Remote conversations to enhance class experience in the time of COVID: co-teaching with a wingman model

• Main Authors: Helen Piontkivska, Chi-hua Chiu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2021-03-01
• Series: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
• Online Access: https://jmbesubmissions.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/2317

Remote delivery poses numerous challenges particularly for discussion-based classes. Here we describe a class management model that uses a conversational approach between instructional co-leaders to introduce topics and facilitate student discussions.  The conversational approach enabled us to model various aspects of the scientific process - such as asking questions and generating hypotheses - aimed at an emergent subject, such as COVID-19. Students' feedback was positive, noting how the class enabled them to connect their existing knowledge with the daily influx of new insights about the SARS-CoV-2. While our class focuses on COVID-related topics, this model of a conversational style class can be easily implemented for other course topics.