Online Teaching:
General Strategies and Tips
These resources provide some general strategies and tips that work well for any online course independent of course content, discipline, or approach.
Considering Communication Channels
Drawing from her extensive research in the field of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), Erin Sumner, PhD (Associate Professor of Human Communication & Theatre at Trinity) discusses affordances of various communication channels and how to align these with your course goals.
Best Practices for Online Teaching
Share ahead of time (TLEARN/email) the Zoom meeting link students need to join class.
Log into Zoom a few minutes prior to the start of your synchronous class meeting.
End class right on time so students can digitally transition to their next classes.
Build in regular (and more frequent than when face-to-face) opportunities for students to ask questions and seek clarification.
Make sure students have access to all course policy and assignment changes.
Foster a sense of solidarity, mutual aid, and feelings of connection.
Ask students to keep using only official university email and other university-approved communications.
Focus on the pedagogy, not just the platform. The attributes of a physical classroom do not guarantee that a class is effective or engaging; same is true for online platforms.
Take advantage of multiple modes of interactivity available online. Students who might feel shy in a ‘regular’ classroom may take advantage of some of the interactive tools available for collaborative software.
Offer an agenda for the class but don’t stress out if you need to adjust on the fly. (You will need to adjust on the fly.)
Link to clear goals and outcomes. Make sure there are clear purposes and outcomes for all student interactions.
Build in simple accountability so students stay focused and engaged.
Consider building in 30-second “stretch times” every 20-30 minutes for 30 seconds. It can be harder to focus attention on a screen than in a classroom!
Experiment but don’t worry if things don’t work.
Identify colleagues with online expertise and learn from them. Work together with your department to devise ways to meet the learning goals of your discipline.
💡Tips for Success
Create a one-stop repository. Posting all announcements/updates, course materials, and Zoom meeting links to TLEARN is a great way to help students have a one-stop repository for all aspects of the course.
Comply to regulations. Check that all components of the course, as much as possible, comply with the guidelines and regulations related to accessibility, universal design, FERPA, copyright, and use of third-party applications.
Keep students in front of you. Zoom’s gallery view lets you see thumbnails of usually 25 students at a time (depending on your screen).
Let students help. Give students specific roles in Zoom meetings (technical support, scribe, chat moderator) to help ensure the smoothest learning experience.
Take control. With Zoom’s Remote Screen Control feature you can take control of the other person’s shared application. This is perfect if you want to show someone how to do something directly on their remote computer.
Helping Students Succeed
As you work to transform your class, try to keep the student experience in perspective.
Students will be displaced, stressed, and perhaps without access to the support, materials, or connectivity/community they need. In addition to learning course content, students will also have to quickly adopt new habits and learning practices.
Because students’ backgrounds and home lives are quite diverse, situations may emerge that require you to work one-on-one with students to ensure equal access to online resources.
Students are digital natives but most have little academic technology training. Provide instructions and guidance for using new tools and resources and be prepared for confusion and anxiety.
Students are going to be juggling (new) deadlines and expectations. You are not bugging them if you send a reminder: you are doing them a favor.
Not all students took their course materials home with them for spring break. Some students may not have returned back to campus yet to pick up their belongings.
Encourage students to share contact information with their classmates and to check in and often with each other.
Frame student expectations around the notion of adaptability.
Students should be reminded to present themselves as professionally as if they were still in an actual classroom.
Some students need additional processing time; don’t expect everyone to understand after being told once.
💡Tips for Success
Be prepared to help. Students will encounter problems, need extended deadlines, or need time to resolve issues and disruptions. It’s ok to share that you don’t know how to solve every problem, but show students you will do your best to accommodate the chaos and to connect them with needed resources.
Pay attention. Look out for students’ expressed needs that fall outside of your immediate instructional duties. Times of stress and uncertainty may require advising, counseling, or other student support services.
Share your wisdom. Discourage students from participating in any online learning while driving a car. Or a scooter.
Try to Avoid...
Making everything be perfect.
Falling into the trap of imposter’s syndrome.
Waiting until the last minute to create an alternative plan/learn how to use tools.
Holding a synchronous class at a time and day the class does not usually meet.
Extending class beyond the time the class usually meets.
Increasing the amount of work students are expected to do.
Asking students to do the same amount and kind of work the syllabus initially expected them to do before we lost time and on-campus learning opportunities.
Teaching via individual consultation and tutorial (unless you always do that anyway)
Increasing the weight of any graded assignments/assessment without good reason.
Extending the course beyond the university’s final exam period.
Assuming students are online/able to answer email all the time.
Recording students without sharing that the class meeting is being recorded.
Rescheduling finals.
Relying more work from peer tutors than they were originally contracted to complete
Don't Forget!
Time Zones: Remind students that all synchronous meetings and deadlines are Central Standard Time.
Pause Often: You cannot rely on the same face-to-face cues for “reading” your students, so pause regularly to check for confusion and engagement.
Grab Your Materials: If you are working remotely, transfer anything you might need from your campus office and office computer. Be sure you can access Trinity systems off-campus and that everything is up-to-date and compatible.
High-Touch Is More Important than High-Tech: Most students are more interested in knowing you are there for them than that you are tech-savvy.
Fun, Playfulness, and the Unexpected: Don’t let stress and anxiety completely destroy the creativity and curiosity needed for successful learning.
Murphy’s Law: Technology will fail, time zones will be confused, assignments will be lost, and activities will go over like a lead balloon. Be patient and let your students know what’s going on.
Informal Interactions Still Matter: Take a few minutes to still check-in and engage in non-class related talk with your students.
Core Objectives Are Key: Your main goal is to provide a way for your students to complete the core objectives of your course, in whatever form that may be.
Be Kind to Yourself: Just as you are kind and empathetic to your students, be equally kind to yourself. You can do this!
This Is Temporary: Crisis is not normal; this is a short term solution to a difficult time.