TALON: Teaching and Learning in Pandemic Times

Abstract

In the wake of COVID-19 closures, faculty, staff, and students have found themselves forced to embrace the digital classroom. Like many institutions, the University of Calgary has worked quickly to pivot to online teaching and learning, using both tried and new tools. The Teaching and Learning Online Network (TALON), founded at the beginning of the pandemic, has supported this process and created a platform for an open and evolving dialogue around emerging technologies and practices. This article outlines the initiative as a case study supporting the effort to create a sustainable ecology for online teaching and learning. Recommendations for those embarking to set up similar networks are provided with inputs on how to collaborate beyond institutional boundaries.