A key decision for instructors teaching online is which mode to use - synchronous, asynchronous or mixed ? While we may be tempted to replicate our face-to-face classroom into the online medium using some tool, this is not advised.
Watch the video with title "Online teaching decisions" for some practices that should be followed.
Instructors may choose to use synchronous or asynchronous modes depending on their topic or material to be taught, and the relative advantages and disadvantages. This is not an either-or decision, and it is recommended to have a mix of both modes. A single course, or even a single topic can have a combination of the two modes.
There are best practices for each mode such as allowing students to ask questions via 'hand-raise' or 'chat' features to improve interaction in live classes. There exist strategies to address the limitations in each mode, for example, to ensure that students go through a posted video, follow it up with a short graded quiz based on it.
Difference between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning:
Watch this short segment extracted from a webinar on Transitioning to Online Instruction. Even though the segment is relatively glitch-free as compared to the entire webinar, note the point when your attention starts flagging. Then imagine the segment being 3X longer, and think how many students are likely to watch a long lecture video.
Watch this segment on online instruction, recorded locally during the same webinar above. Note how it is short, keeps the focus on a sub-topic, and has activities for engagement. Splitting a lecture into many such segments is better (than a long lecture video) for retaining student engagement.
Read this article: https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Issues of students' access:
It is to be noted that students' access to internet varies widely across the country and across institutes. While the principles outlined in this course are applicable across contexts, the mechanisms for their implementation have to be designed depending on the specific context of one's own students. There are issues of availability of power, access to computers, internet coverage and bandwidth, and data usage charges, that need to be considered while implementing online instruction in a student-friendly manner.
A survey on students' access to internet and preferences for online instruction.
For most courses, it is recommended to have a blend of synchronous and asynchronous approaches. A typical blend could be 1-hour of live class per week, along with 2-hours equivalent of posted material (roughly corresponding to a 3-hr per week class at IITB).
For each mode, become familiar with best practices and apply strategies to address limitations.
Adapt the strategies depending on the specific context of one's own students.