06 Sep Transitioning to online instruction?
For most of the colleges and universities worldwide, remote teaching comes out as the most practical way to ensure instructional continuity in this time of the pandemic.
As authorities start to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities face the challenge of moving to online teaching. It is quite obvious that this shift was not planned for many institutions and this is where adapting to this new way of teaching presents fresh challenges for the faculty and college administrators.
The biggest problem for teachers is to provide coursework to students while keeping the essence of information intact. However, most of the faculty members have never taught in an online setting earlier. They’re actively looking for tips and information on how to keep their students engaged while teaching remotely.
Here’re some great tips and insights that can help them make a quick transition to online.
1. Start learning – Though you’re a teacher, you might come across a situation where you are not an expert. For most of your students, receiving information online is a completely new thing. If it’s new to you as well, be open to your students that you’re also learning with them. It is better to maintain a learner’s mindset rather than answering all the questions unpreparedly.
2. Don’t mix technology with teaching – Always remember that technology is just a means to enable effective and engaging teaching. Consider them as only tools as they can never replace you. Tools like Zoom or LMS can’t be used as a reliable advisor, mentor, or proficient subject-matter expert like you.
3. Make your presence felt – The presence of an instructor makes a big difference to the overall learning environment. Though you’re not physically present, you can make yourself virtually present regularly. Log into your course program every day. Promising a 24-hour turnaround response time is a bit difficult, but yes, a 48-hour turnaround can be managed. If you’re using a discussion board, don’t forget to respond to your students’ queries.
4. Encourage engagement – Teaching students remotely can be sometimes boring. Apart from organizing regular online classes, do allocate some time for a group activity that can be done online like organize a quiz, run a debate, and ask for feedback. Don’t try to prefer “coverage” over engagement.
5. Keep it easy – Consider your initial online course as Version 1.0. Do keep in mind that the first version is not always perfect. Once this crisis is over, you may come up with a version 2.0 and 3.0. Keep a regular track of all the requirements as you go through the rest of the semester, and make a plan to put these nuggets of knowledge in upcoming course versions. If you don’t have time to prepare videos, use PPTs. If you don’t have PPTs, manage with notes. If you don’t have notes, share your knowledge through an audio recording application, or use your phone to create an audio (MP3) or video (MP4) file.
While doing all these things, mistakes tend to occur. Don’t run away from them but learn from them and move ahead confidently. Transitioning to online course delivery is something that has been on cards since long, and it is the situation that made it a necessity today. Make the most of this situation by learning new techniques and ways in which it can make learning more fun, engaging, and effective.
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