I've taught online classes for the past four years as part of the @NorthwesternMSC program. In response to many requests for advice on teaching online, I offer these top 10 tips. 1/11 #AcademicTwitter @AcademicChatter
1.Online learning does not work the same as just delivering your class via videoconference. Don't expect it to. 2/11
2. Less live streaming is ideal. Students may not be available, connected enough, or undistracted when you schedule an in-person class. If you do any session live, please record it and make that available to students who may be unable to attend. 3/11
3. Ideal recorded lectures are 5 -7 minutes. Longer makes it harder for students to follow. You can give more information in 5-7 minutes than in person because students can play your video several times.
4. Create clear guidance for discussion boards. Use a clear rubric for discussion boards (mine here: bit.ly/33gH8mv). Create a separate deadline for original posts and a separate deadline for students to respond to a minimum number of posts. 4/11
5. Online learning requires more checkpoints than in-class instruction. Don’t be afraid to use reading quizzes and short assignments to ensure that students are keeping up with the material. You won’t be able to see their faces, so that’s your feedback. 5/11
6. Be prepared to spend less time lecturing and more time commenting. My prep for online courses is reversed in comparison to my regular ones. I spend more time each week reading their comments and responding than presenting or preparing presentations. 6/11
7. If you want students to complete a quiz as a quiz, and not a worksheet, use the timed feature. (You can also use software to lock down the browser). Remember you will need to create a version for any student who has extended time as a reasonable accommodation. 7/11
8. Students can submit feedback and projects via text, or you can ask them to do presentations. They can record their presentations, either video or voice-over slides, and upload them. I use these for building presentations skills in some of my classes. 9/11 👆misnumbered
9. Post online office hours or use a booking link (I use youcanbook.me) so that students can schedule a time with you. 10/11
10. Online course management systems allow you, as part of the assignment, to assign peer review. The system will automatically send an assignment to peers to grade. This can help reduce the burden of reviewing a large number of assignments online 11/11
