Effective techniques for teaching at a distance

The trend is to make distance education an active, dynamic learning experience

Know your learners

Ice Breakers

• More than an introduction • Benefits • Example

Active Learning

"Active inquiry, not passive absorption, is what engages students. It should pervade the curriculum" Johnson, Spalding, Paden & Ziffen, 1989

Active Learning

"Involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing" Bonwell & Elson, 1991

Distance Education

• Shift from delivery to interactivity • Student centered support

Instructional Strategies

• Begin each class with "What's happening" time • Develop strategies for interaction • Present overall course goals and objectives • Focus on effectiveness not efficiency

Instructional Strategies

• Support instruction with printed material • Personalize instructor involvement • Be concise. Use short, cohesive statements Let the students do most of the "talking" • Vary pace of content delivery

Changing Your Syllabus/Lesson Plans

• Clarify your objectives • Make your expectations clear – active participation – preparation • Revisit resources • Build in interactions • Tell students how they can reach you • Be aware of different logistics • Stress the importance of support staff

The Key Players in the Interactivity

• Students – Need for student to student interaction – Need training to use the system – Need to feel connected to the teacher • Instructors – Need to understand the students – Need to become comfortable with technology – Need to facilitate learning • Facilitators – bridge between students and instructor – enhance use of instructional materials

Instructional Strategies

problem centered decision-making class discussion group discussion simulation panels case studies tutorial written exercises reading instructional gaming exploration

Planning the Lesson

• key content points • time allotment • learning styles • instructional strategies • activities • visuals • other support materials

Classroom Management Issues

• Functions of a classroom • Environmental Design • Rules & routines • Discipline • Keeping the students on track • Facilitator

Copyright Issues

If a class is being recorded, Fair Use Guidelines DO NOT apply

Classroom Interaction

Student Student Teacher Student Teacher Student

Visuals in Distance Education

Why Use Visuals in Teaching

• high-impact • today's audiences expect BOTH STYLE and GLITZ and a MEANINGFUL MESSAGE • learning style differences • to explain and demonstrate concepts • student interest

Technological Advantages of Visuals

• easily viewable by all students • "fairly" good quality • scalable fonts and graphics • prepared or "just in time" capability • real-time delivery • ability to print "thumbnails" • D.I.Y.

6 By 6 Rule

• no more than 6 lines per visual • no more than 6 words per line • crowding=anything more • each visual should make a point • adherence to this rule guarantees readability

Color

• Use for emphasis or organization • Contrast is important • Light background/dark fonts – black, red and dark blue fit well with light blue or green backgrounds • Dark background/dark fonts – white, yellow, light green and blue strand out on dark blue, black, maroon or brown backgrounds • Be consistent in your use of color

Technological Limitations of Visuals

• resolution differences • palette changes • aspect ratio differences • system malfunction • pilot error • hardware/software availability • D.I.Y.

Warning!

Always check your visuals before going on the television What you see on your computer screen will not be what you see on the television monitor

FONT sizes

• 36 or 48 point for titles • 24 or 36 point for body text • 18 point No Smaller – use to label things – use for subpoints • remember-less readable • typewritten text NEVER looks good on television

Assessment

Teaching for Understanding

Student Assessment

• Student attitude • Learning outcomes • traditional test - teacher made/grade • Research papers • Portfolio • Demonstration - students use the equipment • Interview - 1:1 teacher-student

Methods of Assessment

• Evaluation of the instruction –Prior to "Going On" –While teaching –Following teaching • Evaluation of the student –Time to send/receive materials –Nature of the task –Fairness to all

Ingenuity might be required to use some of these techniques at a distance, but the end result offers opportunities to broaden and invigorate the educational experience for both the learner and the instructor!