Course development

After three pandemic years during which we successfully experimented with Zoom technology and e-learning pedagogy and tools, this term we experimented with moving the course back to the classroom. In some respects, the online classes had worked better than the original classroom setting (e.g., we could easily form break-out groups, share student material on screen, and take notes on digital whiteboards). It was a challenge to organize group discussions in the classroom. More students attended the course after it was opened for non-KTH students. During the seminars we created our break-out groups by occupying the common spaces in the corridor. Advantages of being back in class were our closeness to the students, quickly knowing everyone by name, getting to know their strengths and weaknesses, their wishes and concerns, trying to include everyone in the conversation, all working towards creating an active and safe learning environment. We introduced a new lecturer and lecture topic and we updated the course films and course literature accordingly. Some of the structural changes we had introduced during the pandemic we kept. Among them, the group assignment of creating a public blog on a selected topic. The blog assignment again turned out to be a hugely creative and engaging task that worked as well on site as it had online.