MyCourses

Online Teaching Tips for COVID-19 (3/21/2020 - this page will be updated on a daily or weekly basis)

Thanks to the contributions of my colleagues at the ECE department at North Carolina State University.

Contributors: Dr. Greg Bottomley, Dr. Dror Baron, 

General Teaching Tips

1. Recommend restart your laptop at the beginning of each day to clean the memories.  This can avoid a lot of problems when teaching online courses.

2. Class interactions

   • Keep a chat window open for interactions. (Tried this and it is good to let students take a online quiz by asking them to send through private chat)

   • Use a google share document to keep track of questions. (Can use this to do a survey but may not be good for in class interactions)

     • Use Slack channel for Q&A. (From Charles: If you haven't used Slack before, here's a series of handy "Getting Started" articles to answer any of your questions. You can access it in your browser at ncstateece.slack.com or use the Slack application on your computer or mobile device. For ECE machines, the application is available for install in Software Center (Windows) or Self Service (Mac) if it's not installed already. Note that currently, we're operating on a free instance, so message history will not save indefinitely (likely somewhere in the vicinity of a month, but depends on total usage), so make a note of any critical information outside of it.)

• 1. Students does experience occasional bandwidth issues - broken voice and slower refreshing rates but so far it seems to be bearable. 

  2. A wired connection to the internet router is preferred.

• • Moodle: 

  • webwork: can randomize inputs

More Efficient use of the ZOOM meeting tool

1. I personally don't like to use ZOOM as the main way to deliver the lecturers - pre-recorded videos either in a studio or in class recordings from previous semesters have much better quality. 

2. Experiences provided by my colleagues

   • How to use Polling for Meetings: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/213756303-Polling-for-Meetings

   • From Greg: 

     • Recommend setting up Zoom lectures in Moodle by adding a Zoom activity. Features limited, so then go to NCSU Zoom site and edit the lecture (can specify weekly recurrence and which days and times)

     • Recommend automatic recording to cloud and not letting students enter meeting before host by setting up a waiting room so you can admit them all in once you log on.

     • Join lecture from NCSU site (not Moodle) so Zoom understands you are the host

     • As recommended above, also join with second device and use to only monitor chat

     • To minimize Internet loading and because I have a large class, I set up lecture with no video and muted audio for students. Chat used for questions in real-time.

     • In Moodle, added Forum activity (general forum) to encourage students to interact electronically. Next homework will require them to read a question in the forum and submit answer there (to encourage them to try it at least once). As the forum is general, they can see each other's answers, so the intent is to get familiar with the tool. (You can set up a separate forum in a different mode if you wish.)

   • From Dror

     • You can derive equations on Zoom's whiteboard, if you just sketch something or it's a 1-2 line derivation. 

     • Use Zoom's annotation tool (drawing / writing on the slide) is great.

   • Setting up a waiting room if you want to make sure only certain people can join the meeting.

Useful Resources

• 1. Class Evaluation Sites: https://classeval.ncsu.edu/secure/prod/instrrep/courses2.cfm

1. Report an Academic Integrity Violation

2. Matlab Example Codes

   1. Matlab Tutorial - Animated Plot - Creating a video file in Matlab; 

   2. Teaching online tips: folder

Readings

• 1. How to set up a course google mailing list (From ecehelp: You can activate the Google Groups tool in WolfWare in order to generate a course email group address. This is done in WolfWare (wolfware.ncsu.edu), and you can click on the Add tools and manage your course settings (the gear icon) to the right of the course, and find the Google Groups tab on the left, and you can click to activate whichever email list you need!)

I have attached the syllabus of the courses I will be offering in Fall and Spring.

• 1. Past Grade Distribution for ECE451 and ECE 753 can be found on this website

1. Delta Services

2. DSO test portal

   1. Exam for EOL (Examsforeol@ncsu.edu)

   2. EOL contact information

**********        2018        **********       

ECE753: Computational Method for Power Grid Operation (Spring 2018)

**********        2017        **********       

ECE 451: Power System Analysis (Fall 2017. Syllabus attached at the end of this page)

Lecture Notes

**********        2016        **********       

ECE 451: Power System Analysis (Fall 2016)

ECE 792-019 (will become ECE753): Computational Method for Power Grid Operation (Fall 2016)

**********        2015        **********   

ECE 451: Power System Analysis (Fall 2015)

ECE 585: Utility Business (co-teach with Dr. Len White, Fall 2015)

ECE 792-019 (will become ECE753): Computational Method for Power Grid Operation (Spring 2015)

**********        2014        **********   

ECE 451: Power System Analysis (Fall 2014)

ECE 792-019 (will become ECE753): Computational Method for Power Grid Operation (Fall 2014)

**********        2013        **********   

ECE 792-019 (new course): Computational Method for Power Grid Operation (Fall 2013)