Seminoff
A 23-year Veteran University Faculty Member’s Transition from Ground to Synchronous Online Classroom during the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
Cindy Seminoff, Grand Canyon University
Abstract
This article is an example of a 23-year veteran university faculty member’s reflective practice which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced educational institutions to immediately move to e-learning which impacted instructors in all levels of education. Numerous challenges to overcome such as maintaining student engagement, coping with student distractions, incorporating technology effectively, and minimizing vocal fatigue arose as instructors navigated this new modality of delivery. In this paper, through the process of reflective practice, I explain the situation I experienced and compared that experience to the literature to help me to better understand the challenges I faced. The process of reflective practice allows for improved decision making to provide solutions for future semesters of teaching. The reflective practice process has a goal of positively impacting one’s development as a professional and potentially helping other professionals faced with similar situations. I explain potential reasons for the challenges, evaluate those reasons, and decide on what is the most plausible explanation for the unexpected challenges I experienced. After the evaluation is complete, I make an informed decision for future practice. I conclude with recommendations for future research.