Online teaching can be very effective when it is organized, clear, and intentional. The following resources will help you get started in planning how to support student learning online.
Getting Started Teaching Online
Successful online teaching requires deliberate planning ahead to create an effective, engaging and equitable educational experience for your students.
- Tufts’ Canvas Course Design Tutorial for Online Teaching (CELT & ETS)
- Organizing Your Online Course (ACUE’s Online Teaching Toolkit)
- Effectively Teaching and Supporting Remote Learners (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
Asynchronous Teaching
Asynchronous teaching engages all students on their own timeline, which is critical for those encountering technical or personal challenges. In asynchronous teaching, being present regularly through frequent communication is essential to maintaining student motivation and engagement.
- Maintaining connections with your students while teaching remotely (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
- Getting in touch with your students via Canvas (ETS)
- Best Practices for Facilitating Online Discussion Forums (ETS)
- Getting Started in Designing Videos for your class (Michael Wesch for ACUE’s Effective Online Teaching Practices program)
Hosting Synchronous Sessions
Synchronous sessions are a valuable for building connections among students and faculty. When executed effectively, they provide a platform for live interaction with quick feedback. Some students may experience barriers to being present, and long periods of time in synchronous sessions can be exhausting. Therefore, it is important to limit these sessions, prioritize what happens during them, and provide alternative avenues of access to materials.
- Preparing for Your First Day of Remote Teaching (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
- Ways to Engage Students when Teaching Remotely with Zoom (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
- User Guide: Quick Start with Zoom (ETS)
- Holding Virtual Office Hours (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
Keeping Students Engaged & Motivated
Frequent opportunities for engagement and interaction are necessary in online courses to maintain student motivation throughout the course. This includes providing small signposts and opportunities for feedback as students complete assignments and course activities.
- Engaging Students and Eliciting Interaction While Teaching Remotely (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
- Fostering Inclusion and Equity in Remote Teaching (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
- Working with Teaching and Learning Assistants Remotely (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
Tools to Help You Teach Online Courses
There are many resources and technology tools to help you build your online course.
- Class Discussions at a Distance (ETS)
- Tools for Teaching (ETS)
- Tufts Library’s Remote Resources for Faculty and Students (Teaching@Tufts Blog)
- Access to Academic Computing Resources and IT Guidelines for Remote Students Fall 2020 (ETS)