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My first online course has now finished.
So here are my preliminary conclusions.
1 It worked!
2 Asynchronous lecture material
3 Some synchronous sessions (virtual office hours)
4 Have everything ready before you start, if possible.
5 Encourage student discussion
So here are my preliminary conclusions.
1 It worked!
2 Asynchronous lecture material
3 Some synchronous sessions (virtual office hours)
4 Have everything ready before you start, if possible.
5 Encourage student discussion
Don't underestimate the time it takes.
Record lectures in short-ish chunks, maybe 10-15 minutes.
Have plenty of exercises for student reflection (I used low stakes quizzes)
Have summative milestones, so students can measure their progress. (I used a quiz after each topic)
Record lectures in short-ish chunks, maybe 10-15 minutes.
Have plenty of exercises for student reflection (I used low stakes quizzes)
Have summative milestones, so students can measure their progress. (I used a quiz after each topic)
Introduce an element or theme to keep students engaged. #MontyTheDoodle featured in several quiz/assignment questions, and on the course banner, which changed weekly.
Have an explicitly stated policy on assignment extensions.
Mine: "This is an emergency situation, if you need a time extension, just ask. No explanation needed".
I found that a lot of students
a) Needed time extensions
b) Wanted to tell me why. I was someone to talk to.
Mine: "This is an emergency situation, if you need a time extension, just ask. No explanation needed".
I found that a lot of students
a) Needed time extensions
b) Wanted to tell me why. I was someone to talk to.
Whilst I love doing live teaching, the risks of doing so at the moment make this unacceptable.
Online teaching can still be a rewarding experience
Online teaching can still be a rewarding experience
I thought that my recorded lectures wouldn't be as engaging as my live performances (which have a certain adrenaline-filled energy).
I got the same positive feedback about engagement that I usually do.
Don't listen to your own lectures. I hate the sound of my own voice.
I got the same positive feedback about engagement that I usually do.
Don't listen to your own lectures. I hate the sound of my own voice.
Resist the temptation to rerecord lectures to make them perfect.
You don't have time for that.
A live lecture is rarely perfect!
You don't have time for that.
A live lecture is rarely perfect!
If anyone wants a chat about this, I'm happy to do so.
I did a seminar "Welcome To My Online Classroom " at Carleton, so I have prepared material.
I did a seminar "Welcome To My Online Classroom " at Carleton, so I have prepared material.
Here's the thread written in a blog article. https://www.precariousphysicist.com/post/reflections
