Fostering a spirit of collaboration with Social Work Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted By Laurel Hitchcock on Jun 8, 2020 | 0 comments

Editor’s note: When COVID19 cases started rising in the US in March 2020, institutions of higher education made significant decisions that required instructors and students to pivot the delivery and design of courses almost overnight.  In this blog post, an instructional team from Columbia University’s School of Social Work (CSSW) detail how they approached changes to their course using trauma-informed teaching strategies.  The team consists of Matthea Marquart, Director of CSSW’s Online MSW Program, Katherine Seibel, Legislative and Policy Analyst at a nonprofit promoting young people’s wellbeing, and Nicole Wong, Director of Support, Advocacy, & Violence Prevention at Vassar College.  For more information related to this post, please reach out to Matthea at @MattheaMarquart. 

Our spring semester online course, which is part of Columbia University School of Social Work’s (CSSW) Master’s of Science in Social Work program, began in March 2020, with our first class session on March 10.  The next day, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and the next week was spring break.  Columbia University, which is located in New York City, had already been taking steps to protect student safety, such as moving residential courses online, but our course was already online, with our students located across the United States. 

As a result, the policy impact that most affected our course came with the University’s announcement on March 20 that all spring semester courses would be graded pass/fail.  This policy impact freed us to make significant changes to our course assignments and grading policies mid-semester, in collaboration with each other as the instructional team, as well as with the students.  We also implemented trauma-informed teaching strategies in response to the changing circumstances in the world, which had a significant impact on students and which we recognized could contribute to increased experiences of trauma.  Trauma-informed teaching  recognizes that past and ongoing trauma can impact current student success, and employs strategies to foster a supportive environment and reduce barriers to learning. An example is sharing power with students through collaboration and choice about course decisions.  

How did we adapt our course mid-semester to adjust to the global pandemic?

This spring, we worked together to teach an online course on Fundraising and Development with the CSSW’s Online Campus.  This is an elective course for students in their final semester of the management and leadership track of our MSW program, and fits into an overall curriculum that includes program planning and evaluation, human resources management, financial management, and macro community practice.  The students specifically advocated for a fundraising course as one of their spring choices.  Matthea was the Instructor, Katherine was the Associate (a role that’s similar to a TA and focuses on supporting the academic quality of the course), and Nicole was the Live Support Specialist (a role that’s similar to a virtual event producer and focuses on supporting the technical quality of the live class sessions).

This was a 7-week course that involved weekly online class sessions in Adobe Connect on Tuesdays at 6pm Eastern time, and assignments in our learning management system, Canvas.  The assignments included weekly discussion forums, a student presentation on current issues in fundraising, and a final group project.  They were organized around the following weekly themes:

• Week 1: Social Work Ethics & Fundraising 
• Week 2: Connecting Marketing & Fundraising
• Week 3: Individual Fundraising: Types & Strategies 
• Week 4: Major Events, Events, and Board Engagements 
• Week 5: Annual Fundraising Plans
• Week 6: Racism in Fundraising 
• Week 7: Managing the Development Office 

During the first week of class, we set the foundation for the class community by leading a discussion in which we created community agreements with the students.  During weeks two through six, we invited guest speakers to share their knowledge and experiences in fundraising with our students.  The course learning objectives are: 

• To introduce MSW students to fundraising as a key role for agency managers
• To identify the skills and abilities necessary for successful fundraising
• To develop the knowledge and skills to create a comprehensive, multifaceted fundraising plan for a nonprofit organization
• To provide an understanding of how to seek funding from individuals, foundations, corporations and government sources
• To develop the skills to market the organization to potential funding sources, policy makers and other important decision-makers
• To assist students with understanding the relationship between the organization’s budget and its fundraising requirements
• To introduce students to stewardship and the overall accountability associated with grants management
• To accomplish the above, while upholding social work values and ethics.

Because the University moved to Pass/Fail grading for the semester and in anticipation of students needing accommodations during the pandemic, we decided to update the course grading, modify the final assignment, and increase overall supports for the students.

How did we update course grading?    

At our weekly instructional team meeting, prior to the second class session on March 24th, our team discussed proposals for updating the course grading that we wanted to bring to the students. We considered how we could meet the course objectives while also adapting the homework requirements. We brought our students a proposal that included making some assignments optional, giving the students choices, and turning most assignments into complete/incomplete grading rather than grading with a points-based rubric.  From our perspective, the students seemed to greet this proposal with relief. 

During the class, after our guest speaker presented, we checked in and reviewed our community agreements, and then we talked about the potential changes to course grading.  We opened the discussion by talking about the context for making changes, the fact that students had chosen this course and wanted to learn the content, and our proposed changes to the grading.  The students were receptive to the proposed grading strategies and agreed to most of them, and the bulk of the discussion was around how to modify the final assignment.  Students actively participated in the discussion via webcam, microphone, or in the typed chat, and expressed a lot of empathy for each other and their changing situations.  Afterward, students unanimously voted to accept the changes we discussed.  

Here are the two slides we shared during the second class session, showing the original version of the grading policy and our proposed updates for discussion:

Here is a slide summarizing our final course grading updates, which reflects what we agreed upon with our students:

How did we modify the final assignment?

The final assignment was originally a group project made up of several steps that culminated in a final paper and short class presentation.  When we discussed this with the class, students shared that the logistics of group projects were overwhelming during this time, and they asked for the assignment to become a choice of either individual assignments or group projects.  They also asked to eliminate some of the steps, such as submitting an early draft of the assignment, and to change the culminating assignment into a choice of either writing a paper or doing a longer presentation.  There was a discussion about whether to make the assignment requirements less rigorous by letting students choose which assignment sections to complete instead of completing all of them, but ultimately the group decided that the course objectives would not be met without doing all of the sections.  We made all of the changes the students requested.  During the final class, we also gave students a choice about whether their final presentation would be recorded.

As part of the discussion, we pointed out that the students had all chosen this course topic and had specific professional goals in mind for the course, and we discussed how we might meet their goals while also accommodating their needs during the tumultuous semester.  We also shared the logic behind the original course design, which was intended to scaffold the assignment for the students in a supportive way, and discussed how to make changes to the assignment that removed some of the scaffolding without increasing stress.  

Here is a slide that reflects the changes we made, which we used in the subsequent class session to review and check for questions:

How did we increase supports for the students?

During the first week of class, we collaborated with our students on creating community agreements, which is a normal part of all online courses at Columbia’s School of Social Work. This was a living document that we revisited each week, and during one of our early class sessions, the students decided to add the agreement “Forgive each other; we’re all going through a lot right now.”  

Here is a slide with our class’s community agreements, which includes the agreement we added:

This was an agreement that we took to heart, and we built more understanding into the course.  For example, if a student was late to class, their attendance was counted as complete, instead of losing a point for lateness.  If a student needed to step away to take care of a child or other unexpected need, there was no penalty to the participation grade.  When one of CSSW’s students, Susan Chuang, passed away from complications due to covid-19, we held a moment of silence in class.  

We also looked to be mindful of how we structured class time in light of challenges. We intentionally paced out each class session when planning each week, to create sessions that were not rushed, in order to reduce stress or anxiety from feeling overwhelmed or oversaturated.  For example, we planned fewer breakout group activities and built in cushions for sections of class that could be skipped if we wanted to spend more time on an earlier part of class.

We tried to be gentle around expectations for being prepared for class. For example, before a group discussion of the readings, we did a presentation summarizing the readings to remind students of the key points.  We also gave students time and choice to either briefly process their experience of the pandemic in class, or opt to take their minds off of it by focusing on course content instead.  For example, we used the “Check-in choice” activity from CSSW’s webinar on trauma-informed teaching, which lets students decide what they wanted to share during quick class check-ins; they could choose to share one thing that has brought them hope, one thing that has been difficult, one act of kindness they have seen or done, or one tasty snack they had eaten recently.  

In addition, as the course Associate, Katherine sent weekly announcements the evening before class with reminders about the assignments and the bios of guest speakers, and she added more supportive language to these announcements.  The week before the final assignment was due, Katherine gently checked in with the students about their progress and whether they needed help. Here is an example:

“Good Evening All,

I hope you each are well and healthy as you move into your final week of classes! Congratulations on all your hard work throughout this program, and this semester in particular, there is so much to be proud of. 

[Discussion of termination activity] 

And, of course, we have final presentations and paper discussions tomorrow! Remember that you will be on camera for your presentation/discussion as well as for our final class selfie! I look forward to seeing you all in our final class tomorrow!

Warmly,

Katherine”

As the course Live Support Specialist, Nicole sent weekly announcements after class when the slides and recordings became available, and she also added more supportive language. Here is an example:

“Good evening, everyone! 

It was so wonderful to see you all the other night and hear about how you all are doing. I just wanted to reach out to you all to let you know that the recording and slides …..  

Please let me know if you have any questions! I hope you all have a lovely week and continue to stay well and safe. 

Warmly,

Nicole”

Finally, we built in time during our final class to celebrate the students’ accomplishments by giving them time to share their thoughts, take a group selfie on webcam, and share their contributions to a virtual class quilt that summed up their experiences in the course.  While we would have done a termination celebration anyway, we put more emphasis on particularly focusing on the students’ strengths and accomplishments during this time, and acknowledging the difficulties they faced during the semester.  We also gave them a menu of termination activities to choose from during the second-to-last class session, and discussed what would be most meaningful for them.

Student perspective:

After the course ended, grades were submitted, and students had graduated, we invited the students to share their perspectives, and one student generously offered feedback.  

Nykchasia Scott (CSSW ‘20) shared “The collaborative process our instructional team modeled allowed all participants to share power in the direction of the course. It felt as though our instructional team came prepared with a plan to facilitate a discussion and present options without declaring what the remainder of the semester would entail. We reviewed the syllabus again to ensure everyone was aware of the previous expectations for amending.Their presented changes felt appropriate to the global uncertainty with respect to our community agreements and individual challenges. 

The changes allowed the course to feel manageable and more enjoyable during a crisis. No matter what had happened previously or what would be coming after, I was able to be fully present and looked forward to engaging in the course because of how devoted the instructional team was in making it a supportive, safe space to learn. My recommendation: Be a mindful leader and ethical steward! Invite your students into the decision making process when making changes to the course. Don’t be afraid that making changes to an assignment, or even the entire syllabus, will take away from the lessons/learning objectives…… it will probably amplify the learning experience to be not only informative but positively impactful.” 

Our perspectives

After the course ended, we reflected on our updates to the course in response to the pandemic:

• Nicole: In an educational environment where social justice, transparency, and equity are so valued, it was incredibly refreshing to see those values reflected and practiced in the work of our students and the teaching team this semester. I don’t think any of us would have been able to anticipate the necessary changes we had to make to the course and its requirements, but the changes we made helped amplify the importance of living and breathing values that align with the values and ethics of social work. As someone who works in the victim services field, a trauma informed approach is so critical to ensure that individuals who have experienced a traumatic incident are not harmed further. We know that many of us have experienced some form of trauma during this global pandemic, and the opportunity to attempt to reduce the amount of further harm and stress for our students, in an already difficult time, was such a gift. I deeply admire the ways in which Professor Marquart and Katherine provided our students with options and choices, as a mechanism to give our students some element of control back, in a time when so much was and is out of our control. It was truly a privilege to be a part of this process, and amazing to see the integration of the values and ethics we teach into our regular practice as a teaching team. I’m hopeful that our approach bolstered the educational experience our students had in this course. 
• Katherine: I really appreciated the flexibility and commitment to students’ learning that I saw in my instructional team; I learned so much from them and their support and caring nature seemed to make this experience not only possible but also positive. I think the ability to be in clear communication and seek feedback both from each other and students made navigating these transitions go as smoothly as possible given these times. It was a joy and honor to work with Nicole, Professor Marquart, and all the students throughout this course.
• Matthea:  I was grateful to work with this talented, dedicated, and compassionate instructional team during the spring semester, particularly during the pandemic;  it was enormously helpful to be able to talk through and collaborate on updates to our course.  I also found that sharing power with our students around course decision-making was incredibly helpful. Our collaborative decision-making supported keeping students engaged and empowered during this stressful and challenging time, and it was valuable to get their thoughtful input on how to meet their goals and the course objectives while also making accommodations for the unique barriers to learning — they had expertise on what would work for them.  Discussing the course changes with the students ultimately made the course stronger.

Recommendations

We hope that the lessons learned from this experience are applicable to other educators who want to partner with students and get class feedback on course content.  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed that our instructional team and students alike worked to be adaptive and persevere in the face of uncertainty, adversity, and change. The following recommendations highlight strategies we found to be helpful to navigate our significant course transitions and change.

• We worked to prioritize equity and access in regard to student learning needs during the course transitions. For example, when a student didn’t have a strong internet connection to access the course site, we emailed that week’s readings. We also allowed for students to choose whether or not to be on camera especially in consideration of internet connection challenges.
• We set the foundation of our course with community agreements and revisited the community agreements each class session to allow for the agreements to be a working document, easily adaptable and responsive to changing needs.
• We worked to keep lines of communication open through the change; this included allowing time for discussion to process change and proactively reaching out to students during the implementation through gentle reminders in class and via email.
• We found that employing trauma-informed strategies especially in consideration to our current environment was important; we implemented these strategies in class session outlines and major assignments. 
• It was helpful to be flexible in making changes to major assignments. To do this, we sought feedback from students and within our teaching team.
• We found that including guest speakers supported the students in engaging with the material in an accessible way especially within the context of the pandemic.
• If we were to do this again, we might leave out assignments that we had made optional to possibly increase engagement in other areas because, understandably, no one did the optional presentation.
• We prioritized our students’ well-being, safety, and health, to embody our core values of respecting the dignity and worth of the person as well as recognizing the importance of human relationships. While there is always an inherent power dynamic between the instructional team and students, it was important to shift our communication and engagement with our students, to ensure that they felt that they were individuals surviving a pandemic first, and students receiving grades second. 

How did you adjust your courses during COVID-19? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

References/Resources: 

• Butler, L.D. & Carello, J.A. (2014, October). Using trauma-informed principles and practices to enhance classroom emotional safety. Round table presented at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Tampa, FL. 
• Carello, J. (2019). Examples of trauma-informed teaching and learning in college classrooms. Retrieved from https://traumainformedteaching.blog/resources/  
• Carello, J., & Butler, L. D. (2015). Practicing what we teach: Trauma-informed educational practice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35(3), 262-278.
• Creswell Báez, J., Marquart, M., Garay, K., and Chung, R. Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning Online: Principles & Practices During a Global Health Crisis. Handout deposited in Columbia University’s Academic Commons: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-gc9d-na95 
• Creswell Báez, J. and Marquart, M.  Webinar #2: Trauma-informed teaching & learning (TITL) online (Adobe Connect version). Slides and handouts deposited in Columbia University’s Academic Commons: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-8z2a-ae81. Recording available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tm4JGtBEzR8.  Part of a webinar series for faculty transitioning to teaching online, with recordings and resources posted here: https://bit.ly/CSSW_WebinarSeries_TransitioningOnline 
• Creswell Báez, J. and Marquart, M.  Webinar #2: Trauma-informed teaching & learning (TITL) online (Zoom version). Slides and handouts deposited in Columbia University’s Academic Commons: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-se8h-zf85. Recording available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pZZ1q5Akk0k. Part of a webinar series for faculty transitioning to teaching online, with recordings and resources posted here: https://bit.ly/CSSW_WebinarSeries_TransitioningOnline 
• Harris, M., & Fallot, R. D. (Eds.). (2001). New directions for mental health services. Using trauma theory to design service systems. San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass.
• Marquart, M., Creswell Báez, J., and Garay, K. (2019, August 21 and 22).  Intensive Workshop on Power, Trauma and Grading. Workshop facilitated for the online faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work.  Slides deposited in Columbia University’s Academic Commons: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-4fh7-zm92
• Marquart, M. and Verdooner, E. (2019, June 16). Sharing power with students by seeking their input on a grading rubric. [Blog Post] Retrieved from Teaching and Learning in Social Work Blog: https://laureliversonhitchcock.org/2019/06/19/sharing-power-with-students-by-seeking-their-input-on-a-grading-rubric/ 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf

How to cite this blog post:

Marquart, M., Seibel, K., and Wong, N.  (2020, June 8). Fostering a spirit of collaboration with Social Work Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Blog Post]. Retrieved from Teaching and Learning in Social Work Blog: https://laureliversonhitchcock.org/2020/06/08/fostering-a-spirit-of-collaboration-with-social-work-students-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/