My thesis corrections were approved. I submitted the final version and concluded my PhD!
My contribution to a book
I’ve taken an exciting step in research. I was invited to contribute to an academic book as an editor, and have submitted my manuscript for one chapter of the book. My former supervisor is the main editor, and it was he who nominated me for the team; I am really humbled to be included in the project. This opportunity has given me the direction for my future study, and a platform on which to collaborate with scholars in the same discipline. I feel extremely lucky to have been given the support to continue research in an area that I am passionate about.
Challenges in digital teaching
I have been positive in managing the challenges in delivering online teaching.
We lose our internet connection sometimes, and sound quality varies. It’s not easy to facilitate discussions among students. Many students turn on their cameras, but not all. Keeping them engaged is a challenge, although it is also difficult enough in face-to-face teaching. Because we communicate with each other through only the visual and auditory senses, there is a kind of numbness over whether we share understanding.
I use Google Docs during class, as a doc file is much more compact than slides and it is easy to edit, highlight, colour, and draw while sharing the screen. This ‘trial and error’ in teaching online has taken extra time and effort. What I can do is think about what motivates students to go into ‘learning’ mode on a deeper level.
