Reflections on Online Teaching

I was honoured to be nominated for the 2022 Award for Excellence in Online Teaching. This past semester was incredibly challenging—students and faculty have become increasingly worn-out from COVID measures and it was apparent that people really needed to feel a sense of connection. In my online courses, I focus less on ‘technology fads’ and instead focus on developing a measure of intimate sharing with those in my class. I find it important to feature elements of humour, compassion, and also enthusiasm. This year, my course motto was “kind words, kind thoughts, kind eyes”. I believe that this nomination reflects that it is possible to create a strong sense of connection in an online environment.

Brenda smith-chant

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