In December of 2020, the Teaching SIG hosted our first lightning talk event as a way for Teaching SIG members to gather and learn from each other in this virtual environment. We had a total of five presenters, each of whom spoke about the ways in which their approach to teaching has changed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please read on for brief summaries of each presenter’s talks, and click here for a recording of the session in its entirety.
Patricia Gimenez, Research & Instruction Librarian at the Savannah College of Art & Design
In her presentation, Patricia spoke about ways in which she engaged with students in the classroom, utilizing the online polling tool Mentimeter. In the example activity, Patricia used Mentimeter for a class session with a 400-level interior design course, where students have a topic idea for their final project. Patricia spoke about the difficulty of engaging with students one-on-one in the virtual classroom. Patricia’s talk begins at the 2:17 minute mark, and concludes at 11:35, with questions immediately following.
Maggie Murphy, Visual Art & Humanities Librarian at UNC Greensboro
In her presentation, Maggie discussed her teaching for the UNCG class, Foundations in Studio Art, where she introduces the idea of developing an artistic research process. Utilizing the current literature and her own knowledge, Maggie frames this material through discussions about her own research practice as an artist. In adapting her class material to the virtual environment, Maggie combined a synchronous guest lecture, research guide, and a Google Keep demo. Maggie’s talk begins at the 14:25 minute mark, and concludes at 21:50.
Caro Pinto, Research & Instruction Librarian at Mount Holyoke College
In her presentation, Caro speaks about teaching and working at the reference desk during COVID-19. Caro begins by setting the stage for students’ mindsets during this challenging time, where they are dealing with confusion, grief, and alienation. Caro breaks down how she spends dedicated time in each Zoom research consultation session discussing students’ lives and mindsets, if they want to share, before proceeding to research consultation. Caro’s talk begins at the 22:28 minute mark, and concludes at 31:31, with questions immediately following.
Alex Watkins, Associate Professor & Art & Architecture Librarian at the University of Colorado Boulder
In his presentation, Alex elaborates on his approach to moving to a virtual environment, focusing on his transition away from whiteboards and worksheets. He speaks about a couple of simple tools that he’s used in his instruction to increase engagement and interactivity, including Padlet, Google Forms, and Coggle. Alex’s talk begins at the 37:30 minute mark, and continues until the 46:15 minute mark, with questions immediately following.
Mackenzie Salisbury, Information Literacy Librarian at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
In her presentation, Mackenzie discusses her use of collaborative mind mapping in her instruction, focusing on her usual teaching with first year students. In collaborative mind mapping, students create their own map first, and then have their peers add on to generate further ideas. She focuses on finding the right tool for virtual collaborative mind mapping, ultimately settling on Miro. Mackenzie’s talk begins at the 47:23 minute mark, and continues until the end of the recording.
A resounding thank you to our knowledgeable and talented presenters! The Teaching SIG is hoping to host at least one of these additional meetings per year, to complement our business meeting at the annual conference. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on this session, and your ideas for future meeting topics. Connect with Eva Sclippa and Anna Boutin-Cooper via email to share!