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Disruption sparks innovation: professors go digital for their students

four instructors in a conference room learning to work online
From left to right: Sarah Haight, Don Plumlee, Krishna Pakala, Mahmood Mamivand

In response to the university’s day-long exercise holding all in-person classes online on March 13, professors are using innovative methods to reach their students virtually. Mechanical and biomedical engineering faculty Sarah Haight, Krishna Pakala, Don Plumlee and many others from colleges and departments across campus worked together to create and maintain as much of a “classroom feel” as possible for students.

For example, Pakala synced up tablets and laptops to host his classes, which had the capacity to allow for 300 viewers online and 40 in-person participants:

Today at Noon. I can have up to 300 folks online and about 40 in person (MEC 114). See you there online or in-person. Everyone is welcome: BoiseState Twitter Zoom Link @1KrishnaPakala

— Krishna Pakala (@1KrishnaPakala) March 13, 2020

A group of peer educators also used online platforms to conduct sessions, like student Sam Reed, who teaches machine design and graduate student Nardos Ashenafi, who teaches systems modeling and control. Pakala highlighted their work “going digital” in a Twitter thread:

Nardos Ashenafi teaching systems modeling and control
Nardos Ashenafi, peer educator, teaching systems modeling and control.

Edoardo Serra, an assistant professor in computer science, taught his first online class and received glowing feedback from his students.

Today my first online class (CS534 Machine Learning w/ 29 students). I did this with @zoom_us and @NotabilityApp (for Ipad). I recommend 2 devices connected to Zoom. The Ipad as whiteboard/slides, and laptop to monitor the students. According an online survey, it was successful! pic.twitter.com/wkjS9iWp7Y

— Edoardo (@serraedoardo) March 12, 2020

Michal Temkin Martinez, an associate professor in the English department, also weighed in on the university’s adaptive approach to prepare for situations where classes must be moved online.

It’s been a trying week (month?), but this morning I woke up feeling so much gratitude for the thoughtful support from my institution’s leadership, as well as for colleagues at @BoiseState and in my field for sharing resources and talents! https://t.co/x7yUbM5C4c

— Michal TM (@BSULinguist) March 13, 2020

 

Campus updates on COVID-19 can be viewed at go.boisestate.edu/coronavirus-response.