Program Agenda for "Teaching in Unprecedented Times: A Fall 2020 Showcase"
The Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, in partnership with Teaching and Learning Centers, is hosting this University-wide virtual event series to acknowledge this unprecedented semester.
Available 24/7
Tuesday, January 12: 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Plenary: “Teaching and Learning at Harvard: Looking Back, Looking Forward”
What will be the longer-term impact of 2020 on teaching and learning at Harvard? In our opening session we will have a chance to reflect as a community about the remote and hybrid experiences at Harvard in 2020, hearing from faculty colleagues who were on the frontlines of the teaching and learning transition. This session will focus on the lessons learned from the experiences over the past 9 months (challenges encountered, opportunities that surfaced, and experiments that were initiated), and look ahead to assess the longer-term implications of these experiences for teaching and learning at Harvard. Join in to contribute your perspectives, learn from your colleagues, and gather insights for online teaching this year and beyond.
Opening Remarks from Provost Alan Garber
Bharat Anand (moderator), Vice Provost for Advances in Learning (CADM); Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration (HBS)
Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Undergraduate Education; Samuel Zemurray Jr. and Doris Zemurray Stone Professor of English (FAS)
Srikant Datar, Dean of the Faculty; Senior Associate Dean for University Affairs; George F. Baker Professor of Administration (HBS)
Dan Levy, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS); author of Teaching Effectively with Zoom: A practical guide to engage your students and help them learn
Bridget Terry Long, Dean of Faculty; Saris Professor of Education and Economics (HGSE)
Wednesday, January 13: 10:00am - 11:15am
Online Community Building: Successes and Challenges
The abrupt switch to remote teaching presented an abundance of opportunities and unforeseen challenges. For many of us, it revealed an unfamiliar reality: building community in a fully online course involves a different approach and skillset than traditional face-to-face teaching. This session will showcase examples of community building strategies that went well and lessons learned from attempts that did not go as planned during the Fall 2020 semester. Participants in the session will hear tips, techniques, and cautions from Harvard faculty and students to better prepare them for the Spring 2021 semester.
Kerry Foley, Manager of Course Design (DCE)
Eddie Kohler, Microsoft Professor of Computer Science; Area Chair for Computer Science (SEAS)
Zoe Marks, Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS)
Rebecca Nesson (moderator), Associate Dean of the Harvard College Curriculum (FAS)
Patrice Torcivia Prusko, Associate Director of Learning Design (HGSE)
Madhvi Venkatesh, Lecturer on Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (HMS)
Christina "V" Villarreal, Director, Teacher Education Program; Lecturer on Education (HGSE)
Wednesday, January 13: 12:00pm - 1:15pm
Pandemic Problem-solving: Showcasing Tech Solutions to Teaching Challenges
Although the pandemic has brought entirely new teaching challenges and exacerbated long-standing problems, it has also been a catalyst for creative uses of technology. In part 1 of this session, we showcase tech-based solutions to challenges we've all faced during this pandemic. Stay for part 2 for an opportunity to break into smaller interest groups to explore solutions to the teaching challenges you're facing in your own work..
Gabe Abrams, Senior Software Engineer (DCE)
Annie Rota, Director, Academic Technology Group (FAS, HUIT)
Ian Tosh, Assistant Director of Educational Technology (HKS)
Wednesday, January 13: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Rethinking Assessment: What 2020 has taught us about assessment
The rapid transition to online teaching has led to a number of innovations in teaching, but far fewer in assessment - yet assessment is a central part of instruction. In this panel discussion, we will showcase novel approaches to assessment from across the University. During the Q&A, you will have the opportunity to rethink assessment and help enhance learning in your courses.
Molly Brady, Assistant Professor of Law (HLS)
Pinar Dogan, Lecturer in Public Policy (HKS)
Andrew Ho, Charles William Eliot Professor of Education (HGSE)
Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics; Director of the SEAS Learning Incubator (SEAS)
Thursday, January 14: 11:15am - 12:30pm
Creating a culture of feedback in the online classroom
This session will explore opportunities and challenges in fostering a culture of frequent student feedback in online courses. In particular, the session will showcase strategies used by faculty across Harvard to successfully elicit feedback in online courses and utilize it to inform real-time changes in their teaching practices. Examples will cover a range of topics where collecting and responding to student feedback is useful, such as strategies for managing Zoom fatigue, making break-outs rooms work for all learners, and fostering an inclusive learning environment.
Elizabeth City, Senior Lecturer on Education (HGSE)
Noelle Lopez, Assistant Director for Equity and Inclusion, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning (FAS)
Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy (HKS)
Carolyn Wood, Director for the Office of Educational Quality Improvement (HMS)
Thursday, January 14: 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Pedagogical Partnerships with Libraries and Museums
Despite limited access to our buildings, librarians, museum educators, and faculty have been partnering actively in the remote teaching and learning environment. Come to this session to get a picture of how these collaborations have worked in the classroom and have the opportunity to speak with panelists. We’ll walk you through a range of illustrative examples showcasing ways the libraries and museums have amplified student learning and engagement with our collections, digital tools and platforms, and customized learning supports.
Katherine Beaty, Rare Book Conservator, Preservation Services (Harvard Library)
Bonnie Burns, Head of Geospatial Resources, Harvard Map Collection (Harvard Library)
Fred Burchsted, Research Librarian, Services for Academic Programs (Harvard Library)
Ramona Crawford, Head of Academic Partnerships, Services for Academic Programs (Harvard Library)
Lainie Schultz, Academic Partnerships Coordinator, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Jen Thum, Assistant Director of Academic Engagement and Assistant Research Curator, Harvard Art Museums