【Teaching Practice Report】

The Best of Both: Adaptations of Classroom Practices andLesson Design in the Transition from an Online to an
On-Campus Classroom Environment
Andrew Tyner
Abstract
In this paper, I examine the changes I have made to classroom practices and lesson design as I transition from afully online classroom environment utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic to an on-campus classroom
environment. I find that there are several beneficial technologies, particularly online teaching tools, which could be
carried over from one learning environment to the other. These elements include the use of the Zoom platform
within the classroom, the Blackboard learning management service, and multimedia lesson components. While theuse of these tools has sometimes meant changes to my previously established classroom practices, I find that thesetools help make my classes more immediately interactive, overcome some practical limitations of a physicalclassroom, provide additional learning opportunities, and, in some cases, help facilitate measures that might help
prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Keywords: technology in the classroom, classroom practices, lesson design

Introduction
The role of technology in the classroom has been extensively explored in both academic andpopular literature, particularly over the past two decades. The fact that technology is becoming
increasingly prevalent both inside and outside of the classroom is undeniable. In particular, the useof Zoom and other similar platforms has proliferated widely over the past year and a half during the
global COVID-19 pandemic. As more and more educational institutions transition back to face-to-faceclasses in the wake of the pandemic, questions emerge regarding what might be adapted from online
lessons to benefit face-to-face lessons. In other words, how might the best parts of the virtual learning
environment be carried over into the classroom?
I teach at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan in the department of Foreign Language Education
and Research. All my classes were online during the 2020 academic year. In 2021, most of the springsemester was online. The classes taught during this period, English discussion, debate, andpresentation,1 were all taught using a combination of Zoom as a classroom environment, e-mail forcommunication outside of class or virtual office hours,2 and Blackboard3 to deliver documents,
announcements, and assignment instructions, as well as for students to turn in completed
assignments and receive written feedback.
Now, in the fall 2021 academic term, as my university largely returns to face-to-face lessons, and123

My debate and presentation courses are conducted in English and have the dual purpose of teaching skills relevant topresentation and debate and improving English language proficiency.
Conducted on Zoom.
Blackboard is an online teaching tool, often referred to as a learning management system, which incorporates many elements.
These include the ability to conduct quizzes or tests online; provide announcements, homework assignments, and otherdocuments to students; receive assignment submissions from students and provide the teacher with a means to give feedbackon those submissions; and provide grade management tools, among several other features.

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THE BEST OF BOTH: ADAPTATIONS OF CLASSROOM PRACTICES AND LESSON DESIGN IN THE TRANSITIONFROM AN ONLINE TO AN ON-CAMPUS CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

as I teach presentation and debate courses, I am reflecting on my attempts to integrate the beneficial
components of the online classes, particularly the technologies used during online lessons, with myon-campus lessons. Chief among my concerns in this process has been that the adaptations will
benefit the students in clear, definable ways. In short, I have attempted to enhance my existing
on-campus lesson designs with technologies that each offer some specific and immediate benefits.
In this study, I shall focus on on-campus integration of the main technologies used to facilitate
my online lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely, Zoom and Blackboard, as well as
multimedia lesson components. As I have discussed previously4, the objectives of, and in large part,the basic methodology for, planning and conducting an online class are in close alignment with thoseof on-campus classes. The primary difference, in the case of online lessons, is the use of technology
to overcome the limitations imposed by the literal distance between the students and their teacher
and classmates, yet the physical classroom is not perfect; it has its limitations as well. Presently I
wish to explore the use of technology, on one hand, to enhance and improve a given class, while on
the other, to overcome various limitations of the physical classroom setting.

Discussion
During the first couple of weeks of the Fall 2021 semester, as most courses at the university
returned to face-to-face lessons, I taught my classes largely as I had prior to the pandemic. I used the
textbooks and whiteboard or chalkboard as my primary in-class teaching tools. This was notineffective. However, having used a wider variety of technology during online lessons in the
pandemic, I had the feeling that something was missing. Many of my colleagues indicated that they
were continuing to use the online tools that they had integrated into their classes over the previous
few semesters. Even though, in hindsight, this idea was rather straightforward, I had not fully
considered the possibility of carrying over a significant portion of class design and methodology
from the online lessons.
Now, my on-campus classes mirror my recent online classes in several ways. When my students
enter the classroom, I ask that they sign in to Zoom. The students do not turn on their cameras or
microphones, but even by simply signing in to zoom, attendance recordkeeping is made easier. Thisis a not insignificant help in an environment where all students must wear masks and sit well apartfrom one another in a large classroom. Problems of teachers and students not seeing or hearing one
another clearly during attendance check may be averted. Still a greater benefit is to be had throughsharing information with the students using the Zoom platform.
If a given activity has comparatively complex instructions, rather than simply writing the
instructions on the whiteboard or chalkboard or displaying them on a single screen as I explainthem, I can put the instructions directly in front of each student through the chat feature. Thisobviates difficulty for the students in seeing instructions clearly in a large, socially distanced
classroom. I can also send useful online links or other information to students using the class chatfunction, enhancing their note-taking ability without drawing their attention away from the device
whereon they keep their notes. Rather than having the students wait for me to write something on
the board, I can give students information much more quickly as I can quickly type or copy and paste
information directly into the chat.
Yet another benefit of having this chat feature available during class is that students can ask
4Tyner, A. (2021) Finding Time: Reflections on English Discussion Lesson and Activity Timing in the Shift to Online Lessons
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Journal of Multilingual Pedagogy and Practice 1, 16-22.

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questions during activities and receive answers. Certainly, students are always welcome to ask
questions aloud, but this method is helpful for students who are shy or embarrassed to ask aquestion. Further, questions and answers exchanged this way to not disturb students who are
actively participating in an activity.
Khan and Iqbal (2020) note that taking feedback from students regularly is one means to“ensure quality of the [class] sessions” (p. 1) when using online classroom tools. Regarding this,students are able to not only ask questions but also give immediate feedback to me using Zoom chat.
If something is difficult to understand or if more examples are required—in short, there is somethinga student wishes to express about the immediate circumstances of their learning—they can offer thisusing the Zoom chat function quickly and unobtrusively. Even something as simple as asking for themeaning of a word, requesting to hear something again, or seeking further examples, can make thedifference between understanding and not understanding.
Zoom, as I have already mentioned, helps to facilitate the use of multimedia lesson components.
Though the use of video and audio in the classroom is long established, generally, in any given class,
my use of audio and video is limited. The main reason for this limited use of multimedia is to give thestudents more time to speak and use the skills being learned. However, a further consideration has
been that, in the past, the use of video or audio often meant some break in the flow of the lesson, aslow-down, or attention transitioned from notebooks and textbooks to a screen or audio device andback.
Now, with concerns about the spread of COVID-19, there are further difficulties. I havementioned some already. Students are spaced apart from one another in large classrooms, forinstance. This makes the use of a single screen difficult, logistically. Additionally, classroom doors
and windows are kept open to provide ventilation. This often causes sound disturbances. Playing avideo or audio segment loudly enough for students at the back of the room to hear clearly necessarilymeans disturbing neighboring classes. In addition, the various sources of noise one encounters with
open doors and windows means that even relatively loud audio may be suddenly drowned out by thesiren of an emergency vehicle or some such other random sound. These concerns must be weighedagainst the potential benefits of multimedia use.
When considering the benefits of multimedia use in the classroom, first there is the informational
content of a given video or audio segment, and then, of notable importance in the language classroom,
there is the potential for video and audio segments to provide high-quality examples in real-world or
realistic scenarios. Multimedia has the capacity to offer something beyond the immediate classroom
experience. Khan & Iqbal (2020) note that a video is, itself, a potential source of student engagement(p. 1). Hall & Dougherty Stahl highlight the “Dual Coding Theory” which holds that “our brains
process and remember more effectively when we are actively taking information in through both ourverbal and nonverbal channels” (p. 404).
There are numerous reasons to integrate multimedia components into on-campus classes.
Indeed, teachers around the world have done this for years. The difference of note in the present
situation is that in carrying over the use of Zoom from online classes, the integration of multimedia
components can now be almost seamless. Now, short video or audio examples can be used at
virtually any point in the lesson with minimal disturbance to lesson flow or to student concentration.
PowerPoint presentations as well as video and audio segments that might have been difficult to seeor hear for students in the back of a large room are now directly in front of each student on their

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THE BEST OF BOTH: ADAPTATIONS OF CLASSROOM PRACTICES AND LESSON DESIGN IN THE TRANSITIONFROM AN ONLINE TO AN ON-CAMPUS CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

preferred screen5. Students can also use earphones for greater audio clarity when using Zoom on
their Internet-enabled device, which is of particular importance in a language classroom. Students,
spaced widely apart from one another as a means of social distancing, need not move close to thefront of the room to see or hear clearly.
If the benefits of using Zoom in the classroom are evident, are there any drawbacks? One
potential drawback is the much discussed ‘Zoom fatigue.’ While I am in no way an expert on thephysical and psychological effects of technology use, literature on the topic of Zoom fatigue seems tosuggest that it may not be likely under the circumstances of my classes as I have described them.
McWhirter (2020) notes regarding Zoom fatigue, “The constant eye contact with numerous
individuals at once compounded by the awareness of one’s own facial expressions can be exhausting
in itself… Additionally, fatigue comes from nonstop hours at the computer” (p. 41). Regarding theformer concern, the students do not use their cameras while signed-on to Zoom in the classroom. As
for the latter, while the students do use internet capable devices, whether a computer, tablet, or
smartphone, they do not use these devices constantly throughout the class. Rather, students
complete a wide variety of tasks, many of which require them to look away from their screens.
Hence, while Zoom fatigue is a serious concern in the realm of online classes, with Zoom integrated
as I have described, it seems Zoom fatigue might be unlikely.
One of the other major technologies I am currently using for my classes is Blackboard. While
Blackboard is a long-established tool for instructors, I had not, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, used
it extensively. I do not wish to explain how the use of Blackboard streamlines many of the processes
related to instruction. Rather, I wish to consider how the use of Blackboard has altered my classroom
practices6.
One measure suggested by the university as a COVID-19 prevention measure is not to distributeor collect physical copies of documents. As sensible as this measure is, in classes that involve a fairamount of writing or research, such as presentations or debates in my case, it does make things
somewhat difficult. One solution is the use of Blackboard by students to turn in homeworkassignments and for me to provide feedback and supplementary materials to students.
Prior to the pandemic, most homework was turned in to me either on paper or by email. This
was, logistically, difficult to manage. I had to physically manage the documents, keep them safe, write
feedback by hand on each one (at least in the case of assignments turned in on paper) even if someelements were repeated, and promptly return the assignments to the students.
Paperless assignments on Blackboard are much easier to manage. For one thing, the student
does not run the risk of either losing the instructions for an assignment or misplacing the assignment
once it is completed. Another advantage of digitally submitted homework assignments, particularly
writing assignments, is that either the student or the instructor can access them at any time. This isparticularly helpful to students in cases such that reference to one assignment may help in the
preparation of another assignment. Still another advantage is that feedback can be given to studentsin
writing at any time and subsequently referred to by either the instructor or student. Concerning the
5 Students are allowed to use laptop computers, tablets, or smartphones. It should also be noted that the university allows
students to borrow laptops should they need to do so. Thus, the potential problem of the unavailability of technology forstudents is sidestepped.
6 I should note that both presentation and debate, as presently delivered, are being taught in-person at Rikkyo University for the
first time in the Fall 2021 semester. When I refer to differences between my current and former practices, I refer to either myformer practices in various courses at Rikkyo and other institutions or between my planned and actual practices.

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submission of assignments through a learning management system, Amirul Islam (2017) notes,“Students will…feel more comfortable to write to their teacher as it can be only one to one
communication” (p. 82). While students may work in-class with the words ideas they have submitted
electronically, they know that the first person to see the writing will be their instructor. If there issome major problem, they will be informed. It takes away some of the pressure, and possibly someof the feeling of vulnerability that comes with sharing one’s writing with classmates.
Additionally, accountability is clear when assignment submission is managed electronically. A
student can be immediately aware of their past work, and may be cognizant of their overall
performance, at least in terms of homework writing, at little more than a glance. This allows students
to visualize what is expected of them and how they have responded to those expectations, to be both
responsible and responsive when it comes to homework assignments and, as Khan and Iqbal (2020)
note, “Responsiveness is the crux of learning” (p. 1).

Conclusion
Technology has a useful role to play in the classroom. My primary concern, as noted in the
introduction, was that any technology integrated into the classroom should be of actual, concrete
benefit to the students. The technologies I have integrated thus far certainly meet that criterion.
The transition from online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic to face-to-face classes
presents both challenges and opportunities. Many of the same online tools used during the pandemic
can continue to perform largely the same function in face-to-face lessons. Going paper-free, forinstance, potentially allows a measure of safety7 while also offering the benefits of easy submissionof assignments at any time and a means to provide written feedback to students quickly and simply.
The use of Zoom or similar platforms in the classroom can allow students to interact with classmaterials and their instructors more easily. Further, the integration of multimedia elements throughZoom or similar platforms might allow students to engage in different modes of learning than mightotherwise be possible, given the typical limitations of the physical classroom and the specificrestrictions connected to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.
In researching the technologies discussed in this paper, I find that one area of future interest to
instructors as they integrate online technologies into their classroom practices might be the further
development of learning management systems, such as Blackboard. As these systems develop, thepotential that the integration of AI and deep learning systems might be able to further tailor thesesystems to suit the needs of teachers and students. While such AI and deep learning systems are still
being developed, Dias et al. (2020) note that in such a system, “knowledge can be extracted
concerning the student’s preferred learning patterns while interacting with leaning resources, and/or while collaborating in groups” (p. 2). Such feedback would provide the instructor with additional
information with which to tailor their lessons to best suit their students. Beyond this, Dias et al.
(2020) note the potential of such a system “to provide behavioral information in terms of learning andattention deficits” (p. 2). If such a system were available, it could start to bridge the gap between thetreatment of learning difficulties and actual classroom instruction, which is an encouraging thought.
The fact that technology of potential benefit to the classroom will continue to emerge anddevelop is virtually undeniable. It seems the way forward is to find a balance between both online andin-class tools available to the instructor to best benefit the students. For my part, I will continue toevaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of online technologies as they become available. I am
certain that my classroom will continue to evolve.
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References
Amirul Islam, K.M. (2017). Using Learning Management System (LMS) to introduce Collaborative
Language Learning at Tertiary Level in Bangladesh. ASA University Review, 11(2), 77-83.
Dias, S.B., Hadjileontiadou, S.J., Diniz1, J. & Hadjileontiadis, L.J. (2020). DeepLMS: a deep learning
predictive model for supporting online learning in the Covid‑19 era. Scientific Reports,
10(19888), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-76740-9
Hall, M. & Dougherty Stahl, K.A. (2012). Devillainizing Video in Support of Comprehension andVocabulary Instruction. The Reading Teacher, 65(6), 403-406.
Khan, U.A. & Iqbal, K. (2020). Transition from on campus to online classroom in COVID 19:
Preparedness on part of university students and faculty. Isra Med Journal, 12(1), 1-2.
McWhirter, J.L. (2020). Are You Zoomed Out? Dealing With Zoom Fatigue in the Virtual Classroom.
Choral Journal, 61(2). 41-43.

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