Conveying a Passion for Learning - Remotely

When Dr. Barbara Hughey’s 2.671 Mechanical Engineering class was transitioned off campus in March 2020, she quickly video-recorded the 7 labs that students would perform over the course of the semester, before she left. To Hughey’s surprise, recording them allowed her to convey what was valuable and interesting about the experiments. She could point out various features of the sensors, and how one can use them to measure particular phenomena. When previously she would have communicated the lab requirements entirely via written directions, Hughey was able to express in her videos interest and passion about the experiments in a way that couldn’t be done in written instruction.

“Dr. Hughey’s passion and enthusiasm for the subject becomes so apparent in her lively and genuine way she conducts herself in person and through those incredible videos.” - student in 2.671

In the following video Dr Hughey reflects on her teaching and discusses how she successfully taught 2.671 remotely: how she and her teaching colleagues adjusted expectations of the students, accommodated and supported globally remote students, and the ways that she was able to connect with her class even in a remote environment.

“[Dr. Hughey] still took the time to connect with her students and send personalized notes after our poster sessions. She is the first professor that I feel like is on my team and is rooting for me to succeed.”   - student in 2.671

>> Dr. Barbara Hughey on Teaching Remotely
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