The assumption that faculty are pre-trained, or able to train themselves without additional time and support, underpins university directives that faculty move classes online without investing in training to support faculty in this shift. For context, at the University of Waterloo, the normal supports for developing an online course include one to two course releases, 12-18 months of preparation time, and the help of three staff members—one of whom is an online learning consultant, and each of whom supports only about two other courses. Instead, at universities across Canada, the move online under COVID-19 is not called “online teaching” but “remote teaching”, which universities seem to think absolves them of the responsibility to give faculty sufficient technological training, pedagogical consultation, and preparation time.
Martin Burrett on 07 Feb 18"In the week marking 100 years since some women were able to vote here in the UK, we are discussing equality in education. In the 21st century Britain, as with most areas of the world, the circumstances of your birth can still determine your educational achievement and your future prospects. We will discuss how educators can begin to change the stagnation in social mobility and inequality of opportunity and achievement, because we simply cannot wait another 100 years to make this a reality."
