Thom Stevenson outlines online teaching strategies for faculty during pandemic

Patton College of Education faculty aren’t just going above and beyond for students during the coronavirus pandemic; they’re also going above and beyond for each other.

On April 20, Human and Consumer Sciences Assistant Professor of Instruction Thom Stevenson presented, “Virtual Learning Approaches from a Mutually Safe Distance,” during which he shared online-teaching strategies and outlined supportive practices to cultivate resiliency between and among faculty and students during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

“Humans find comfort and safety in their routines,” said Stevenson. “Although many of our routines have been disrupted, we have the power to create new routines to ensure that we are taking care of ourselves and each other.”

Stevenson’s presentation marked the second installment of The Patton College’s new Remote Teaching Series, which discusses innovations in teaching and engaging students with technology. The series is open to all Ohio University faculty and its online community, and each session is hosted on Microsoft Teams and recorded for those who cannot attend or participate live.

OHIO Eastern Assistant Professor Dr. Jacqueline Yahn presented, “What Worked Well in Transitioning to Fully Online Education,” on April 6.

“This has been a very engaging series thus far, and I know that faculty are getting a lot out of it,” said Patton College Dean Renée A. Middleton. “If you missed Thom’s presentation, I recommend watching it on the College’s YouTube channel.”

Stevenson provided valuable information for faculty, sharing strategies for reducing stress, improving time management, and utilizing technology to help students learn, among other skills.

“When the university announced that we would be moving to online instruction, many students were concerned about what would happen,” said Stevenson. “They knew that we would not be meeting together in the kitchen and didn’t know how they would fulfill course requirements and stay on track to graduate. I said, ‘We’ll do whatever we need to do as a team in order to ensure that all of that happens.’”

Stevenson has met remotely with Restaurant, Hotel and Tourism students throughout Ohio’s shelter-in-place order. Prior to spring break, he made a video showing them how to make apple crisp. During spring break, more than two-thirds of his students—11 of 15—made the apple crisp while sheltering-in-place at home and sent Stevenson photos and videos of how it turned out and of them enjoying it with their families.

“This response told me that that mechanism—creating a video—is really powerful,” said Stevenson. “The thing I’m most concerned about is students not staying connected and allowing stress to overtake them. Watching or reading something relaxing or uplifting can have a big impact on students’ lives. Online learning is a way to keep them connected.”

Stevenson outlined seven best practices for online instruction, including the importance of active learning—such as students making videos of themselves cooking in the kitchen—and providing real-time feedback. Stevenson gives his cell phone number to students, who will call or text if they have a question about a recipe or ingredient. He also allows them to submit assignments in whatever software program with which they are most comfortable, whether it’s Power Point, Prezi, or something else.

While OHIO faculty are limited to online instruction, Stevenson continues to emphasize to students the human element of their future profession.

“Students often think about our industry as, ‘I’m going to work in a restaurant or a hotel—more traditional operations,’” said Stevenson. “But I encourage them to think about food from a different perspective, particularly when it comes to nourishment and sustainability.”

One such example pertains to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). According to CNBC, each day the NSLP serves over 30 million children, the School Breakfast Program serves over 14.7 million children, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program serves over 6.1 million children. Roughly one in five children in the United States goes to bed hungry each night. 

Thus, when schools closed due to the pandemic, teachers were not only concerned about student learning, but also questioned where some students’ next meal would come from. Fortunately, many K-12 school districts around the country have essential workers and are providing meals for students, often going door-to-door to deliver much-needed nourishment to their homes.

“Encouraging our students to think about how nourishment happens—that it’s what we need to live and survive and that they play a role in that—improves their critical-thinking skills,” said Stevenson. “Preparing students to take care of others helps them become more resilient and teaches them more about their specific industry. It encourages them to want to learn more about the subject after the course has ended.”