Teaching During an Emergency Period – Winter Semester 2024
Teaching during wartime is challenging, logistically demanding, and especially emotional. However, building resilience and tools to cope with the challenges of the security situation can become a stabilizing force in the lives of the students, teaching staff, and even the entire Technion community. In order to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff, it is recommended to adopt a considerate approach that provides a responsive and safe space tailored to the needs arising from the field.
The staff of the Center for the Promotion of Learning and Teaching has put together a number of pedagogical guidelines aimed at helping you, lecturers and teaching staff, face the challenge. We invite you to contact us to think together, consult, and take advantage of our pedagogical knowledge to prepare for the complex semester ahead.
Anchors for Teaching and Learning in Days of Uncertainty
The emergency period we are in requires students and teaching staff to adapt to changing circumstances and unforeseen situations. Flexibility in lesson planning and instructional delivery can foster continuity and help students maintain their focus on learning. We are in a period where there may be many disruptions to daily life, including physical accessibility and the availability of resources. Flexibility in teaching can help manage and minimize these disruptions. However, flexibility does not mean compromising on the quality of teaching. High academic standards can be maintained while adapting to challenging circumstances.
- The class schedule ,whether face-to-face on campus or online learning, sets a time frame and is very important in maintaining continuous learning. However, it is recommended to consider the challenges that make continuous learning difficult, in particular for reservists, parents of small children or residents of the conflict line. It is recommended to examine where it is possible to be flexible and allow learners to study at times convenient for them.
- Be prepared to be flexible with the course materials and schedules as needed, and acknowledge that there may be disruptions.
- It is recommended to consider the structure of the course and the syllabus. Examine the possibility of adapting it and reorganizing it. Additionally, ensure that it includes written reference to all significant future topics to be learned in the course.
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- Similar to the previous year, the coming winter semester will also be a shortened 12-week semester – it is recommended to reflect to the students the essential differences in the material compared to a full semester. We recommend having a conversation with the students about the syllabus during the first lesson.
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- Are there particularly complex topics that can be moved to more advanced stages? (In the hope that the situation will calm down and the mental availability of the students will improve)
- What are the assessment methods in the course? Are students required to submit assignments in the near future? Are there alternative options that can be offered?
- Is attendance mandatory? Can adjustments be made to this requirement?
- Are there exams or grades that can be used as “shields” for the final marks (“MAGEN”)? Is there room to change grades that are usually defined as final marks as “shields” (“MAGEN”)?
- When checking assignments and homework, it is very important to provide timely feedback to students. In the current situation, there may be difficulty due to partial attendance of the teaching staff or time pressure, which may arise from the updated semester schedule. It is recommended to prepare for resource-efficient checking and feedback methods while still allowing meaningful feedback for students. Possible solutions: partial checking of the assignment, emphasizing specific questions in various sections, using automatic checking on the Moodle site, recording a solution to assignments, publishing a partial solution, and guidance for independent solving.
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- Hold office hours at various times – if you have a large team on staff, you can split morning/evening hours. It is recommended to provide organized information on the course website about how to contact the teaching staff and expected response time.
- You can set up a Q&A forum on the Moodle site to address recurring questions collectively.
Effective Lesson Management During Emergency Situations
- Acknowledge the Situation: Begin by recognizing the external events and their impact on the students. Dedicate time to reviewing how the course will be conducted and the academic expectations.
- Q&A Session: Allow time for questions and answers. Many students may have concerns and need clarifications about the learning process and academic expectations.
- Discuss Adjustments: Address the adjustments made to the teaching methods in light of the situation. Discuss any concessions or changes in the syllabus and explain the differences between this semester and a regular semester in terms of teaching, learning, and assessment.
- Remote Learning Tools: Talk with students about the technological tools and channels that are used for remote learning. Ensure that students have access to the necessary resources.
- Zoom Meetings:
- If you choose to allow remote access, add the Zoom link to the course website in advance, and make sure to log in and activate it at the start of the lesson.
- Recording: You can record the session and make it available on the course website after the lesson for independent learning by those who couldn’t attend or had difficulty concentrating.
- Security: Make sure you are familiar with Zoom meeting security features (removing and blocking participants, disabling the annotation feature for participants, etc.).
- Frequent Breaks: Incorporate short and frequent breaks during the lesson to allow students to rest, get updates, and attend to any family needs.
- Student Engagement: Encourage student involvement during the lesson (group work, discussions, polls using Poll Everywhere) to enhance the learning experience as much as possible.
Supportive Learning Environment on Campus
Creating an enabling, safe, and supportive atmosphere is essential to helping students and teaching staff cope with the challenges and pressures they face. Establishing such an environment can foster resilience, mental well-being, and a sense of community among learners. Several steps can be adopted in order to enable a safe and supportive environment:
- Decide in advance on a policy for expressing views in the classroom – whether or not you choose to address the situation and how. Will you dedicate time for students to share? How often? Share your decision at the beginning of the semester in class in order to set expectations with students.
- Avoid and immediately stop any confrontation and/or inflammatory discourse during the lesson and on campus grounds.
- Stay adequately informed about the situation, including potential risks and safety protocols, both in the country and on campus, and especially in the classroom where you are teaching.
- The availability of the staff and continuous contact with the learners are very important in situations of stress and distress.
- Make sure you, the staff, and the students have reliable means of communication, both for emergencies and for more complex developments in the situation.
- Pay attention to learners who may be in mental distress and refer them to the dedicated support teams available on campus (Student Counseling and Support Center staff, Dean of Students’ office, counsel@technion.ac.il). Make sure you have all the relevant addresses and phone numbers on campus for support for those in need of additional assistance.
- Try to create a sense of community:
- A supportive and considerate attitude towards team members and students is a critical component in maintaining a sense of community. Express empathy and recognition that students and teaching staff may be experiencing stress, trauma, grief, etc.
- It is recommended to encourage support and cooperation among students, as this may provide emotional and academic benefits.
- It is recommended to enable connections between students attending classes and those unable to attend (reservists, parents, etc.) through study groups.
To download the recommendations as a document (in Hebrew) to your personal computer, click here.
To access a collection of user guides for digital tools for teaching in emergency and routine situations, please click here.
