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ERIC Number: EJ1293825
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Navigating Challenges of Virtual Science Instruction during and beyond COVID-19
Touchet, Blake; Leonpacher, Lauren; Hitter, Heidi
Research Issues in Contemporary Education, v5 n3 p106-118 Fall 2020
This paper provides mentor teacher experiences involved with the planning, preparation, implementation, and reflection of a virtual mathematics and science summer camp in the summer of 2020. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual the summer camp was forced to pivot to a completely online format. Primary concerns discussed by mentor teachers included accessibility, Zoom meeting etiquette, selecting activities that used only household items, and student safety during the activities. Through weeks of collaborative planning, activity and lesson preparation, technology troubleshooting, and practice run-throughs, the team was able to implement a successfully engaging camp for sixty students. Informal feedback from participants revealed the efficiency of particular strategies, technologies, and activities that were implemented during the week. Setting clear norms and expectations for students during the sessions in general and clear objectives for each activity specifically were found to be essential. Strategic use of the breakout room function in Zoom to facilitate small group discussion and the private chat function to maintain communication with students who were not able to use audio/video technology was effective. Finally, the team found that it was necessary to emphasize flexibility in all aspects of the camp. This information can be used to refine practices for similar virtual science camps and may be able to inform practices in science classrooms in which K-12 learning remotely becomes necessary.
Louisiana Educational Research Association. e-mail: rice@leraweb.net; Web site: http://leraweb.net/ojs/index.php/rice
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Louisiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1439900
Author Affiliations: N/A