![\"Higher](\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/04\/HELC_LogoPrint-300x98.png\")
But one UMW faculty member saw it as an opportunity.<\/p>The University of Mary Washington is among countless educational institutions worldwide that have switched to virtual classes due to the coronavirus threat, or COVID-19. Suddenly, students are at home, and so are their teachers. The transition has been daunting for many professors, especially those who have never taught online.<\/p>
But one UMW faculty member saw it as an opportunity.<\/p>
College of Education Professor John Broome launched the Higher Ed Learning Collective<\/a> (HELC), a grassroots, we’re-all-in-it-together kind of Facebook group for sharing high- and low-tech remote-teaching tools, sprinkled with a dose of self-care. He never imagined the Collective would gain traction across the globe in just a few weeks, morphing into a worldwide movement with over 24,000 members in more than 100 countries … and counting.<\/p> HELC already has introduced a website<\/a> and YouTube channel<\/a>, and dozens of universities, libraries and online learning sites are recommending the group, as is UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Collective is creating a sense of community in a world that desperately needs one, and Broome hopes HELC will outlive the coronavirus pandemic, driving faculty to better address the diverse needs of students.<\/p>