Fort Schuyler Magazine Fall 2020

INSTRUCTION T eaching during a pandemic was once unheard of to Maritime College faculty. Many course such as labs are more effective when taught in person. It is this experiential learning that has set the College apart from other institutions of higher education. When COVID-19 interrupted in-class learning, Maritime College faculty began to creatively plan for teaching in the fall semester. Kathy Olszewski, Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Science Department worked with her department to determine how teaching would be implemented in the fall. She was aware of the importance of keeping students safe while maintaining the quality of the courses. “I advised faculty in the department to incorporate as much synchronous learning as possible,” she stated. “Learning can take many different forms. In my classes, I have half of the class in front of me and half of the class on Zoom simultaneously.” This method allowed any students who needed to quarantine, to participate remotely. Other faculty took on different approaches, all of which have been approved by Olszewski. Some may have a portion of the class in person, and another portion of the class online (asynchronous). Science labs have been more challenging as the essence of labs are the hands-on component and the maximum number of students allowed in a class is nine. Olszewski has instituted virtual labs in her class. Utilizing a combination of a chemistry platform and in-person experiments, which she believes has been beneficial to students. In the spring semester, faculty varied in their level of technological expertise and use of the College’s online teaching platform Blackboard. Over the summer, faculty took time to become familiarized with the online learning technology in preparation for the fall semester. “My knowledge is immensely greater than it was at the end of the spring semester. It’s something I won’t lose even when COVID is no longer a health issue. We now know ways to incorporate these types of platforms in learning.”

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