Postcards from the Pandemic: Teaching Creative Writing During COVID-19

Paper


Cantrell, Kate, Doolan, Emma and Palmer, Kelly. 2020. "Postcards from the Pandemic: Teaching Creative Writing During COVID-19." 25th Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference (AAWP 2020). Gold Coast, Australia 16 - 18 Nov 2020
Paper/Presentation Title

Postcards from the Pandemic: Teaching Creative Writing During COVID-19

Presentation TypePaper
AuthorsCantrell, Kate (Author), Doolan, Emma (Author) and Palmer, Kelly (Author)
ERA Conference ID77180
Year2020
Web Address (URL) of Paperhttps://www.aawp.org.au/annual-conference/25th-annual-conference/
Conference/Event25th Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference (AAWP 2020)
Conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
Event Details
25th Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference (AAWP 2020)
Event Date
16 to end of 18 Nov 2020
Event Location
Gold Coast, Australia
Event Details
Conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs
Abstract

This panel offers perspectives from three creative writing academics on the personal and professional challenges of teaching creative writing during the COVID-19 pandemic. As lockdown began and social distancing became the norm, mainstream media looked to writers for advice on how to work from home, while teachers used to delivering face-to-face instruction devised new strategies for engaging students online. Some of these strategies worked; others didn’t. Unsurprisingly, as many students struggled to adjust, anxiety increased and students' capacity to engage with their studies was affected. In some cases, the type of stories students submitted for assessment also changed. Following the question of how this adaptation, or failure to adapt, inevitably transformed creative writing praxis, this panel explores three practical and pedagogical intersections: managing workloads, making allowances, and maintaining wellness during a pandemic. This paper suggests that while art may absorb chaos and anxiety to aesthetic effect, teachers and students are stretched beyond capacity.

Keywordscreative writing; creative writing pedagogy; higher education; creative arts research; online learning; digital pedagogies; COVID-19
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390101. Creative arts, media and communication curriculum and pedagogy
390303. Higher education
360201. Creative writing (incl. scriptwriting)
Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Southern Queensland
Southern Cross University
Queensland University of Technology
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q6027/postcards-from-the-pandemic-teaching-creative-writing-during-covid-19

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