Are you going to teach synchronously or asynchronously? What’s better for your students? What’s better for you?
in the synchronous online classroom you can readily help students remember why they registered for your course to begin with, which can be very grounding.
The most popular reason for choosing this option for your teaching is flexibility regarding when work is done. Asynchronous classes have pedagogical benefits too. They allow students to literally “pause” your class when they are confused or need a break, something only possible in their dreams for in-person and synchronous online classes, which go at a pace not set by them at all. Also, the technology requirements to take in an asynchronous class are lower, and this is therefore more accessible to more students.
An example of “doing both”
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How to Reconnect With Students and Strengthen Your Remote Course
how to structure a supportive learning environment, and how that might apply to an emergency situation such as this, where many students struggle to stay focused, or find it difficult to learn with unfamiliar systems and technologies.
Qualitative researchers: Does anyone have any general pointers on conducting qualitative work in this environment other than doing interviews or focus groups over Zoom? Example: I (normally) do a lot of participant observation work. Where and how will I do this or do it as well as I have done it?
At this moment, my focus is all on teaching. But if this situation becomes more prolonged, I need to figure out how to keep the research going too.
Augmented Reality + Videoconferencing: meet together virtually in the same place, collaborate and communicate as if you were there. Demo below, links to try it yourself to follow! pic.twitter.com/AbZAof0cJ5
Importantly, today’s educators in the digital-era have a range of new teaching methods, activities and resources they can consider when choosing their learning designs. Although the traditional face-to-face lecture is not dead, delivering a monologue for an hour to a passive audience of learners is hardly the gold standard of good teaching in the 21st Century–irrespective of delivery mode. This point should not be overlooked in the rush to replace conventional teaching with live online sessions using platforms like Zoom.
Most importantly, what we want to avoid is using old 19th Century teaching methods on new 21st Century technologies to merely dump large volumes of undigested information down large digital diameter pipes to relatively inactive and passive learners.
ICDE has a series of forthcoming webinars you can join and you will find around a dozen different types of online course offerings available right now for educators on our NIDL Resource Bank.
Whether we use synchronous or asynchronous online sessions, whether we call it distance or virtual learning, we’re all challenged to provide meaningful education experiences at a distance as the education world grapples with the impact of Covid-19.
this faculty group conversation is the result of the Zoom issues lately:
Hi everyone, I’m looking for a video conferencing tool/platform that does not need to be downloaded onto a student device (the way that Zoom does, so no Zoom), and operates through a website or in the cloud. It needs to be safe, student friendly, and can accommodate a group of 20, also needs to be able to be used with an iPad. Thoughts? Much appreciated.
8×8.vc https://8×8.vc/ – doesn’t work on safari but chrome/firefox on laptops. on mobile, you’ll need to download the 8×8 Video Meetings app. I’ve used it with over 60 people and it works just fine. If you pick a sufficiently random room name that will stop anyone from guessing it and jumping in. It has screen sharing, call in ability. You can’t kick anyone and if you mute people, they can unmute themselves… there is no “host” but it works pretty well for what I’ve needed lately.
National Research Council’s (2000) four types of learning environments: assessment-centered, community-centered, knowledge-centered, and learner-centered.