In this document, we synthesize information available on how to effectively teach in virtual classes. Digital learning can be effective provided faculty and students are ready to make some changes in the way they teach and learn, respectively. We have written a separate document for the students covering tips for effective digital learning.
The virtual classroom is different from a traditional classroom because everyone is in physical isolation in front of their cameras and screens. The dynamism and energy which you bring to the class through interaction and movement will be constrained. Your visuo-spatial map of the classroom will need to shift. Students will appear as small video tiles making it tough to get a ‘read of the room’ as body language cues are missing. Given these differences, it is critical that you devote time to rethinking your pedagogy in terms of what translates well to an online setting and how best to incorporate new teaching styles1.
Faculty can employ technology to connect with students at a distance, bring depth to their teaching, encourage online collaboration among students and combine flexible digital activities with traditional classroom learning2. Digital teaching may look like a lot of work (most of it upfront) but almost everything you do is reusable, resulting in a very good and personal infrastructure for teaching over time.
In teaching, faculty employ the foundation, flow and feedback approach consisting of preparing the course, teaching it and doing evaluation and grading3. Digital teaching requires some adaptation in all these three elements. A list of best practices before, during and after the class is as follows:
Before the class
Preparing to move a course online4
Review and adjust your course goals, schedule and policies as needed
Course goals and schedule may require tweaking to make it suitable for digital teaching. Course policies regarding participation and attendance may require review. You may need to be flexible with students working at a distance and accommodate for special circumstances.
Reiterate key messages
Once the course plan is ready, communicate it to the students via multiple channels such as email, Learning Management System (LMS) and WhatsApp group. Include details about office hours (virtual), how the students may contact you and by when they can expect a response. Messages sent to students need to be clear and repetitive as online classes rob you of the benefit of the blank stares that tell you that something was not understood.
Manage your communications load
Set clear expectations early on and communicate regularly with the students. Being an online class, it is possible that you may find yourself in a deluge of questions. Consider keeping track of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and sending those replies out to everyone. Teaching online discussion-based courses can be a time sink. While the interaction itself may be bounded by meeting times, preparation and follow up may stretch so you are unaware of how much time you invest. Therefore, it is prudent to proactively budget hours so as to balance your other commitments and optimize student learning.
Leverage the Learning Management System (LMS)
As faculty, you must get to know the LMS (Moodle, in case of IIMB) well before students connect to the course. This will make you more efficient and effective and help you troubleshoot issues as they arise. Make the layout look professional and be consistent in terms of what, where and when things are being posted. LMS has some helpful tools. The ‘to-do list’ functionality which reminds students about due dates is very useful. Use the ‘plagiarism detection’ tool to discipline students. ‘Bulk download of assignments’ for offline grading and ‘timed publication’ of documents, assignments, will save you time. The ‘assignment’ and ‘quiz’ tool will assist you in evaluation. The ‘copy function’ in LMS will help you move content from one course iteration to the next and so on.
Orienting yourself to the video conferencing (VC) software environment
VC software such as Zoom (the chosen tool for IIMB) contain many functionalities that will add depth to your teaching. The IT team may have already reached out to you regarding the modalities of how to set up Zoom meetings, set gallery view, manage participants, handle ‘hand raisings’, share and annotate documents, share videos from Kaltura or Youtube, use the whiteboard function, use polls, create and manage breakout rooms and set up chat. To teach using Zoom, you will need to become comfortable with frequent switching between functionalities such as chat, hand raising and screensharing as well as using familiar applications like videos, PowerPoint and Excel in the new setting. It will be worth your time to become familiar with the technology and explore the possibilities which it offers to bring your virtual classroom as close to a physical one as possible. Once you are familiar with the technology, you should consider doing a mock class to explain the tools and features to the students as well. The Zoom resource center has quick how-to videos on working with Zoom, available here.
Simulate the classroom environment. Many of us walk around while teaching. We prefer to write on the white board while explaining concepts or jotting down points that are being discussed in class. You should be able to do the same with limited constraints in this mode too. But walking around in front of the camera will be a little different from walking around in a physical classroom. Likewise, the feel of writing on a digital board will be different from what you are used to when writing on the classroom boards. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the resources that you have at your disposal. They will need some improvisation. But rest assured you will get used to them and the initial discomfort will melt into unconditional reflexes.
There have been reports on security flaws in the Zoom app6. While the company is taking steps to address the security and privacy concerns7, users must take certain protective measures on their own8. The meetings should be password protected and meeting IDs and passwords should not be shared on social media. Waiting room feature should be used for screen meeting participants before allowing them to contribute in the meeting. Once all the participants are in, the meeting should be locked to prevent anyone new from joining9. Conference IDs should be used instead of links which are more susceptible to hacking. Blockers and covers should be used on webcams and microphones when they are not in use. Participant screen sharing should be turned off. File sharing should be avoided as far as possible, especially with unknown users. Instead, use Dropbox or google drive to share files. Finally, make sure you have the latest version of the software to ensure that you are using the latest security features.
Synchronous vs Asynchronous learning10
Technology enables synchronous and asynchronous interactions between the faculty and the students. In synchronous interactions students meet at the same time (for example, via videoconferencing or teleconferencing). In asynchronous interactions students discuss elements of the syllabus—primarily via written comments or video—in a learning management system or discussion forum, or a combination of the two, often referred to as hybrid11 or blended learning. While you will primarily be teaching in a synchronous mode, you can consider adding asynchronous elements in your course. The former can be used to foster interaction and host discussions while the latter can be used to deliver content which is best consumed in the form of a lecture or which require a deep dive into research or calculations. If used well, asynchronous sessions can prime the group for synchronous sessions and vice versa. You can use Screencasting, Zoom or Kaltura to record lectures ahead of time and add captions to videos you use in your teaching. An important thing to keep in mind in digital teaching (both synchronous and asynchronous) is to do frequent mileposts. Do not lecture for more than ten minutes at a stretch and recap frequently to keep boredom at bay.
Hygiene factors
It is recommended that you follow this checklist before diving into a digital teaching session to keep technological glitches at a minimum:
- Restart your computer before class.
- Login through your smartphone also as a backup if you do not have another computer ready.
- Hardwire your internet connection to your computer using an ethernet cable or set up your workstation as close as possible to your Wi-Fi router for the best possible connection.
- Ensure that the background of your class, office or home (wherever you are recording or streaming) is not distracting. You have the option to use a virtual background (it may require a subscription).
- Keep only relevant windows and tabs open on your computer.
- Be mindful of the lighting, ambient noise and the position of the camera during the session. Here are a few tips on setting up a home office that can be converted into a classroom.
- Maintain a name list (preferably one that includes photos) of the students with their contact information.
- Create WhatsApp group with the participants. This way students have another mode of communication to inform you in case their audio or video is not working, or some other issue has cropped up.
- Speak clearly and consider narrating what you are doing so students will be alert while you are switching tabs, clearing hands or writing on the board. Expect that you may cover less content than you cover in a physical classroom. Things will go wrong and it is best if you assign time for interruptions.
- Do a mock test on yourself. Record the class, view it and course correct if required.
- Reach out to peers who have more experience with digital teaching.
- Be mindful of copyright issues in the content you use.
- Be conscious of students with special needs. Direct them to ODS or Program Office for support.
- Online classes are likely to involve video recordings where you express your opinions on topics which can be considered controversial by some12. Try to maintain a balance between academic freedom and the risk potential of a recording.
Update students on digital learning etiquette13
It is advisable to inform students beforehand about some rules of digital learning that should be followed. This could be a new experience for several students.
- Ask learners to be respectful and mindful with their choice of words.
- Encourage them to be on mute when not talking to keep the class free from unwanted noise.
- Inform students that using phone text language is not acceptable in class; communication must be formal. Furthermore, it is important to be understanding if any of their peers are struggling with written communication.
- Remind students not to post inappropriate/pornographic material during class even privately, because nothing is truly private online. You as the host can disable private chat on Zoom.
- You should ask students to keep their camera on. This is a great way to ensure students are focusing on the lecture and not multi-tasking or checking texts on their phone14. However, be conscious of students of different backgrounds and economic ability.
Teaching Assistant
It is advisable that you have a teaching assistant (TA) or an Online Learning Facilitator (OLF) who can manage waiting room, chat, breakout rooms, clearing hands, loading/playing videos, running polls and discussion forums so that you can focus on the teaching. Larger the class size, more difficult it is to manage your teaching and other functionalities such as chat room, simultaneously.
During the class15
Managing the learning contract and building community
Just like in a physical classroom, it is recommended that a learning contract be established in a virtual classroom and clear expectations be set. Being physically separate, a sense of community needs to be deliberately nurtured in online classes. Social media or profiles on LMS would facilitate communication among students. Due to internet bandwidth issues, students may switch off the video stream. Ask all students to add a photograph to their profiles. It will help in personalizing the class. Please familiarize yourself with their profiles and consider having a session of introduction and socialization (you can use the same VC software) before you actually start your teaching sessions. The good part about software is that everything can be recorded. You can keep the recording of this introductory session with you so that you remember the details about the students. The socialization session also allows you to test the functionalities of the VC software in an informal setting.
Engaging students
Student engagement is multidimensional. Ask yourself whether your students are preparing for the classes, reading and posting regularly in discussion forums, ruminating over the material and engaging with one another. Give students opportunity to engage through discussions, polls, and assignments. Make participation a significant portion of the assessment. Use warm calls publicly and privately in discussions as well as cold calls in a synchronous session. Project energy and enthusiasm in class to build momentum. Build peer pressure by creating explicit grading structures. For instance, make students responsible for the quality of discussion, to motivate classmates or create groups and award the lowest grade earned by a group member to the entire group.
Embrace the ‘digital’ to add layers to student engagement
Integrate digital tools, content and pedagogies in engaging learning experiences. As mentioned above, polls and discussion forums are especially useful in engaging students. Polls give you an opportunity to take the pulse of the class about their preparation, opinions, or analysis while also engaging the group. Keep the questions you are going to use for the poll sessions ready before hand. Load the questions onto presentation slides for convenience of presenting them in class.
Similarly, a well hosted discussion forum encourages peer learning and makes the course truly learner centric. As the faculty, you start the discussion and then guide the conversation through further questions, comments, and structuring until it is time to close the discussion. Resist the urge to respond to all comments. Let the students develop the discussion. You can find allies in students to set the stage for particular activities.
Beware of going overboard. Use boards and screen sharing only if it is unavoidable. Students get more out of seeing you and other students while the session is in progress. Take care not to use a technological tool which does not have a clear pedagogical purpose. It will only serve to distract from the learning. Teaching is student centered not tool or technology centered.
Ask good questions
Asking questions rather than telling or lecturing is an important way of engaging the students and enhancing their learning experience. Your questions must be clear and unambiguous. This point is especially relevant in virtual classrooms because the scope for misinterpreting a complex question is immense. Evoke emotions with your question; what would you do if your partner/ sibling/ best friend were in this situation? Polarize the group by crafting questions on which the students will disagree or assign them to opposite camps. Put students in a role such as the Vice President, Chief Executive Officer, Consultant or Analyst, and have them respond to the question.
Encourage participation
Acknowledging the contribution of students who actively participate would encourage them and draw out other students into the discussion. Contacting non-participants early in the course would signal to them that you are paying attention. You may ask students to share their analyses or related work by sharing their screens or have students summarize learning points from the session to encourage participation. Opening a chat window for all participants as a supplement to a synchronous audio/video session is another possibility to encourage participation. However, to make things easier for yourself, club the questions that are similar in nature and answer them together. Chat is a great tool. Students can clear doubts, express ideas and feel a sense of intellectual momentum in the class. For the faculty, chat provides an exportable archive of ideas being exchanged and a ready reckoner on topics that spark interest or create confusion.
You should take short breaks in between your class, say after 30 minutes, when you can go over the chats along with your TA / OLF and decide how to answer them. Ask your TA / OLF to group the issues so that they can be addressed in a structured manner. This also provides the student with some time to stretch and relax. Staring at a screen continuously and paying attention becomes very difficult beyond 30 minutes and such breaks allow the students to rejuvenate and regroup.
Promote peer learning and facilitate a collaborative learning environment
Facilitate collaboration among students. Reward students for building on the points of others. If your students are sufficiently mature, consider peer evaluation and critique as formal assignments. Perhaps even divide the class into groups and require group A members to respond to posts from group B members.
After the class
Encourage after class questions
Post slides or board documents generated in class and related study material on the LMS. You may consider keeping the ‘classroom’ open for a few minutes after the class is over to encourage those who want to discuss questions or other course related issues to stay.
Assessments
Faculty have limited ability to oversee asynchronous parts of the course. It is a good idea to enforce a policy of academic honesty in line with the learning contract established earlier. The policy should clearly mention what is permitted and what is not. Examples of prior offenses and penalties can be given to discourage students from resorting to cheating. As for the written assessments, LMS has good tools for structuring automatically graded exams and quizzes. Dropboxes can be created for submission of assignments and running plagiarism checks.
Managing group work
You must compose groups with eclectic backgrounds and clarify expectations with regard to timelines and deliverables. Managing dysfunction within groups can be a huge task. Use peer evaluation heavily to deal with this and the free rider problem. You can also set expectations that students are to work out issues among themselves. Penalize groups that frequently bring dysfunction to you. Check in on group work frequently by having students include you in the collaborative tools they use (LMS based or others) or create a status report with key data points that groups must file by a certain date.
Break out rooms (setting students into smaller groups for discussions on their own) on Zoom can be used in synchronous sessions to facilitate more intense and personal discussions. Few helpful techniques include:
- Make the task clear.
- Set group breakout rooms and assign students to them before the session starts.
- Orient students to the room before pushing them into it.
- Prepopulate the room with the question and any relevant instructions.
- Set clear norms for how students should engage (voice, text, video or whiteboard).
- Provide a timer—either make a student responsible for keeping time or load an application providing the same service (so the breakout finishes when it is supposed to).
- Visit each room early on if possible, to ensure students are working productively.
- Seek out your TA / OLF to help you.
You can read more about using break out rooms here.
What you can do for your students?
Proactively assist struggling students
Struggling students are usually withdrawn, inhibited and less communicative. They may need more contact and conversation from your side. Check in to see if they need any support from the assistive or support services provided by the institute. Above all be available as a resource. You or your TA / OLF need to keep track of students who are not participative in class and you need to make special efforts to reach out to them.
Create an effective culture for your virtual class
It is recommended that you facilitate a supportive culture for your virtual classroom. Communicate more. Send more emails or announcements, implement one-on-one conversations, and encourage more discussions. Call on the reticent students to participate so that the discussion is not dominated by a few students. Make sure you are accessible and available to everyone equally.
Recognize the psychological impact of screen-only learning
To make up for the absence of face to face contact, a physical classroom, hallway conversations and informal talks before and after the class, you can recreate informal social moments by setting up online office hours through email, chat, or voice and video calling. You can work to facilitate student interactions - with you, with their peers and with the content - and ensure that the students learn how to think, rather than merely being exposed to or memorizing required material.
Keep it interesting
Driven by changing circumstances, teachers and students have been compelled to move to digital learning. It is important to realize that digital teaching and learning can feel detached, remote and impersonal if not done thoughtfully. Open up to the students and talk about the challenges you are facing. This will help you process the change. Start simple and be flexible with your pedagogy. Ask the students what they want more of and what should be eliminated. You can experiment with adding additional media rich content when interest starts to wane. You could post candid videos giving class updates and ask students to post video responses on the discussion board. Another idea is to post videos of yourself summarizing the content discussed in the class after a session. Once basic rapport has been established you may also consider sharing classroom appropriate comics, memes and even funny short videos to add some warmth to the virtual classroom. Finally, keep up the flow of nudges, reminders and suggestions just like you would in a physical class.
Early reports indicate that shift to online classes is going well overall, with some finding surprising benefits as well. Some faculty have discovered that making asynchronous learning the foundation of a course and layering in synchronous learning is a much more reliable way to make sure the whole class participates. Finally, it will help to pay attention to Professor Brandon L. Bayne, Associate Professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who shared the following guiding principles for his course:
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1. Nobody signed up for this.
2. The humane option is the best option.
3. We cannot just do the same thing online.
4. We will foster intellectual nourishment, social connection, and personal accommodation.
5. We will remain flexible and adjust to the situation.
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1(2020). Best Practices for Teaching Virtually on Zoom v 2.0. Harvard Business School
2 https://www.ctl.ox.ac.uk/online-teaching
3 Anderson, E., Schiano, W. T., & Schiano, B. (2014). Teaching with cases: A practical guide. Harvard Business Press.
5 (2020) Annotated Quick Reference Guide for Faculty Teaching Cases on Zoom v 2.0. Harvard Business School. N9 620-114
8 https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/04/01/facts-around-zoom-encryption-for-meetings-webinars/
9 https://www.zdnet.com/article/make-sure-your-zoom-meetings-are-safe-by-doing-these-10-things/
10 https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115005759423-Managing-participants-in-a-meeting
11 https://www.vanderbilt.edu/brightspace/2020/03/13/asynchronous-teaching-tools-on-brightspace/
12 Schiano, B. & Andersen, E. (2017). Teaching with Cases Online. Harvard Business Publishing. Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/he-product-images/docs/Article_Teaching_With_Cases_Online.pdf
13 https://achievevirtual.org/7-rules-for-online-etiquette/
15 Schiano, B. & Andersen, E. (2017). Teaching with Cases Online. Harvard Business Publishing. Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/he-product-images/docs/Article_Teaching_With_Cases_Online.pdf
16 A warm call is where you arrange to call on a person, so they know that they will be called on during the session. A cold call is just the opposite; you do not have a prior arrangement to call on a person. It is a surprise for them.
18 Schiano, B. & Andersen, E. (2017). Teaching with Cases Online. Harvard Business Publishing. Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/he-product-images/docs/Article_Teaching_With_Cases_Online.pdf
19 https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-to-Recover-the-Joy-of/248314?
22 https://www.chronicle.com/article/Nobody-Signed-Up-for/248298
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