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Teaching, studying and working online during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll of everyone. So as to smoothen the strain, ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� College Utrecht Assistant Professor Lotte Berk is initiating new ways to connect with colleagues and students. A student survey shows that enhancing togetherness is key to coping with online education indeed.

“As everyone starts to have had enough of communicating through the screen, I thought it would be nice to do something that is not online,” says Lotte Berk. “I also thought that it’s fun to connect people, and to do something for someone else.”

Teaching Psychology at the college since a couple of years and as an alumnus herself, she knew that unexpected initiatives are ever so often met with enthusiasm among her coworkers. However, she first felt unsure about the idea she got: having colleagues send postcards to each other.

“I have always loved sending postcards, and so I decided to see if there are others who share my passion. And there were. I hoped to trigger perhaps five, at most ten colleagues, but in the end thirty people participated. It was surprising to find so many people who like to send paper post.”

Creative connections

The assignment was simple: share your address with Lotte and indicate how many postcards you would like to send. In return, you would receive the names and addresses of the people who you should write to. If you wished, you could include your own address so that the person receiving your card could send you one too.

“It was a genuine pleasure to pause, think of a colleague, write some words which might brighten their day, and send it off,” comments Student Life Officer Mark Baldwin. “Equally, such a joy to receive something through the letterbox from a colleague whom I've missed for months on end, or not even met yet! It was a simple, very effective way to create connection when we often feel so far apart.”

Also the creative aspect of the project was warmly welcomed. Several participants note that the postcards they received were selected with a special care.

“I really liked the project,” says Associate Professor Katja Rakow. “It was a wonderful way to connect to colleagues to whom I not usually have much contact. I received one handmade print and one postcard clearly chosen to suit my research topic.”

Creative ideas come to her easier now than at the start of the pandemic last year, says Lotte.

“Last year, we all were more or less in a survival mode. This year, I realise that I start to get excited about new ideas and projects again. That goes also for my teaching. To name just one example, in one of my courses that students were growing tired of online group presentations, and so I asked them to create podcasts instead.”

Cameras on and mutual help

Innovative online teaching methods are applauded by many students, shows the survey conducted by the ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� College Student Council. It comes as little surprise that nearly three-quarter of the 231 responding students say having found it more difficult to keep up with their courses and fulfil their assignments.

Students find it important that teachers show concern for their well-being. They like to be asked how they are doing and having the feeling of togetherness in spite of the distanced mode of studying and communicating.

They also say that online classes are easier to follow if teachers allow frequent breaks and combine on-screen teaching with video, podcasts and other ways of teaching, as well as written assignments, pre-record their classes and share printable handouts. A clear overview and structure of the course was highly valued.

The Student Council also asked teachers about the best practices for students. The practices mentioned varied from keeping in touch with teachers to offering mutual help, with having the camera on during the class as number one. Teachers emphasise too how important it is to enhance the feeling of togetherness and stay positive against all odds of the pandemic.

Mystery solving

These findings give a heads-on for initiatives such as the postcard project, which Lotte is planning to repeat in the summer. Together with her coworkers, she is exploring also further ways to stay connected.

“Just last week, we did an online escape room with colleagues. I had my first experience a couple of months ago, and it was so much fun that I decided to make one of my own for my coworkers together with my office roommate Bettina Boschen. There were 15 colleagues participating, and they had to solve a mystery in groups. We wanted to create an exciting activity and make them laugh. I think that we succeeded quite well.”

“For others who want to explore such initiatives, I’d say, just do it. Good is good enough. I hesitated first as well, but I think it’s worth trying. Projects like this are fun, when they are appreciated. I am glad to be part of the ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� College community, where new initiatives are so warmly applauded.”