Turning Pandemic Reactions into Intentional Actions: Positive Psychology Lessons To Improve Post-Pandemic Teaching

Concurrent Session 5
Streamed Session

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Session Materials

Brief Abstract

What would happen if we think about what went right through the pandemic instead of focusing on challenges? A shift to the positive could make next year your best year of teaching ever! In a highly interactive, gamified session, explore perspective-shifting activities to boost your teaching for a “new normal”.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Tawnya Means, University of Illinois - Gies College of Business

Dr. Tawnya Means is the Assistant Dean for Educational Innovation and Chief Learning Officer in the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to this role, Tawnya served as the Assistant Dean and Director of the Teaching and Learning Center for the College of Business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida, leading teaching and learning support and providing faculty development programs and resources for instructional innovation and adoption of pedagogical best practices. With 20 years of experience in higher education, course design, and educational consulting, Tawnya has also taught courses in entrepreneurship, strategy, technology, and leadership in remote teams. Dr. Means received her B.S. in Education, M.S. in Educational Technology, and Ph.D. in Information Science and Learning Technologies with an emphasis on learning systems design, all from the University of Missouri. She completed the AACSB Post-doctoral bridge program in Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida. Her research interests are in online and blended learning, active learning, learning space design, technology for teaching, access to digital learning resources, and faculty preparation to teach. She has long been a leader in campus initiatives and committees and actively presents at conferences and other institutions and organizations on technology-enhanced learning.

Co-presenter: Tim Hodges, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Extended Abstract

The pandemic has forced many in higher education and beyond to rapidly respond to shifting expectations and requirements. The pandemic resulted in some significant but necessary changes to teaching methods and engagement practices. Although there will be lingering challenges that will impact us for years to come, we now find ourselves turning our attention to the “new normal” or “next normal” for quality education. Rather than returning to do things the way we have always done them, some serious reflection on the positive lessons learned can help us find a new way forward. Consider this… what innovations have come about because of these forced changes? What did we actually do better as a result? What lessons have we learned from these challenges to integrate into how we teach in the future? How will expectations of students and instructors be forever changed?

As we begin to emerge from the challenges we have faced, reflection on what we have learned can help us work together to ensure positive deviance in our teaching and learning. Cameron (2008) defines positive deviance as “intentional behaviors that depart from the norm of a reference group in honorable ways.” Cameron (2008) goes on to discuss four leadership strategies that enable positive deviance, including positive climate, positive relationships, positive communications, and positive meaning. We believe there are lessons to be learned in each of these areas as we make sense of our experiences and work together to a better future.

Scholars in the fields of Positive Psychology and Positive Organizational Scholarship offer lessons about how to learn from challenging experiences and move forward in productive ways. Clinical psychologists Masten and Reed (2002) define resiliency as “a class of phenomena characterized by patterns of positive adaptation in the context of significant adversity or risk.” Individuals with resilience (Luthans, 2002) have the capacity to rebound or bounce back from adversity, conflict, and failure; or accelerate forward given uplifting experiences, growth and progress, and increased responsibility. We believe that with the right perspective, these positive psychological principles, among others, will serve our field well in the coming years.

Most of the time, energy, and effort expended since early 2020 have been consumed with our best attempts at responding to a global pandemic. As we turn the page, we can use principles of positive psychology to flip the script from responsive to intentional. We can reflect on the changes that we made and look for the progress and improvements that actually happened. Then we can use concepts from positive deviance to be intentional about repeating those best practices as we plan for raising the bar for future teaching and learning.

Level of participation:

Session facilitators will engage the audience extensively throughout the session, mixing short presentations with activities, polling, and discussion. Participants will engage in exercises to shift to a positive psychology mindset and compete for points through polling and discussion activities as they share their experiences and lessons learned.

Session goals:

Individuals attending this education session will be able to share their own lessons learned from the pandemic teaching experiences. Participants will look at the challenges and solutions from the perspectives of the student, the educator, and the administrator. Finally, participants will brainstorm ideas for how to ensure that the positives of the past are not forgotten as we shift to “more normal” times.