Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NCA’s 2021 public program series, “Communication & Resilience: COVID in Contexts,” was held virtually as two special episodes of Communication Matters: The NCA Podcast and as a series of YouTube videos. This series included a spring and a fall public program.
The first program in the series, “The Future of Education: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities in Pandemic Learning” was released in April. This program focused on how COVID-19 has changed education and how those changes create challenges but also present opportunities for digital learning as we transition out of the pandemic. Panelists included Vinita Agarwal (Salisbury University), Mindy Fenske (University of South Carolina), Alanna Gillis (St. Lawrence University), Chris Gurrie (University of Tampa), Matthew Hubbs (Westcliff University), and Shannon Borke VanHorn (Valley City State University).
The second in the series, “Communication in a Changing World: Navigating Relationships During and Post Pandemic,” was released on October 14. This program focused on interpersonal relationships and social support in the context of COVID-19, both in and outside of the classroom. Panelists discussed the myriad ways the pandemic has impacted relational communication, including teacher-student relationships, family relationships, and other support relationships. Panelists included Jered Borup (George Mason University), Elizabeth Dorrance Hall (Michigan State University), Chris Segrin (University of Arizona), Mitch Vaterlaus (Montana State University), and Courtney N. Wright (University of Tennessee).
Listen to these special Communication Matters episodes or watch the videos on NCA’s YouTube channel today!