Typically, it’s a backpack and a stack of books for the first day of classes, but this year, instructors at Lethbridge College are armed with tech tool kits.

“The kits have all of the technology they would need to teach online in a way that best simulated what would happen in a classroom, and those flew off the shelf,” said Kyle Snowdon, senior manager of library and digital learning with Lethbridge College.

The tech kits have video cameras, tripods and microphones for recording lectures and even GoPro cameras.

“You can actually have the camera strapped to your head and sort of give a hands free demonstration to your students, so that’s where someone could get in the engine of a car and they could be recording that video to show their students,” Snowdon said.

The high-tech tools are helping instructors navigate uncharted waters amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The college has online workshops to help prep faculty on all of the supports available.

“The last month and a half to two months has been reeducating ourselves on how to deliver content and how to leverage those technologies,” said Dave Maze, chair of the School of Justice Studies at the college.

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He said with the added components of online options, in-person lectures and synchronizing both of those for students to view an ongoing class, has meant a very busy summer for educators.

“It’s almost double the work that we would normally do for a face-to-face class because not only do we have to set up the material but we now have to be able to present our material and set up experiential learning in a virtual environment,” said Maze.

Snowdon said they’re always prepping students to be ready for a changing work force and now they are leading by example as faculty are learning right alongside students when it comes to the new technology.

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