Manchester test

Abstract

When the Coronavirus reached the United States, many colleges had little time to transition from on-ground courses to completely virtual classes. For the most part, faculty and students at Wright College had chosen to teach and learn traditionally: in the classroom, with a professor and other students, sharing a physical space. Because of our student population, many of our students lacked the technology and infrastructure to easily transition. These are the same students for whom a college degree will impact their own lives, certainly, but most especially their family’s life. Through some extraordinary support from donors and unstinting efforts on the part of faculty and administration, the semester concluded with “success,” meaning most students persisted. What was lost and what was gained in this transition? Through a focus on three classes—an acting class, a geography class, and an advanced level undergraduate biology class—this presentation will share the strategies of a successful rapid transition to online learning, but more important the paper will share how the ways in which the humanity and compassion for others brought about deep and lasting learning, for both faculty and students. The different disciplines illustrate some common features while emphasizing how the use of technology and the very aspects of the disciplines (performance, interactions with the physical space, and experimentation) contributed to the teaching and learning experience.