Teaching remotely during Coronavirus

Teaching remotely during Coronavirus

While the outbreak of Coronavirus has pushed most of us to stay at home, one of the most affected areas due to the virus outbreak is education which has come to halt. The world researchers and education practitioners are finding a Plan B and designing strategies to normalize remote studies and teachings for students and teachers respectively.

Although most of the universities and colleges have shifted to online learning in the times when the half of the world is quarantined to their homes, the challenges to adjusting to online teaching and studying cannot be ignored.
Here is some general advice from our team to help you think about how to make a remote teaching method easier and manageable for you.

Focus on the lesson than the platform

Giving a lecture in the classroom with its physical component and attributes does not guarantee that the lesson you are teaching is understood by students and thus is effective or engaging. It is not the time to think about how you will manage rather think about which method or classroom strategy can be most effective if translated into the remote setting and with the use of technology. Take this time as a room of opportunity to incorporate new ideas into your teaching style.

Make it interactive

Researchers say that technology-driven work and studies encourage a more “lean forward” approach and behavior as compared to the conventional classroom setting. Moreover, most students are technology savvy these days and use remote technology for their meetings and work. We recommend teachers to benefit from this possibility the most they can.
Here are a few ideas that you take into consideration while preparing an online lecture strategy.

• Post a question about the lessons and the reading material and get the feedback and answers in writing format.
• Using polls to understand the disagreement or agreement on the points you are sharing 
• Setting up a “Buzz Group” for students to have a conversation on the topic 

The online setting might have closed the doors for many opportunities that a teacher can get while teaching in a traditional setting, but it also has opened many other avenues for teachers to innovate and incorporate new methodologies to make the most of this time. It’s a good time to practice these methods and tools so you can add these to your traditional classroom once the dust settles and students are back to the school. 

Instructions before the class

If you are convening your course on Zoom, then it is better to set rules before the lectures. Some students are not comfortable to friendly with the new platform, sending instructions on how to use the platform, rules of asking questioning, maintain certain behavior during the online class, use of headphones, background noise, etc will make your life easier. For example,

“Our class will meet through the Zoom online conference system. We will adopt the same rules and norms as in a physical classroom (take notes; participate by asking and answering questions; wear classroom-ready clothing). For everyone’s benefit, join the course in a quiet place. Turn on your video. Mute your microphone unless you are speaking. Close browser tabs not required for participating in class. This form of learning will be somewhat new to all of us, and success will depend on the same commitment we all bring to the physical classroom.”

 – Harvard School, Teach remotely.

Set your priorities

While there is no clarity on when this dust will settle, you need to be more realistic while setting up priorities. What is more important and what can be scheduled or rescheduled for later. Also, keep in mind the student’s ability to grasp your new methodologies. Some may not be comfortable with it; do you have a Plan B for them? 

You can’t master it in one day so can your students

Remember that you are doing it for the first time so do not expect too much from yourself and your students. Once you learn it, your students will also learn faster than you. Take your students on board when planning for something and ask for their ideas. It is okay to ask your students if you cannot understand the technology – asking for class volunteers is also a good idea and will make things easier for you.