Virtual Notebooks: Collaboration & Connection During COVID-19 and Beyond

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many instructors to find new ways to achieve learning outcomes and connect to students within a hybrid or online teaching landscape. However, some of the creative ways instructors connected with students can now be used both in online classes and as we adapt back into full-time in-person instruction. Virtual notebooks were a tool used by this writing team to help structure online and in-person courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as facilitate collaboration and reflection. Grounded in a connectivist pedagogy, virtual notebooks are interactive, “live” resources that allow instructors and students to collaborate in real time, link to outside resources easily, and store information in a central location. Three vignettes (two undergraduate courses, one graduate course) provide specific applications and recommendations for virtual notebook use in recreation and leisure courses. A companion website is also provided to assist with logistical concerns, linked here: https://bit.ly/VirtualNotebooks.

Keywords:

• Collaboration
• connectivism
• hybrid instruction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).