Online Teaching Tips for Inexperienced Teachers
As governments around the globe step up their efforts to fight COVID-19, the education sector has been greatly affected, thanks to nationwide or localized school closures.
Many institutions have been forced to set up internet-based education programs so that their students may continue learning. Most teachers who only have experience in traditional teaching arrangements might not be bubbly about this new development. But here are some practical tips to help teachers make the transition from teaching in classrooms to being comfortable teaching via the internet.
1. Record your lectures
This is particularly redeeming if you have no experience whatsoever. In a recorded lecture, you supply all the materials, and you ensure that the package and delivery is on point. But when it comes to live streaming, there are several factors out of your control that could potentially take away from your lecture. Recorded sessions also allow for future reference. Supposing a student falls ill and cannot tune in as expected, they could always go back to watch the lecture at their convenience. As your expertise increases, you will find yourself wanting to try live streaming too.
2. Show your face
For some reason, some educators present learning materials via narrated slideshows and auxiliary media. But it’s advisable to show your face in your lectures. Students are likely to be motivated to take their studies seriously if they can still see their teacher’s visage as opposed to just seeing slideshows. Learning must not be strictly academic lingua. There are certain nuances and light moments that teachers ought to incorporate to make their sessions lively. And the delivery is greatly dependent on the teacher’s facial expressions.
3. Keep lectures short
In a classroom setting, there aren’t many external factors to distract students, which allows teachers to go up to even an hour. But with the internet, notifications are buzzing in every few minutes, and the students might be tempted to drift off to some other websites. To ensure maximum knowledge retention, teachers are advised to keep their lectures on the short side, ideally 15 minutes. If you have more material to share, you may have to turn it into a series.
4. Use video resources
One of the ways to increase motivation in your students is by ensuring that the quality of your videos is top-notch. If you are not tech-savvy, this can be quite a challenge. Thankfully, there are numerous online resources that content creators can use to publish great videos. You can choose to subscribe or even use free platforms. If you are aiming for the highest standards possible, you may have to hire a video expert. It eliminates various issues like wrong formats, poor sound, and aspect ratio.
5. Highlight the key parts
Considering that students are likely to have waning attention as they learn via the internet, it is best to seed the important knowledge as quickly as possible. Ensure that the important parts of the video stand out. Also, you have to use concise language and cut out fluff. At the subconscious level, students take the emphasized parts much more seriously.
6. Make plans for interactive activities
You don’t want to approach your students as if they were only a tank that needs to be filled. Provide interactive activities, particularly quizzes, to gauge if they are coming along well. As mentioned earlier, you might have to employ video resources to create interactive activities.
7. Solicit feedback
In a classroom setting, it is easy for a teacher to “read” the environment and make an accurate deduction. But when you are teaching kids via the internet, you have no idea what is going on. Make sure to reach out to your students and encourage them to share with you. The more you understand the psychological leanings of your students, the easier it becomes to teach them.
Posted on | 3/24/2020 | Shan S.Haider