Annual Report 2019-2020
Innovative Teaching & Learning
Arts students showcase their creativity in fashion, advertising design, film and photography in the first-ever virtual exhibition.
Virtual Learning Inspires
Creative Teaching
When Bowie State University moved to remote teaching and learning in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and state-mandated stay-at-home orders, the shift required faculty and students to activate their collective inventiveness. In just over a week, faculty and administrators reinvented student-focused processes by seamlessly pivoting all in-person classes, lectures and special events to online platforms. Like just about everything else, the senior thesis exhibition—an annual showcase of soon-to-be graduates’ artistic legacies in film, animation, advertising design, fashion and photography—also necessitated a change of plans.
Professor Jennifer White-Johnson activated her own creativity to spotlight 13 students in “20/20,” the university’s first-ever virtual exhibition which, despite the digital pivot, turned out to be one of BSU’s biggest senior thesis shows. Remaining flexible was key to teaching through the initial virus outbreak and helping students transition their work online using design tools like Adobe Spark's layout app and Wix to build their senior thesis websites, White-Johnson explained.
“Highlighting student work has always been a priority for our department. COVID couldn’t stop that. Many students used this time to get extra creative, pushing their design process and art forms to the max,” she added. “Asking seniors to present their work online gave them the autonomy to express their visions without being confined to a single gallery space. Their work will have more reach than ever.”
Faculty Get Support with Remote Instruction
For faculty dedicated to meeting student needs, the campus-wide shutdown of in-person classes presented a similarly serendipitous growth opportunity. Many instructors had never taught exclusively online before and needed to learn or enhance skills in preparation for the virtual transition.
Inspired by the house tours she enjoys on HGTV, Dr. Eva Garin, director of The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), designed what she calls “course tours” led by faculty who have track records of successfully teaching online classes. In addition to weekly best practices webinars, a five-day training and the support of CETL fellows, instructors were paired with experienced online teaching mentors to hit the ground running. By the time the 2020 spring break was over, all courses had been converted to 100% online.
“COVID-19 was a shock to the nation—not just Bowie State—and it hit quickly. As a community, we did a good job of getting everyone comfortable,” said Garin.
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