“A More Personal Way to Learn During Such an Isolating Time”: The Value of Live Lectures in Online Teaching

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.1781

Keywords:

online teaching, COVID-19, synchronous lectures, student engagement, qualitative methodology

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a shift to online teaching, which has dramatically affected all facets of the student experience. In this practice report, we reflect on the synchronous delivery of a popular final-year module “Face Perception” in a United Kingdom (UK) psychology undergraduate degree. In the module, students learned via live lectures hosted on the virtual learning environment and content was consolidated interactively using online polls and small group discussions. We collected students’ qualitative feedback on the live lecture delivery (n=28), from which we observed three core themes: technology-enhanced engagement, logistical barriers, and togetherness in live lectures. Taken together, this feedback suggests that whilst there are additional technological and logistical challenges that must be navigated in the delivery of “live” online lectures, they can be useful in instilling a sense of togetherness online. This is particularly important, given the threats to student success and engagement that COVID-19 poses.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Richard Harris, University of Leeds

Dr Richard Harris is a Lecturer and Deputy Director of Student Education at the School of Psychology, University of Leeds.

Pam Blundell-Birtill, University of Leeds

Dr Pam Blundell-Birtill is an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Leeds.

Madeleine Pownall, University of Leeds

Madeleine Pownall is a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant and PhD Researcher in Social Psychology at the University of Leeds.

Downloads

Published

2021-11-02

How to Cite

Harris, R., Blundell-Birtill, P., & Pownall, M. (2021). “A More Personal Way to Learn During Such an Isolating Time”: The Value of Live Lectures in Online Teaching . Student Success, 12(3), 113–117. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.1781

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2021): Special Issue: Student Success in a Global Pandemic

Section

Practice Reports

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Richard Harris, Pam Blundell-Birtill, Madeleine Pownall

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.