Looking forward to welcoming students (back) to @StaffsUniLPF in a few weeks time! We’ve been preparing labs for practicals & developing ways to teach remotely. This thread has my personal tips/thoughts about tech & how to prepare for online learning #IFSCSI #RemoteForensicCSI:
1. A laptop with a big enough screen to see content & your lecturer will probably give a better experience than a tablet/phone.
2. If mainly using Windows software like Word or Teams you may have the best experience with a Windows based PC.
2. If mainly using Windows software like Word or Teams you may have the best experience with a Windows based PC.
3. Use a device that is suitable for your course - your course/uni may offer more info about this on their website. Chromebooks in my students’ experience did not give them a good experience last year as Excel had limited functionality for the requirements of science courses.
4. If you have a smartphone make sure the operating system & apps are always up to date for bug fixes & full functionality. Same with laptops etc. Not performing updates often slow down your system & make them vulnerable.
5. Device battery life is important for working on campus
5. Device battery life is important for working on campus
6. Check your webcam, microphone & speakers (or headphones/headsets) are working properly with all your devices before classes start. You may be asked to engage this way, not just through chat.
7. Try to be in a location that gives you the best WiFi strength & reliability you can
7. Try to be in a location that gives you the best WiFi strength & reliability you can
8. Try to setup your devices somewhere appropriate, but comfortable. You may still need paper & pens to work with, or depending on how you like to make notes for class you may need to print things out at home.
9. Unis often provide software for students to download to their own device while studying. Eg Office 365 & stats software like SPSS. Downloading apps to your computer usually provides much better functionality than using online versions so think about device storage space.
10. This isn’t about going out & spending lots of money that you may not have, or making you worry/panic. Instead, I hope it helps you plan for classes, giving you time to consider your options & think about what blended and/or online learning may mean for you. #LearningTogether
