Work-from-home Innovation (Pre-U): Online Project Work Bridging Workshop for Beginning Teachers

Written by Joshua Tan

1. What was the session about?

Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Project Work team decided to offer beginning teachers an online version of the mandatory Project Work training. We re-conceived the training as a two-part online workshop, with Part 1 being an asynchronous module and Part 2 being a synchronous session that built on Part 1. This required us to tap on the affordances of technology to provide teachers with curriculum implementation support.

2. What tools and platforms were used?

Part 1 (asynchronous): Three e-learning modules on feedback and facilitation, Socratic questioning, and collaboration protocols

• Content: For each key component of the workshop, we recorded an e-learning module (i.e., a video) of about 20 minutes. There were three e-modules in total. Content was delivered through the narration of the key concepts over video, role-play demonstrations of classroom situations, and the provision of questions to encourage participants to reflect on classroom application and inquiry.

• Access: These videos were uploaded to Google Drive, and for three weeks, the links were made available to participants for them to view in their own time. This provided them with the flexibility to choose when they wanted to go through the e-modules, which was important given their school commitments and the ever-changing situation on the ground.

Screenshots from the e-modules (videos). The narrator is pictured in the bottom-left corner, giving the videos a personal touch.

Part Two (synchronous): E-conferencing

• Content: One key aspect of this workshop is that it typically gives beginning teachers the opportunity to share and discuss their teaching practices and challenges with fellow participants. In order to retain this opportunity for discussion while also managing the degree and duration of interaction, we facilitated a one-hour synchronous e-conference over Zoom that revolved around the reflection questions posed in each e-module.

• Access: Due to the large number of participants, we made available four sessions for them to choose from to allow for more equitable discussion.

3. What were the outcomes of this session?

Participants shared that they appreciated the mode and content of the e-modules, and the time and space provided for them to learn from and glean some insights and practical ideas from fellow participants. They also felt that the virtual nature of the workshop afforded them convenience, flexibility, and ease of access.

4. Any words of advice for other officers?

Individual preferences in online learning

It's important to make allowances for individual preferences when it comes to e-learning. As some participants might not have the time nor attention span to sit through a 1.5-hour e-module, we decided to record three shorter e-modules instead.

Clarity of key messages (asynchronous e-modules)

The nature of video-recording necessitates succinct scripting to deliver the key message and learning points. When recording the asynchronous e-modules, we benefited greatly from team critiques and script refinements.

Facilitation of online interaction (synchronous e-conferencing)

Facilitating an online discussion can be quite different from facilitating a face-to-face one. There might be bouts of awkward silences in an online discussion, and it might be harder to elicit responses from participants. We thus had to come up with more targeted questions to ensure that the facilitator could guide and move the discussion along smoothly.

Finally, teamwork is key. While there was one main facilitator per session, other team members were on standby and could jump in to co-facilitate the session or add to the discussion if needed. This required all team members to be familiar with the facilitation plan.