A Paradigm for Global Student Interactions Through Digital Technologies in a Post-COVID Era

The widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced almost every aspect of our lives to shift to online modalities. One outcome of the pandemic was to effectively establish digital learning as a major system for education. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the development and implementation of a web-based resource for college instruction. The foundation for this pedagogical tool is sociocultural learning theory. This instructional tool has been deployed with over 2000 students to date. Its successful employment with college students in India and the USA is outlined, and suggestions are included for its generalized use to other content and courses.

Wastewater Virus Detection Complements Clinical COVID-19 Testing to Limit Spread of Infection at Kenyon College

ABSTRACTIn-person college instruction during the 2020 pandemic required effective and economical monitoring of COVID-19 prevalence. Kenyon College and the Village of Gambier conducted measurement of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from the village wastewater plant and from an on-campus sewer line. Wastewater RNA detection revealed virus prevalence leading to individual testing and case identification. Wastewater surveillance also showed when case rates had subsided, thus limiting the need for individual clinical testing. Overall, wastewater virus surveillance allows more targeted use of individual testing and increases community confidence in student population management.

Online or in Person? Examining College Decisions to Reopen during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Fall 2020

When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a major impediment to face-to-face college instruction in spring 2020, most teaching went online. Over the summer, colleges had to make difficult decisions about whether to return to in-person instruction. Although opening campuses could pose a major health risk, keeping instruction online could dissuade students from enrolling. Taking an ecological approach, the authors use mixed modeling techniques and data from 87 percent of two- and four-year public and four-year private U.S. colleges to assess the factors that shaped decisions about fall 2020 instructional modality. Most notably, the authors find that reopening decisions about whether to return to in-person instruction were unrelated to cumulative COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Politics and budget concerns played the most important roles. Colleges that derived more of their revenue from tuition were more likely to return to classroom instruction, as were institutions in states and counties that supported Donald Trump for president in 2016.

Examining the decision to offer in-person college instruction during the COVID-19 era: A multilevel analysis of the factors that affected intentions to open

At the end of Summer 2020 colleges and universities had to make difficult decisions about whether to return to in-person instruction. While opening campuses could pose a major health risk, keeping instruction online could dissuade students from enrolling. Taking an ecological approach that considers the influence of state, county, and college characteristics, this study uses mixed modeling techniques and data from 89% of two- and four-year public and four-year private US colleges to assess the factors that shaped their decision to provide mostly in-person instruction as of August 1, 2020. We consider the roles of the political and religious climate, COVID-19 infections, deaths, and mask mandates, college niche, finances, dormitory capacity, faculty resistance, online readiness, and enrollment pressures. Most notably, we find that decision-making was unrelated to cumulative COVID infection and related mortality rates. The strongest predictor of in-person instruction was the proportion of state residents who voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election. We also find that dormitory capacity, percentage of revenue from tuition, institutional importance to the local economy, graduation rates, and per capita endowment were associated with providing in-person instruction.

Pre-College Instruction

Instructors at prison-based college programs face many challenges not encountered on traditional college campuses. Instructors used to conventional campus-based students and teaching environments often find themselves unprepared or overwhelmed because prison-based programs differ in many ways from traditional college classrooms. Many incarcerated students lack the necessary fundamental academic writing and communication skills to succeed in college-level courses but not the intelligence and dedication. Instructors often find themselves unprepared for and inexperienced in teaching remedial-level writing and grammar skills, especially to non-traditional adult learners. This chapter discusses the differences between campus and prison classrooms, incarcerated students' academic backgrounds and needs, and the instructional limitations of teaching in prisons. This chapter provides instructional methodology tailored to the unique needs of incarcerated students, as well as examples of syllabi, worksheets, and practice exercises.

Open Video Repositories for College Instruction

Key features of open video repositories are outlined, followed by brief description of specific sites relevant to the social sciences. Although most were created by instructors over the past 10 years to facilitate teaching and learning, significant variation in kind, quality, and number per discipline were discovered. Economics and Psychology have the most extensive sets of repositories, while Political Science has the least development. Among original-content websites, Economics has the strongest collection in terms of production values, given substantial support from wealthy donors to advance political and economic agendas. Sociology stands out in having the most developed website in which found-video is applied to teaching and learning. Numerous multidisciplinary sites of quality have also emerged in recent years.

Open Video Repositories for College Instruction

Key features of open video repositories are outlined, followed by brief description of specific sites relevant to the social sciences. Although most were created by instructors over the past 10 years to facilitate teaching and learning, significant variation in kind, quality, and number per discipline were discovered. Economics and Psychology have the most extensive sets of repositories, while Political Science has the least development. Among original-content websites, Economics has the strongest collection in terms of production values, given substantial support from wealthy donors to advance political and economic agendas. Sociology stands out in having the most developed website in which found-video is applied to teaching and learning. Numerous multidisciplinary sites of quality have also emerged in recent years.

Open Video Repositories for College Instruction: A Guide to the Social Sciences

Key features of open video repositories are outlined, followed by brief description of specific sites relevant to the social sciences. Although most were created by instructors over the past 10 years to facilitate teaching and learning, significant variations in kind, quality, and number per discipline were discovered. Economics and Psychology have the most extensive sets of repositories, while Political Science has the least development. Among original-content websites, Economics has the strongest collection in terms of production values, given substantial support from wealthy donors to advance political and economic agendas. Sociology stands out in having the most developed website in which found-video is applied to teaching and learning. Numerous multidisciplinary sites of quality have also emerged in recent years.

Open Video Repositories for College Instruction

Key features of open video repositories are outlined, followed by brief description of specific sites relevant to the social sciences. Although most were created by instructors over the past 10 years to facilitate teaching and learning, significant variation in kind, quality, and number per discipline were discovered. Economics and Psychology have the most extensive sets of repositories, while Political Science has the least development. Among original-content websites, Economics has the strongest collection in terms of production values, given substantial support from wealthy donors to advance political and economic agendas. Sociology stands out in having the most developed website in which found-video is applied to teaching and learning. Numerous multidisciplinary sites of quality have also emerged in recent years.