Abstract:

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the rapid adoption of online learning around the world. In Singapore, safety measures have ranged from a full 'circuit breaker' in April and May 2020, with its requirement of nationwide online learning during these two months. Following increases in COVID-19 cases in 2021, some courses at a teacher education institute were moved online during the semester as a precautionary measure. One of these was a children's literature course for pre-service primary student teachers, and this need to shift quickly between F2F and online learning led the course designer to the question: How best to give the students a quality online experience with books when they are not physically in class to read the hard-cover versions?

The course aims to help primary student teachers learn about various genres in children's literature and give them experiences with a wide range of children's books in these genres. Previously tutors would bring a selection of books in the week's genre from the institute's library to class for students to choose, read, analyse, and share findings with classmates.

A brief search for online courses in children's literature shows a range of course designs, with asynchronous instruction a feature in several of these. Participants often have to source their own copies of required children's books for the course.

In the children's literature course for primary student teachers in Singapore, the goal was to make as seamless as possible the rapid move between F2F and digital sessions. This presentation will describe:
(1) the resulting design of the course's online synchronous sessions,
(2) how the course designer's goal of providing quality experiences with physical books was realised in the digital sessions, and
(3) strategies and tools students themselves brought to the online session experience.

Keywords:

Children's literature, synchronous, teacher education, course design, book experiences.