Pedagogy on the Fly

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about sudden changes in pedagogical strategies in higher education. How faculty processed these changes, as well as their lived experiences during these shifts, has informed fundamental shifts in higher education that will last long into the future. The aim of this phenomenological investigation was to explore the lived experience of new and experienced faculty at one midwestern university during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a qualitative phenomenological study using a stratified purposive sample, through learning management virtual LMS tours and semi-structured interviews, investigators explored the experiences of 27 new and experienced faculty members across 20 disciplines. Findings included themes of panic and stress, teaching during quarantine (quaranteaching), innovation and technology, acknowledging loss (something lost), giving grace, and carrying new learning forward (something gained). Investigators link findings to the literature, compare and contrast faculty experiences with those of a student, and discuss implications for teaching and research. This study contributes to the literature chronicling the fundamental shifts in higher education occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of these shifts on faculty and students.