Coffee over Zoom: Teaching Food Studies over the Internet during a Pandemic

Abstract

This essay details the process of transitioning an in-person, undergraduate honors seminar on the global coffee trade to an online course as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the course’s demand for physical proximity, specific challenges emerged involving course design and active learning. This essay considers the problem-solving process and ultimate strategies for remotely teaching, discussing, and experiencing the global coffee trade. Specifically, this essay examines how YouTube and Zoom became important pedagogical tools for reimagining experiential learning and creating meaningful human connections.