The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting physical distancing requirements necessitated the rapid transition from in-person instruction to a remote learning environment. Instructors, supervisors, and training programs were forced to adapt their standard teaching practices to an online format so that trainees could effectively progress in their education and develop competent and effective practices (Wright et al., 2020). Some aspects of training programs, such as classroom-based lectures, were easily adapted to the remote environment. With implementation of the requisite administrative and security precautions needed for remote videoconferencing methods, training programs were also able to transition other key aspects of training (e.g., therapy and supervision) to an online platform (Gicas et al., 2021). Despite these successes in the transition to the remote learning environment, other key aspects of training have been more difficult to adapt to the physical distancing requirements and online learning platforms.
Experiential or hands-on learning activities are an essential component to undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate psychology training programs. As opposed to passively listening to a lecture (i.e., traditional learning activities), students participating in experiential activities are actively doing things and thinking about what they are doing (Bonwell & Eison, 1991). These types of activities encourage a more in-depth and enriched learning environment that translates into numerous benefits including increased attendance, engagement, and learning (Deslauriers et al., 2019). Furthermore, a hands-on approach to learning produces increased neural activation in sensory and motor-related parts of the brain that is associated with improved test scores (Kontra et al., 2015). Students in active, hands-on learning environments outperform those in passive, traditional learning environments. In a large meta-analysis comparing student performance in undergraduate STEM courses in traditional lecture versus active learning, students’ exams scores in active learning classrooms improved 6% while students in traditional lecture classrooms were 1.5 times more likely to fail than their active learning counterparts (Freeman et al., 2014). Not only do students learn more in classrooms that employ active learning principles, active learning strategies also impact students’ interest and empathy (Karasik et al., 2018).
The shift to remote learning resulted in many students reporting high levels of Zoom fatigue and disengagement (Chen et al., 2020; Shahrvini et al., 2021). As we are faced with continued distance learning through the end of 2021 and possibly beyond, educators must work to develop and employ activities that increase student interest and engagement with material. Experiential hands-on activities, with appropriate adaptations, are ideally suited to accomplish this. How do we adapt our experiential, hands-on activities for the remote learning environment?
The tips that follow are the product of ongoing discussions with colleagues, a review of the many pedagogical resources available through our academic affiliates, and lessons learned from my own teaching experiences over the past year and a half.
Consider the content
What is the goal of the hands-on activity? The goal of experiential, hands-on activities is not simply to have students do something. The goal of the activity is to have students do something, think about what they are doing, and then reflect on what they learned. Each year, the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs (VA) hosts a day-long training in Aging and Long-Term Care to meet the licensing requirements for the state of California. One of my most vivid memories of this training involves an activity that required us to wear heavy gloves, sound muffling headphones, and glasses that blurred our vision. We were then tasked to load medication into a pillbox. Afterwards, we all evaluated our progress (or lack thereof) and reflected on the experience. I participated in this activity over 16 years ago, yet when I reflect on that memory, I have the same emotional experience today as I did then – empathy.
The purpose of this activity was to introduce students to an experience that many older adults face each day, have them engage with this activity in way that creates a shared experience with their patients, and then reflect on their experience. This year, I was curious to see how my colleagues, Laura Peters, PhD, and Jon Rose, PhD, would adapt this hands-on activity for the remote learning environment. Although the remote learning environment prevented trainees from donning the gear of years past, Peters and Rose led the attendees through a guided visualization of this activity in which attendees imagined themselves experiencing the difficulties older adults face in managing their medicines. Given the power of visualization, it is not surprising that many of the attendees reported feeling a new empathy for older clients who experience sensory changes and struggle in everyday activities. The content of the activity was different, but the outcome remained the same.
Kick the tires
Would you buy a car without first taking it for a test drive? Yes, in some situations, this could happen; however, these are not commonplace nor is this practice recommended. Similarly, it is not recommended that you do a hands-on activity in the remote environment without having first practiced it solo and/or with a colleague or teaching assistant. Trying the activity out first outside of class will allow you to work out any kinks you may experience. This does not, however, guarantee that you will not experience difficulties with these types of activities in the remote learning environment. Students have varying levels of comfort with activities that require a deeper level of engagement, and the remote learning environment makes it easier for students to hold back. And in online learning, it’s not a question of if technological difficulties will happen, but when will technological difficulties happen. Consider having a backup learning activity in case things go awry with the original plan. Parachute jumpers always have an emergency chute, and you should too.
I have coordinated the Geropsychology Training Seminar at the VA Palo Alto for over a decade. Each year, I lead a seminar on topics pertinent to questions of decision-making ability. I am always looking for ways to make this material meaningful to students, so I was thrilled to see the release of The Farewell in early 2020. This movie highlights the role of culture and locus of control in familial decision-making - two important aspects in the assessment of decision-making. My plan was to watch selected clips of the movie, divide attendees into small groups to engage with discussion questions, and come back to the larger group to reflect on our experiences. As this seminar was to be held over Zoom, I practiced sharing my screen while streaming the online video clips. I also made sure to be in the office for this seminar to take advantage of the facility’s considerable bandwidth and high-speed internet. I felt very confident going into this activity, but not surprisingly, technological gremlins reared their ugly head. I wear headphones during online seminars so that my voice is better amplified for attendees. Unfortunately, this also prevented the attendees from hearing the video clips when they were played as the sound traveled to my ears, not the microphone. To my horror, attendees were unable to hear the video clips! We were able to successfully troubleshoot the issue after what felt like an interminable amount of time. This technological snafu threw me off my game, distracted the attendees, and all around disrupted the learning experience. Was it my fault? Yes. I did a dry run of the activity, though I didn’t do it with my headphones. I took the car out for a spin, but I didn’t turn on the windshield wipers or honk the horn.
Hands-on learning activities lead to greater student interest and better educational outcomes than traditional passive styles of teaching. As such, the adaptation of hands-on learning activities for use in the remote learning environment is critically important to combat the continued Zoom fatigue and student disengagement we face today. While these adaptations require more effort and ingenuity than in traditional face-to-face classroom settings, the potential benefit to our students and the field of aging is immense. If you would like more information or tips for adapting your hands-on activities for the remote learning environment, please visit our Division 20 website’s education section for a non-exhaustive list of resources.
References
Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report 1. George Washington University.
Chen, E., Kaczmarek, K., & Ohyama, H. (2020). Student perceptions of distance learning strategies during COVID‐19. Journal of Dental Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12339
Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L. S., Miller, K., Callaghan, K., & Kestin, G. (2019). Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39), 19251-19257.
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.
Gicas, K. M., Paterson, T. S. E., Narvaez Linares, N. F., & Loken Thornton, W. J. (2021). Clinical psychological assessment training issues in the COVID-19 era: A survey of the state of the field and considerations for moving forward. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 62(1), 44–55. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000258opens in new window
Kontra, C., Lyons, D. J., Fischer, S. M., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Physical experience enhances science learning. Psychological Science, 26(6), 737-749
Shahrvini, B., Baxter, S. L., Coffey, C. S., MacDonald, B. V., & Lander, L. (2021). Pre-clinical remote undergraduate medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey study. BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 1-13.
Wright, A. J., Clemence, A. J., Pade, H., & McCord, D. M. (2020, April 14). Psychological assessment training during COVID-19. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/psychological-assessment-training