From professional training to new online courses, Palomar\u2019s Academic Technology team engineered a major transition mid-semester to keep students in class and moving forward.<\/p>\n
SAN MARCOS \u2014 When it became clear that all classes at Palomar College would be transitioned to a remote-learning format for the rest of the semester, the monumental task of getting hundreds of new classes online fell to a small team of specialists.<\/p>\n
Overnight, the Academic Technology Resource Center (ATRC) began training faculty and staff on a variety of skills and technology platforms, from WordPress to Canvas, the \u201clearning management system\u201d through which instruction is now being delivered.<\/p>\n
In addition to adding some 300 courses to the Canvas system, the ATRC worked closely with the college\u2019s Professional Development Office to train faculty and staff in preparation for the new remote learning environment.<\/p>\n
Together, the transition team worked virtually nonstop for two weeks to ensure that every faculty member was ready to begin teaching remotely when the semester resumed after spring break on March 30.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn all, we trained about 600 faculty members during the first three weeks of the COVID-19 crisis,\u201d recalled Najib Manea, Palomar\u2019s Manager of Academic Technology. \u201cAt some point, we were doing more than 30 sessions weekly\u2014almost 10 times what we used to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professional Development Coordinator Kelly Falcone said the college hosted 276 workshops between March 12 and April 30\u2014nearly three times as many as the same period in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the transition has been challenging for many of our employees, I have been so impressed and encouraged by their resiliency and eagerness to learn,\u201d said Falcone. \u201cTaking into consideration all of the ways our employees can continue to learn, we have seen a 158 percent increase in the number of completed trainings by our employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
The numbers reflect the teamwork and dedication that it took to make the transition.<\/p>\n
For example, Manea explained that one workshop, \u201cCourse Delivery During COVID-19,\u201d was held 55 times over a two-week period.<\/p>\n
Today, he said, ongoing training is focused on how to use Canvas for grading and class discussion; how to organize a course online; and how to create compelling PowerPoint presentations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe activated every single person in the ATRC and used all of our resources to get this done,\u201d said Manea. \u201cWe knew we were going to be a focal point for the transition, and all our staff worked really hard. Everyone deserves credit, not only one individual.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that, like almost everyone else employed by the college, the ATRC team is working from home, and the help desk continues to be busy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has elevated the way we do things, and activated a lot of resources that will serve our students well. We are ready for the long-term,\u201d said Manea. \u201cNow we are at the point where we\u2019re back to normal\u2014the new, online normal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"