Realities of Engaging Neurodiverse Students in Higher Education During COVID
“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.”
Attributed to Alan Turing, as depicted in the film The Imitation Game (2014)
When I first became a teacher of record at a university for entry-level writing composition courses in 2018, the teaching environment looked entirely different from the world we see now. Before the days of obsessive hand washing, mask-wearing, and social distancing, my students would come to class excited to critically analyze the works they had read. Often their enthusiastic eyes would light up as we discussed complex essays, articles, and creative works. My students fed off each other’s responses as I created a space for academic discussion, debate, and exploration. The conversations we would have before class, the in-class discussions, and other various nuances of in-person teaching developed a sense of camaraderie. Many in academia, myself included, believe communication and personalization are as essential as the textbooks themselves.
Before COVID, my students came into class and met me directly. This created a [...]