With the pandemic spread across the globe, the traditional teaching all over the globe has been suspended, forcing educational institutes to go online. Here, we briefly outline some of the methods, apps available for content preparation and content delivery. These are being used by educators to take teaching online. Online teaching can be done synchronously and asynchronously or a combination of both.

In the synchronous method, the class is streamed live using a streaming/web conferencing apps like Zoom, Google meet, Google classroom etc. A wikipedia page [1] gives a neat comparison of various web conferencing apps, which can be used to check out the availability of the required features.

Different methods for live classes are given below, each having its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of time required, availability of resources, convenience etc. The biggest requirement of synchronous classes being uninterrupted broadband connection and power supply.

1. The teacher teaches in a normal classroom set up (board and chalk) which is recorded and streamed live. One can also use the light board set up [2] instead of conventional chalk boards or white boards.

2. The teacher shares power point slides and teaches live where the power point presentation is shared with the students using video conferencing tools.

3. The teacher shares her screen where she is using the whiteboard app or an electronic pad to write and explain.

4. The teacher uses two different systems and both connected to the live session. From one system, power point slides are shared and from the second system (smart phone/laptop), white board app or an electronic pad is used to solve problems, analyse circuits etc.

5. The teacher uses a normal paper and pen to write and explain which is streamed live using a smart phone.

The major advantage of synchronous teaching would be that the teacher is readily available to clarify doubts. Any issue can be sorted out then and there. The teacher can utilize the chat options in the conferencing apps to stay connected with the students and have an interaction with them. In this respect the new Microsoft Present Live can be an interesting tool which can to be explored [3].

In the asynchronous method, the classes are pre-recorded in any one of the methods mentioned above. In addition to these, one can also use the power point app in windows, which allows one to record a voice over for each slide. Once completed the entire presentation can be exported as a video file [4].

The recorded lectures can be shared with the student using video sharing platforms like YouTube, google drives or even mailed to them. These lectures can be downloaded and saved by the students. For a student living in remote locations with sparse internet connections, pen drives containing the lectures can be posted.

This method allows the student to learn the subject at his pace and at any location freeing him off the internet and power issues. The pre-recording allows the teacher to structure the material and review it carefully and edit it as required before sharing it. Many software tools are available, for example Movavi*, Blender* etc., or the simple video editing tool available in windows itself.

Interestingly, there are many apps which can be used to make these videos interactive. For example, H5P* is a web service which can be used to insert, multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, true/false type questions, or grad drop etc., in a video making it interactive [5].

Online teaching is not just about creation of good content and its delivery by the teacher, but also about strong institutional support to carry out many other related tasks. Taking a course online requires taking the entire set up of maintaining student data, scheduling of classes, conducting proctored evaluation components, creating discussion forums etc., online. This requires that the institutes/schools provide efficient and robust learning management systems (LMS) in place and help the teachers and students to make transition from traditional offline to online setup.

References

[1]Wikipedia page comparing various web conferencing apps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_conferencing_software

[2] Light Board https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrtLdkXPRNQ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYwXOLU4TKk

[3] Microsoft Present Live: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/present-live-engage-your-audience-with-live-presentations-039aa2cc-67fa-4fb5-9677-46ed8a060c8c

[4]Recording a voice over for power point presentation: https://www.howtogeek.com/449836/how-to-record-voiceover-narration-in-powerpoint/#:~:text=Open%20the%20PowerPoint%20presentation%20in,or%20from%20the%20current%20slide.

[5]H5p web site: https://h5p.com/

PS: The above apps are just a few from the scores of available online. These are just to provide a starting point to the reader.

* The author discovered these apps through the workshop on online teaching pedagogy conducted by IIIT Hyderabad.