Distance Learning Instructor Quick Tips

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Last updated: Feb 06, 2019

1. "Hello, my name is…"

Quick introductions of the professor and distance students the first session are helpful in setting the tone for a course. Something this simple can help create a feeling of connectedness and comaradery among students and faculty.

2. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

If something is unclear in the classroom or at home due to microphone issue or occasional interference (atypical), repeating an in-class student's question so everyone at home can hear is great for keeping everyone on the same page. Likewise, asking remote attendees to repeat their question so you and those in the classroom can hear is equally important.

3. "Oops! Could you wait a moment?"

Faculty who have historically taught students in a physical classroom aren't used to slight delays or lags in video or audio feeds when they're a fact of life in distance learning environments. The internet connection speed and location a distance student uses to attend class, in addition to numerous other factors, sometimes play a role in student response time. In that same respect, the timeframe in which students hear delivered lecture content and in-class questions and responses relies on that same internet connection. Give the student a moment to hear the statement or question posed in the classroom and appropriate time to respond. And plan for brief silences! A good plan of attack to make sure delays, etc. have minimal impact on your class is to factor in a few minutes of time each class for this when your students will be engaging in class discussions.

4. Use your Student Techs. They're there to help!

Each student technician running our A/V equipment and maintaining the distance environment has been trained extensively on the hardware and software we use. If there's a technical “hiccup,” you can rely on your tech to troubleshoot and help solve the issue in a quick and professional manner. (Some rare issues are not within the technician’s control – they may escalate the issue to the Distance Learning Coordinator.) Please, don’t hesitate to ask your tech questions, or contact the CONHP Associate Director of Technology with concerns or feedback.


Still need help?

For additional assistance, contact the IT Help Desk.