Zoomcursions – A hybrid way of working and learning
With our NSW team in lockdown during Term 3, we decided to trial online Studies of Religion programs – ‘Zoomcursions’ – for Year 11 and 12 students. Guided by our Senior Education Officer, Kate Xavier, a Studies of Religion Teacher and former HSC marker, the workshops were a blend of content, student reflection, collaboration and Q&A.
During the sessions, our Education team delivered syllabus-linked content and students reflected on their intercultural learnings by finding similarities, differences and points of connection between the speakers and themselves.
A great opportunity to deepen their understanding of syllabus content, students really enjoyed having the chance to ask an ‘adherent’ of a different faith direct questions and hearing a lived expression of their belief. Students also enjoyed rare glimpses into personal wedding photos, prayer recitation and stories of how the faith has been lived out in a COVID era.
The response has been very positive, and has given us the opportunity to work with new schools across NSW including Tara Anglican College, St Euphemia Greek Orthodox College and St Aloysius College.
Adapting to this hybrid way of working, we plan to develop a series of online workshops that link Years 4-10 curriculum and explore topics such as Migration, Diverse Celebrations and our Connected World, and tap into our rich presenter pool to bring learning to life in a virtual way for students across Australia.
