Priscilla Deng

Summer Intern 2020: Blog Poster & Email Support Team

About

Hobbies/Interests: I love rock climbing and playing video games!

Office Experience

Recent Work: Mostly writing our Weekly Quercus Updates (so instructors can be up to date with the latest improvements to Quercus and other affiliated tools), and I’ve also been adding information bit by bit to our EdTech FAQ page.

What I’m passionate about in my current role: Definitely helping instructors prepare their courses for online teaching. I had a terrible experience when we first transitioned in winter (changes to exams last minute, disregarding students’ voices, lectures now linked to other institutions’ Youtube videos), but my prof this summer (JRE410) did an excellent job in keeping online lectures genuine and enjoyable.

Best part of working in the EdTech Office: I love the atmosphere! Everyone’s so kind and cheery, making it enjoyable to hop into calls. Fizzy Fridays are a lot of fun – we all get together and play games. We’ve done Skribble.io, Cards Against Humanity (SFW version), Kahoot, and I’m excited to experience much more.

Online Learning Perspective

Impression of online learning: Same as remote working – it’s been implanted long ago, and yet it is still considered a niche part of the system. While online courses do exist currently, they lack the same “feel” as in-person courses, mostly due to the lack of personal connection. I feel that our priority is to focus on that gap – to allow students to feel a sense of connection in an online lecture.

Recommendation for professors teaching online: Hmm, I would say make an effort to listen to your students. When we first transitioned to online in March, I know a lot of fellow ECEs were upset by how the profs treated us. I understand that professors were under pressure to deliver, but students want to know that their opinions and voices matter, and their most direct contact are their professors. If professors turn a deaf ear or a blind eye, many students will be left helpless and enraged. To conclude, listen to your students! They’re pretty funny and most are good peeps.