How Will COVID-19 Change Forestry Education? A Study of US Forest Operations Instructors

Abstract

The COVID-19 (COVID) pandemic affected nearly every aspect of higher education. It has been particularly disruptive to forest operations courses that rely heavily on field experiences. Dodson and Blinn (2021) surveyed US forest operations instructors at four-year institutions granting SAF-accredited forestry degrees to understand how they rapidly modified courses during spring 2020 to accommodate a move to fully remote instruction. Through an online survey and interviews, a follow-up study was conducted to understand how courses were modified when instructors had time to prepare and what, if any, of those modifications are likely to be retained upon a return to in-person instruction. Two main themes emerged from the survey and interviews: instructors will expand the range of tools and methods used to convey course content, and they have a renewed respect for the importance of field experience and personal interactions.Study ImplicationsCOVID-19 has affected academic instruction and workforce readiness. A broadening of instructors’ digital skill sets and resources, pedagogical modifications, and a renewed appreciation of field experiences and interactions with students will have a positive influence on instruction in the future. The professional preparation of graduates suffered during the pandemic because of a marked decrease in field time and personal interaction between and among faculty and students. Employers need to anticipate that additional training in field methods and application of forestry concepts to real-world situations may be necessary for new employees who were educated during the pandemic.