The rapid shift from in-person to online teaching during the pandemic forced faculty to quickly rethink methods of teaching Asian American Studies. The stress and confusion experienced by many faculty were compounded by increased anti-Asian violence. The need for Asian American Studies became clear for so many, as these classes became a lifeline because they provided faculty and students time and space to process these layered traumas. The growth and expansion of online courses also open more access for people to take Asian American Studies courses.

As COVID begins to wane, we would like this workshop to process some of how we rapidly pivoted our teaching. In particular, what were the pedagogical lessons learned in this rapid shift? What did we try? What worked and what failed? As we consider the activist and community-based roots of Asian American Studies, how do instructors create and curate counterpublics of care for our online students? In particular, as our students bring questions and concerns about increased anti-Asian violence into asynchronous discussion spaces, what practices can we incorporate to decolonize the online classroom and make space for a collective politics of hope?

This workshop intends to create space for Asian American educators to share experiences with, approaches to, and considerations for teaching Asian American Studies online. Panelists will share some of their early experiences with this rapid shift, things they tried, and what has stuck over time. They will also share their pedagogical approaches and course organization considerations for their introductory-level online Asian American Studies courses. Then organizers will reflect on instructional strategies they would like to try in future online courses. Participants are encouraged to bring their course outlines and ideas to share and workshop. Time permitting, participants will come away with ideas for teaching, organizing, and ways to use some common educational technology tools and apps for teaching Asian American Studies online.