Teaching others seems to be hard-wired into our behaviours as humans, and is a natural outgrowth of communicating. When we share our experiences, philosophies, plans and perceptions, we can be said to be teaching. Some discover a natural aptitude for teaching as they become professionally trained, while others realize it as they tutor their children or direct a board-meeting. Regardless, whether in-person or online teaching, good teachers can expect the same skills and strategies to be employed to engage and motivate learners. The only things that change are the tools.
There are a variety of approaches to teaching online, and no single one can be said to be the best. If the needs and limitations of our students are foremost, then a teacher must use the tool that is most effective, or even blend tools to achieve their goals. So, what are the tools available to us?
Table of Contents
Synchronous Teaching
Synchronous teaching simply means real-time shared learning experiences. The traditional classroom is the most familiar example of synchronous teaching. Online teachers will use platforms and videoconferencing tools such as Zoom, Skype, ClassIn, and LearnCube to achieve the same environment. My personal methods involve about 85% synchronous teaching.
Asynchronous Teaching
The flip-side of synchronous teaching, asynchronous teaching involves a back-and-forth instruction separated by time. Distance learning (prior to the 1990’s) is the best example. Students would have texts, assignments and exams delivered to their homes and submit their work for evaluation by the teacher. The idea remains the same today, though tools such as email, forums, Dropbox and Google Drive enable much easier delivery of materials. Asynchronous teaching is my go-to method of getting multiple students in diverse locations to collaborate on a single project.
Curriculum Materials
Amongst the most common questions that online teachers ask each other is “What material should I use?” This question arises (I believe) not from a lack of material but from the overwhelming abundance. Let’s look at common paths that teachers follow.
Ready-made Materials
Just as traditional classroom teachers take advantage of textbooks to guide their lessons, so to do many online teachers look for ready-made materials to frame, pace and guide their classes. Fortunately, there is a ton out there and it is up to the teacher to determine what best suits their style and goals. Not only can you find ESL apps, resources, games and videos (many of them free) with a quick Google search, but many printed ESL texts now ship with online resources, including access to digital learning spaces.
Creating Material
I am occasionally stunned that I can’t find exactly what I need and must therefore create a custom worksheet or homework assignment. Creating your own wordsearch puzzles, crosswords, and other learning activities is possible through sites such as The Teacher’s Corner and Kahoot! and Kialo. Some educators create an entire curriculum from scratch, but for the vast majority of teachers this wouldn’t be a path to follow.
Multimedia
It’s an online environment, so course material needn’t be limited text documents and pdf’s. In both synchronous and asynchronous instruction, classes can be expanded and made more engaging and motivating through the use of online games, animated presentations, as well as audio and video recordings. All of these can be shared with your students by using shared storage like Google Drive, or delivered through your Learning Management System.
Learning Platforms
Learning platforms, or learning management systems (LMS) are not limited to digital blackboards and videoconferencing, but may also offer their own set of ESL materials and curricula. In addition, many LMS will assist with class scheduling, administration, evaluations and even billing. LMS vary widely in the functions and services they provide, the user interface, their accessibility globally, and the cost, so settling on the one that’s right for you and your students will take some time and effort. The platforms I checked out before settling include LearnCube, ClassIn, and BigBlueButton.
It should be evident by now that there are numerous tools and strategies to effective online teaching. Just try not to lose sight of the fact that these are just tools and systems, and that it is your experience, knowledge and skills which determines how best to employ these tools to your student’s benefit.
If you have other resources or tools that you consider to be essential to your online teaching efforts, let me know in the comments.
References and Further Reading
IndieTeach Links for Educators
https://indieteach.com/resources/resources-for-educators/
7 tips on how to prepare for teaching online
https://elearningindustry.com/7-tips-prepare-for-teaching-online
Teaching Online Focus Paper
Nicky Hockley, Oxford University Press
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