Asst. Prof. Elijah Jesse M. Pine, Chair of the Department of Educational Communication (DEC), was the guest speaker for the September 2024 Heo/Geo Lecture Series, where he presented his working paper titled “A Depth Deficit: Rapport Building and Remote Field Instruction in University Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which is based on his master’s thesis.
Using Actor-Network Theory, he explored how policy and technology transformed field-based university classes during the pandemic, resulting in a “depth deficit” in rapport with field stakeholders.
He emphasized the need to balance online and in-person field instruction in the post-pandemic hybrid setup. He also encouraged further use of actor-network theory in pandemic learning research.
Asst. Prof. Pine also chairs the CDC Field Instruction Committee, which is primarily tasked to coordinate with the college’s current and prospective partners and collaborators for students’ course project activities and laboratory field work.
This lecture is part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of the UP Department of Geography, and co-sponsored by the Philippine Geographical Society.