The courses I’m teaching this semester all require lab work, so for the research methods course, I had to use a statistical software that is only available in our lab. Instead of changing the assignment that involves statistical analysis, I used my laptop for the software, shared my screen and explained the material.

For the practical component, I divided the class into two groups, allowing each to practice virtually by telling me what to do. This was good preparation for the students’ final project, as each group had a limited time to run the statistical tests through my laptop. It was not an easy task; the students had to do a lot of work on their own and organize their steps to finish on time. To help them along, I provided a PowerPoint presentation with all the steps needed to use the software and videotaped sessions of each process. This method allowed me to stay true to the course learning outcomes without jeopardizing learning.

There is no doubt that the students faced some challenges adapting to the shift. But the experience, as a whole, turned out to be much more positive than I had imagined, and I have to thank them for being open to online learning and responsive when it came to interactions.