In response to the challenges faced by staff to the immediate switch to online teaching, the Sociology Teaching Online Group (TOG) did the following:

1. Produced a Canvas site where the TOG designed their own, specific training and resources, as well as curated and collated resources and advice from external sources
2. Developed and hosted online cafes designed to help teaching colleagues, including postgraduates, prepare materials and approaches. Planned to operate in the run-up to semesters one and two, the cafes were so in demand, that they continued to run throughout the academic year

(Left) Screenshot from TOG Canvas discussion board // (Right) Screenshot of TOG cafe discussion

The benefit of the TOG being peer-initiated and self-supporting was that it was built on a shared practical knowledge of Sociology Teaching staff’s immediate context and the challenges they faced in real-time. The TOG could move more quickly than centralised University support and recognised the particular conditions that were relevant in Sociology.

Below are some examples of how TOG’s approach directly responded to the challenges faced by teaching staff during 2020-2021. These challenges are identified and expanded on in this section, they were:

• Unhealthy work-life balance.
• Lack of (sense of) control. 
• Acting with partial knowledge.
• Conflicting messaging

Unhealthy work-life balance

"Pauline [McCormack] and TOG are really good at kind of taking stock of where we're at and what's needed and pulling back a bit, rather than having meetings, for the sake of them and I think that's a really positive thing"

Teaching staff member

TOG resources and cafes helped people manage change in an adaptive way rather than having to invent online teaching from a blank slate, finding ways to mobilise existing resources and modify practices and pedagogies. As teaching staff, TOG understood the demands on time and energy of fellow teaching staff and how to navigate these rather than add to the workload.

Lack of (sense of) control

"The cafes became a neutral moaning shop or [a place to say] ‘I found a solution to something’, or ‘try this’. I found that helpful because even if I didn't join the group live… they'd record a session and I could dip into it and find ‘oh yeah that's the thing I'm looking for!’"

Sociology teaching staff member

The existence of the cafes and Canvas resources provided a feeling of security for colleagues even if they didn’t always actively use them. Colleagues were reassured that there were collective spaces for working through difficulties. 

Acting with partial knowledge

"If I had to set up the canvas page from scratch [on my own], then… I probably would be in tears."

Sociology teaching staff member commenting on how a TOG member had supported in their teaching

The cafes provided a context where people could be vulnerable about change, admit to fears and concerns, and discuss things that were not working. Sharing problems proved positive for generating good ideas and practices. The cafes enabled passing on and picking up day-to-day teaching tips that colleagues developed in their modules. This enhanced the student experience. 

Conflicting messaging

"If I'd have been responding to what senior management said I would have been in a total mess and I would have got to September [2020] and not have done the prep that I needed it would have been unmanageable."

Sociology teaching staff member referring to the messaging and support from central university.

Central advice and training is important but can feel overwhelming. The dialogue of the TOG helped with the translation work of making central resources usable and relevant to local needs and priorities.