Simple Tips for Teaching Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, schools and universities across the globe have shut down. This has caused a lot of distress among students and teachers who are suddenly left with very few options. One of them is online teaching.

Online education platforms offer students as well as teachers the technology and resources needs to ensure there are no interruptions. The faculty can choose a platform they believe will allow students to pick up from where they left and offer tools that will make learning fun.

However, we must not forget that it can be quite difficult for some of the teachers to switch from classroom to web. It can also end up making their classes boring.

So, to help tutors with this transition, we have come up with some tips that can prove to be beneficial for everyone. Take a look:

Maintain clear communication

Teachers need to be approachable. Especially in times of uncertainty, your students should know that they can get in touch with you. Let them know how often they will receive course updates, where they can go to find information about the course, and how to get in touch with you.

Make your course engaging

You need to accept and acknowledge the fact that this transition from the classroom to the web may not be very easy. Hence, you will have to learn a few new things and use resources available to make your classes interesting and engaging.

Do group activities

While there are several benefits of online learning, there are a few setbacks too. For example, it can get difficult to connect with your students personally. This is why teachers are advised to do group activities that give them a chance to connect with their students better. Here are a few examples:

• Discussion boards – This will give you and your students time to engage in various topics and also encourage them to post thoughtful and nuanced answers.
• Take help from LMS that allows you to assign students to different groups to work on an assignment.

Use technologies to stay updated

Now is the time to brush up on your technical skills. Take this chance and learn all that you can about new digital learning tools. As an instructor, it will give you a chance to reach out to students from all over the world. You can also upload your course material to the school’s learning management system (LMS) so that students can access them. Learn to communicate with your students digitally and contact your local IT support if you face any problems.

Be flexible

While you go through this transition, make sure to think objectively about the assignments you have planned for this semester. Pick the ones that can be translated into online learning. If a certain assignment doesn’t translate easily, make sure to drop it or replace it with a better alternative. Right now your focus should be on how learning can be best accomplished with the tools and resources available to you and your students.

There are several benefits of online learning. With the right knowledge and guidance teachers and students can embrace these possibilities.