Fluid teaching environments and semi-structured teaching for a more student-centric and engaging student experience.

Abstract

One takeaway from teaching online during the Covid-19 pandemic was the lack of two-way communication and how student engagement dwindled over this period, globally. One of the strategies to engage students was to give them greater opportunity to contribute and discuss points that may be more specific to them. In order to facilitate this during my camera and studio-based units, I took a more semi-structured approach to teaching where I did not stick to a rigid content structure but went back and forth across the content as the class discussions and student practice required. This involves stand-up face-to-face in-person delivery, screening online content, demonstrating camera systems and lighting as well as providing feedback on live studio practice and online work submitted. The pandemic also helped identify and cement virtual learning best practices. These best practices blended with studio-based workshops and computer lab-based delivery have emerged as the new model for teaching camera-based units. This teaching delivery model necessitates a dynamic and fluid learning environment utilising a virtual learning environment, a computer lab, a seminar room and a camera studio. This paper explores how the culmination of various teaching delivery methods, combined with a fluid teaching environment and semi-structured teaching, have helped deliver a more student-centric, engaging and enriching student experience.