Effective techniques for teaching at a distance

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

Know your l_______

Ice Breakers• More than an introduction

• Benefits

• Example

Active Learning

"Active _______, not passive _________, 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 ________ to _________• 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 ________ not ________

Instructional Strategies

• Support instruction with printed material• Personalize instructor involvement• Be concise. Use short, cohesive

statements Let the ________ 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

• ________– Need for student to student interaction– Need training to use the system– Need to feel connected to the teacher

• _________– Need to understand the students– Need to become comfortable with technology– Need to facilitate learning

• __________– bridge between students and instructor– enhance use of instructional materials

Instructional Strategies

problem centered simulationdecision-making panelsclass discussion case studiesgroup discussion tutorialwritten exercises readinginstructional gaming exploration

P_______ 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

S______ Student

Student T______

T______ Student

Visuals in Distance EducationVisuals 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 _ Rule

• no more than 6 lines per visual• no more than _ 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

A_________

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!