Fostering Student-Student Interactions in a First-Year Experience Course Taught Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ania A Majewska, Emory University; Ethell Vereen, Morehouse College
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-03-31
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: ©2021 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2417
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 1
• Grant/Funding Information: AAM was supported by NIH/NIGMS K12 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Emory University (Project 5K12GM000680-19).
• Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic
• Research Categories: Biology, General

Abstract

Online college courses can lack much-needed student interactions without live synchronous sessions. The need for socialization is particularly important for first-year students and has been of particular concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation is the new norm outside the classroom. Here we provide a perspective on the use of online synchronous sessions in a first-year biology course that encouraged student-student interactions and employed the culturally responsive teaching approach. We used group assignments, modeled on the jigsaw method, during our meetings and provided extra time outside of the dedicated class period to foster student collaboration, conversation, and social presence. We noted high attendance and participation in the synchronous sessions, suggesting effectiveness of the methods we used in student engagement and satisfaction.