The Faces of Our Heroes by Kat Lunn
The Ranger community makes a difference in the midst of a global pandemic. Leading with Empathy
R O U N D U P 2019-2020
When Northwestern classes went online in the spring semester due to COVID-19, Dr. Steven Maier, Professor of Physics and Department Chair of Natural Sciences, knew he needed to teach in a way that would ensure students would not fall through the cracks. Maier set out to engage his students with fun and, most important, empathy.
With “dad jokes” and background music, Maier recorded himself doing experiments and visually explaining concepts. He did more video work for one specific class, Inquiry Based Physics, which is set primarily in a lab. “I felt like the students needed to see the equipment being utilized and, as concretely as possible, the data that would be generated from their experiments,” said Maier. “A lot of little things I did in the videos I did knowing some might never watch it. Even though I was putting time into them, I wasn’t losing sleep trying to get them done. I tried to make them informative and rewarding.” Maier demonstrated physics concepts like contact forces and freefall using lab equipment and fun props. He said students seemed to enjoy the videos. “Dr. Maier did an excellent job of reinventing his way of teaching when Northwestern went online,” said Liberty Bird, Northwestern sophomore. “He made sure everyone understood the material by creating step-by-step videos. He made these videos enjoyable to watch by adding a quirky joke or funny theme song. Dr. Maier outdid himself and made my quarantine time more enjoyable while completing my classes online.” His other classes met over Zoom, where he lectured and worked problems on his shared computer screen. At the end of class, Maier would record a short video summarizing what content was discussed in class. The Hard Part? “Not knowing whether or not the students were with me,” said Maier, responding to what was most difficult for him. “I wondered if some students really were engaged and if they were getting anything out of the course. As a teacher, you want to make sure the students are there with
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you and that they are learning the content as we go along. “There wasn’t a way for me to know what everyone’s circumstances were. I gave them the resources and the tools to get the content, in hopes the students would benefit from them.” One thing Maier emphasized in his classes and the entire Science Department was being empathetic. “Ordinarily, we would impose hard deadlines; you don’t hit the deadlines, there are consequences,” explained Maier. “There was a huge shift with the movement to remote instruction. The shift for me was encouraging people to reconsider what ‘deadline’ means. Additionally, another consideration was whether or not there should be the same consequences and expectations for participation. I really tried to open the doors in terms of what’s acceptable by not reducing the rigor, but trying to be more open about how we can get things done in the class.”
Dr. Maier with two students viewing a solar eclipse in 2017.
