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With universities planning to use online teaching from September, I thought I'd give a thread about the pros and cons I found when I did my masters online from 2018-19 and some tips for both course leaders and students
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From my experience at @QMBCI, lectures where given to "on-site" students and cameras recorded both the computer screen with the slides and the lecturer standing in front of the slides.
Both on-site and online students could later view these recordings.
Both on-site and online students could later view these recordings.
One of the biggest positives was flexibility.
These recordings were available all semester, for you to go through at any time and as many times as you wished.
This allowed me to work alongside my masters at a job that I didn't have to fit around a timetable.
These recordings were available all semester, for you to go through at any time and as many times as you wished.
This allowed me to work alongside my masters at a job that I didn't have to fit around a timetable.
Another positive was the ability to create comprehensive notes.
One of the annoying and counterproductive things about unrecorded live lectures is having to take notes at the speed of light while trying to listen and watch the lecturer/slides.
One of the annoying and counterproductive things about unrecorded live lectures is having to take notes at the speed of light while trying to listen and watch the lecturer/slides.
As someone that can only listen, watch or write at any one time this was always a struggle for me.
However, with the recordings, I could pause at any time and make clear and concise notes before pressing play again.
My understanding and retention was significantly better.
However, with the recordings, I could pause at any time and make clear and concise notes before pressing play again.
My understanding and retention was significantly better.
A negative was the lack of communication or sense of community with the other students on the course.
Being able to go through and get feedback on a lecture or an assignment with someone else on the course is a fundamental part of learning and achieving good grades.
Being able to go through and get feedback on a lecture or an assignment with someone else on the course is a fundamental part of learning and achieving good grades.
Another negative is you MUST be self-driven pretty much all the time.
When you don't have external forces such as your course mates dragging you along, or a register to sign, it's incredibly easy to fall behind on watching the recordings.
When you don't have external forces such as your course mates dragging you along, or a register to sign, it's incredibly easy to fall behind on watching the recordings.
So here's some tips I'd give to those creating any online courses:
1) I can pretty much guarantee that it'll be better for both you and the students if lectures are NOT live. This gives lecturers the ability to pre-record good content and the students the positives I mentioned.
1) I can pretty much guarantee that it'll be better for both you and the students if lectures are NOT live. This gives lecturers the ability to pre-record good content and the students the positives I mentioned.
2) If you do choose to pre-record and upload, please do not upload everything at once. This will be daunting to the students to see hours upon hours of content to go through.
Instead maybe upload once a week, with clear guidance on when and how much content will be given.
Instead maybe upload once a week, with clear guidance on when and how much content will be given.
3) Don't give the students a deadline on when to watch a lecture by.
Multiple factors can prevent students from doing this: Computer and Wi-Fi availability, childcare or caring responsibilities, sick or deceased family/friends, the list goes on.
Multiple factors can prevent students from doing this: Computer and Wi-Fi availability, childcare or caring responsibilities, sick or deceased family/friends, the list goes on.
4) Please, please, get some training from vloggers, youtubers, etc, on how to keep viewers engaged.
These people have spent years learning how to keep people watching their videos. Their help will be invaluable and your students will enjoy the lectures so much more.
These people have spent years learning how to keep people watching their videos. Their help will be invaluable and your students will enjoy the lectures so much more.
And here's some tips for students:
1) I can't stress enough how important it is to make yourself a good timetable from the beginning.
Schedule "catch-up" time for when you inevitably fall behind.
Schedule breaks to prevent losing motivation or burn out.
1) I can't stress enough how important it is to make yourself a good timetable from the beginning.
Schedule "catch-up" time for when you inevitably fall behind.
Schedule breaks to prevent losing motivation or burn out.
2) Don't just see the lectures as a TV program you can mindlessly watch.
If you make notes as you go you'll save SOOOO much time in the long run. Especially when it comes to revision and exams.
If you make notes as you go you'll save SOOOO much time in the long run. Especially when it comes to revision and exams.
3) However, by making notes as you go along, that 1 hour lecture can easily turn into 2 hours of time.
Pressing pause as you go along is helpful for your note taking, but not great on the clock.
So take this into account when scheduling in time to go through the lectures.
Pressing pause as you go along is helpful for your note taking, but not great on the clock.
So take this into account when scheduling in time to go through the lectures.
4) Importantly, seek out those on your course.
Exchange emails, make WhatsApp groups, MAKE FRIENDS, because you will 100% need them throughout this all.
Exchange emails, make WhatsApp groups, MAKE FRIENDS, because you will 100% need them throughout this all.
5) Please don't bombard your lecturers with constant emails.
Adding pressure by sending your tenth email of the week won't help yourself or them.
First see if any of your course mates know the answer to your question or have recently emailed the same question themselves.
Adding pressure by sending your tenth email of the week won't help yourself or them.
First see if any of your course mates know the answer to your question or have recently emailed the same question themselves.
Hopefully my experiences and tips might help a few out there.
However, in these weird times we're going to make mistakes and we're not going to be able to perform to the best of our abilities, so compassion from both universities and students is vital.
However, in these weird times we're going to make mistakes and we're not going to be able to perform to the best of our abilities, so compassion from both universities and students is vital.
