Member Spotlights
Professor Scantlebury Uses Many Avenues To Reach Students Online
Nov 12, 2020
Michael Scantlebury makes a point to start his Hospitality and
Tourism Management classes with music, anything from world music to
pop. That custom has continued this semester with his online
classes. "I find that music sort of sets the energy for the class
and it gives a bit of a lift, not just to me but to students as
well," said Scantlebury, associate professor. "I think given
the current situation, you’ve got to try to use as many avenues as
possible to reach the students." Scantlebury and fellow faculty
members have found myriad ways to optimize the learning experience and
connection to students as they conduct classes virtually.
One avenue for that interaction emerged through the course
content, which deeply explores heritage tourism. He described one
discussion about culture and food in which students talked about their
own personal culinary cultural traditions passed through
generations. "I'm trying to intently reach out to them and
connect them to the material in a much more personal way,"
Scantlebury said. A key feature in online pedagogy for Scantlebury is
interspersing class discussions with short videos to help enhance what
students are learning. Recently he took students around the world,
sharing his experiences from the Aruba Carnival to Día de los Muertos,
or Day of the Dead, celebrations in San Francisco while also showing
videos to help spur discussion. While he has plenty of stories from
working in the travel and tourism industry since 1985, he said he
knows the videos also help keep students engaged in the online setting
by breaking up the lecture.
He said he is grateful for the professional development he has
received through Grand Valley to explore ways of compressing extensive
ideas when presenting material. While Scantlebury laments that he
won't be able to hold his customary semester-culminating events,
complete with food, he said it is always fulfilling to see students'
academic growth. "What I recognize is that students get so close
to the material, they don’t recognize how much they’re learning,"
he said.
Watch Michael
Scantlebury discuss how he connects with students in an online setting...
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