Reconnecting, Rebuilding and Bridging - Surviving in-class and online experiences during a time of ongoing COVID

Abstract

COVID has certainly enhanced the challenges experienced by university lecturers with both face to face and online delivery of information. As a consequence of the early days of COVID, face to face classes were reorganised to cater to needs of students to ensure continuance. Western Australia has uniquely been placed in an advantageous position with continued success of continuing face to face classes in 2021. However, this uniqueness is questioned with the ongoing changes with COVID variants that looms in the background. This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by lecturers as unit coordinator and lecture of a core unit. In this, the shared experience of reconnecting students and rebuilding their confidence to the completion of their studies. The paper will address the challenges and problems experienced by both students and lecturers alike. In addition, the authors will demonstrate how lecturers connected with students alike during collaborate sessions while also using a platform for connecting students work from a home-based learning and teaching environment. With the ongoing emergent COVID variants, the authors hope that the experiences shared will enhance a successful home-based learning environment and also assist in the transition to on-campus classrooms.