four faculties doing an outstanding job in moving to online delivery of units and minimising disruption to students.
We spoke to Associate Professor Michael Volkov in the Macquarie Business School about how he is applying innovative thinking to his online delivery of MKTG1001 Marketing Fundamentals.
How did you approach the task of transitioning to fully online delivery?
Online delivery still requires the same student-centred focus as face-to-face and blended teaching – so nothing has changed in that respect. The key principles guiding our transition were that learning should be:
- active and collaborative;
- inclusive and accessible;
- activity focused;
- feedback focused; and
- social.
The support and guidance from colleagues in the Department of Marketing and within my teaching teams has been wonderful. Further, the Business School’s Learning and Teaching team has been invaluable. They purpose-built the MQBS Online Delivery Toolkit – a wonderful initiative which has led the way for us all in MQBS.
What is your measure of success in online teaching?
Success is about so much more than a mere mark or grade. To me, it’s creating a safe, positive, accessible and inclusive online learning environment. One in which I can work with the students and we can co-create a motivating and engaging experience that enables them to realise their potential… hopefully while having fun.
How are you keeping students engaged?
I’m mindful that not every student is going to have access to high-level, reliable technology. And with changed living conditions and caring responsibilities, some may not have a quiet, private place to learn.
So, I use a combination of asynchronous and optional synchronous tools so that students all have the ability to engage with the material, as well as with the teaching team and with each other. The asynchronous tools we’ve provided on the iLearn site include short videos, pre-recorded AV material, interactive discussion boards, directed readings and quizzes. These allow students to engage and learn at a time, place and pace that suits them.
How are you approaching student support?
Students are understandably anxious right now, so the most powerful tools I have at my disposal as a teacher at this time are kindness, understanding and flexibility.
Regular and clear communication reduces isolation and ensures students are aware of the requirements, expectations and their responsibilities in their studies. I use a variety of communications tools such as regular iLearn announcements, email, live Zoom sessions, phone calls – whatever works best for my students.
Linking students with support services around the University is also vital. Teams like the Learning Skills Unit, PAL, the Library, careers service, student advisors, health and wellbeing, counselling services… they’re all working harder than ever to help our students.
What feedback are you getting from your students? How are you working to address their frustrations or challenges?
The two challenges students are most often telling me about are managing their time and staying motivated.
One way I’m supporting them to progress – which they seem to appreciate – is breaking down the required learning into smaller pieces they can navigate through in a step-by-step way.
Students are telling me they’re motivated to complete the Unit’s assessment task because we’ve designed it to be challenging, authentic and aligned with what would be expected in a professional marketing context.
What are you finding to be the biggest challenge of teaching and working from home?
The lack of socialisation – I am quite extroverted, so I miss the personal interactions with my students and colleagues. Zoom and other technologies are great tools that we can use to bridge these social barriers, but they’re not the same.
Macquarie’s own Student Success Framework says a ‘growth mindset’ is an essential principle for success. How are you personally applying a growth mindset through this challenging time?
I feel so fortunate to be working within a higher education institution – and this is particularly true right now. I’m learning every day, and as an educator I’ve been able to work with my students to co-create our learning experience and continually reflect on our performance and outcomes.
These difficult times have helped us develop greater resilience and remind us that everything we do is a learning opportunity.
Nominations for the Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Awards are now open.
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