As universities are challenged by the speed and scale of their transitions to online learning, it is worthwhile to consider what works and what doesn't. We have compiled a number of recommendations, explanations, best practices and resource lists from universities actively dealing with these challenges. Take a look below!
Schools Face Closures and Confusion
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, 119 countries have now closed educational institutions, impacting over 860 million learners worldwide1. The past week has seen a flurry of movement in the digital learning space as schools try and adapt to campus closures and a general disruption of physical learning. Naturally, this sudden and unprecedented need for online teaching will be accompanied by confusion. No school is exempt from these challenges, and as a result the spirit of collaboration is running high. Many institutions are sharing their experiences, challenges, and ideas in an effort to inform the wider community and help their peers in education. We have chosen several of these resources and listed them below:
Resources From Universities
Last week we discussed how several universities are using EesySoft to keep their faculty and students up-to-date as they move their learning online. Now let's go further and see what other resources are available to institutions as remote education quickly becomes the norm.
Note: the following resource links have been borrowed from an extensive collaborative list of remote teaching resources2. To access the entire list, click here.
Harvard has shared their best practices for online pedagogy. Looking for advice on how to set up your online classroom? From promoting interactivity, to setting norms, to utilising the right technologies, this comprehensive list can point you to behaviours and tools that are sure to improve your online teaching experience.
Dartmouth has pooled together information on how to teach anywhere. Check out this step-by-step guide including everything from general teaching principles to specific resource instructions for e.g. Zoom, Canvas, and TechSmith. With an extensive page of good pedagogical practices and constant updates, you're sure to pick up some useful tips here.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT has published their own set of tools, tutorials and tips for teaching remotely. From preparing devices to managing data storage to setting up web conferencing, don't let the technical aspects of remote learning intimidate you.
EesySoft's COVID-19 Campaign
As the need for increased levels of support and training for online courses grows in response to COVID-19, we are here to make that transition as easy as possible. EesySoft can help your institution with the tools and pre-built campaigns necessary to quickly address the outbreak, and help facilitate a smooth transition from face-to-face teaching to online learning.
With a campaign template set up specifically to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, your institution can immediately address the outbreak with customised messages for students and instructors. Read more about the COVID-19 Campaign here, or get in touch with an EesySofter!
Need advice or want to learn more about using EesySoft?
You can always reach us at hello@eesysoft.com or, better yet, book a meeting with us now:
Citations:
1 https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures
2 Thank you to Daniel Stanford for compiling a long list of online learning resources, from which the three examples above were borrowed. To view the full list click the following link: bit.ly/rtresourceform