COVID Anniversary – The Good, the Bad, and How We’ll Do Better
Craig Shibley,
Director of Multimedia Services at
California Baptist University
Last March I was planning my annual trip to MLB Spring Training in Arizona when I got an email from campus with a COVID update saying that our county was considered safe and we were going to continue business as usual. Followed by an email the next day saying our chapel services were being canceled for the next week.
As you well know, from there things escalated quickly. The Spring Training games I was going to see were canceled, but we went to Arizona anyway and holed up in non-refundable B&B. It wasn’t the most relaxing time as more information regarding the virus and my university’s response to it came out, first extending spring break a week and then moving everything remote.
But then we worked. And while we worked…we waited. Marching orders hadn’t come in yet, so there was anxious planning and brainstorming and what-ifs and a lot that never came to fruition. Once things were determined for Fall, we were down to about six weeks to get 60-ish rooms ready for remote teaching. Everything else would be done from offices. That was six weeks for a six-month project, so suffice it to say some things were undone or redone for Spring. From people I’ve talked to and articles I’ve read, it seems most tech managers had a similar experience.
Am I proud of the job we did over the last year? Absolutely. Were there things I would have changed for myself and those I worked with if given the opportunity? Of course. Here’s the Good, the Bad, and How We’ll Do Better of our COVID AV implementation.
The Good:
Being good at our job prior to March 2020. That may sound a little too cocky and not important since it’s not directly COVID-related, but I stand by it. And I don’t mean myself when I say this. I mean the AV community. I take no credit for it. I credit the community for teaching me things and showing me the technology I would need to know long before the pandemic began. We were discussing remote learning, streaming, lecture capture, and touchless protocols long before the necessary implementation of those things. I met and have (Twitter) friendships with Zoom reps that I met through InfoComm and other industry gatherings. HETMA had a virtual conference in December of 2019! (As Joe Way likes to say, before it was cool.)
The pandemic definitely hit the accelerator on the implementation of the above items and many more things, but they weren’t new to us. They were things most of us had been pitching, or at the very least had in mind, long before the rest of the world saw the need.
The Bad:
We communicate a lot about communicating but sometimes don’t communicate when communication is necessary to communicate communicate communicate communicate…
We talk a lot about communication and breaking down silos. What I didn’t see coming was how quickly in an emergency that new silos can be created. There is no ill will or unbecoming motives. It can simply be that we all move to focus on a goal that the positive of “focus” can become the negative of “tunnel vision.” Assumptions can be made, or things simply may not be brought through the right communication channels in the rush.
To their credit, professors adjusted very well in a short amount of time to begin teaching remotely. With this, they gained their own tricks, techniques, and styles for doing so. One issue we had was not knowing about these techniques as we began to put in remote learning technology. What they had learned quickly to do from March through August was not necessarily available to them when classes began for the Fall semester. My team achieved its direct goal, but in doing so we missed some practical uses and adjustments for the rooms that professors would like to see.
No, you can’t please everyone. Not every technique would’ve been accommodated, especially in the short period of time we had. That being said, our focus was getting things done in a way that would translate best for traditional teaching, casting the biggest net, and not helping the unique and amazing ways professors adapted during the time they taught from their home or office.
How We’ll Do Better:
As we implement, it’s important to let people know what we’re implementing. Our communication prior to this was “we’ll be ready for remote instruction by Fall” with no clear explanation of what “ready for remote instruction” entailed. What that means for me and my team could be something completely different for you and yours. Even before getting the rooms done, being able to say what technology is in each room, what they are capable of, and what expected use is. This may mean a few lists of rooms, as currently, we have two different streaming setups on campus. A “Class A capabilities” and “Class B capabilities” list may be in order.
From there, it will be easier to learn what may be missing and what professors are trying to do. All implementation we did came with direct input from the Provost’s office, but even then some direct, specific input from professors may be missed. Making sure faculty know ahead of time what the capabilities are will allow them to see if their tricks and techniques will work, and how to adapt. Saying “ready for remote instruction” and then having them come in with it not at all being able to work for their remote instruction was a bit of a shock to them and my team, and we will do better. Not all specific styles will be accommodated for, but having an awareness that something won’t work is much better than thinking something will work and having to change very close to classes starting.
As a close, I want to say thank you and great work to the AV community in general and the Higher ED AV community specifically. I’ve gotten closer and gained more respect for those I work with. I’ve had wonderful conversations and gained a better understanding of integrators and manufacturers. I am proud of our industry. I think we always knew we were essential. I think the rest of the world knows now.
Craig Shibley
Craig Shibley,
Director of Multimedia Services at
California Baptist University
Craig Shibley has been in the AV industry for twenty years, and in higher education for ten. He currently serves as the Director of Multimedia Services for California Baptist University in Riverside, CA. Craig is a HETMA steering committee member and the founder of CheckMyAV.com, an all-in-one AV testing resource and blog. Feel free to reach out to him on Twitter @craigshibley.
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