For many, the first semester since having to rapidly transition to a digital campus is coming to a close. Hurdles have been overcome, improvements have been made, and most importantly, teaching has continued. But now it’s time to prepare for summer and autumn semesters later in the year, so what lessons have been learnt, and what advice can be carried into the future?

Helena Markou and Leander Reeves both teach at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing at Oxford Brookes University. Oxford Brookes is one of the UK's leading modern universities and enjoys an international reputation for teaching excellence and innovation as well as strong links with business and industry. 

Helena is a Senior Lecturer and Subject Coordinator for the MA in Publishing delivered via distance learning, and has been involved with the programme since it launched in 2014, whilst Leander is a Senior Lecturer in Publishing Media more used to traditional, on campus teaching. Despite their students having different expectations, and their differing specialisms, their advice rests on the same basic pillars: Preparation, Clarity, Communication, Feedback, and Keeping it Human.

Preparation

We’ve discussed preparation in our previous Teach Online Toolkit sessions. But when you're unexpectedly thrown into a situation, preparation is easier said than done. Now is your chance to regroup and begin planning for another possible semester of online teaching – taking into account new students. Take this time to become more acquainted with the systems you have been or will be using, to ensure you’re able to answer any question that may arise and quell any fears of new technology for your students.

“Prepare as much as you can in advance (by day one) and then for the remainder of the course you can take your time guiding students through the concepts and explaining things carefully.”

– Helena

Clarity

“Keep it simple, and design something that students can dip in and out of and make sure to follow up with other resources that are accessible, for instance – lists of open access journals. It just needs to work and function in a way that is easy for students to get a grip with quickly, and come back to later on, if all they can manage is 20 minutes in one go.”

– Leander

Teaching has had to change, and so has learning. Students have increased distractions and amplified anxiety, whilst also combatting reduced access to their learning resources. Everything needs to be as clear and simple enough as possible, so those who can only connect to WiFi outside of their homes, or are having to share devices or learning spaces, experience the fewest barriers possible. When setting reading, break it up into manageable sections, to accommodate for shorter attention spans and learning time available. Encourage the continuation of techniques you may have used in the classroom that students can come back to when they’re stressed or confused.

“I encourage them to keep up with their physical reading diary so that if they're befuddled with stress, they can just read through their notes and write down ideas and mind map thoughts. This also means that they can climb back into their ideas, because they’ve recorded them.”

– Leander

Communication

“Communication is teaching. Less is more, and by less I mean one or two key things per week per module. If students are taking multiple simultaneous modules (let's say four), and they are getting multiple reminder emails, forum digests, and chats from other students on the module, they will very rapidly experience info overload to the point that you cannot ‘tell’ them anything.”

– Helena

Now, more than ever, communication is key. Students are worrying if they’re doing enough and meeting expectations, and need reassurance and clarity. Preparing for the upcoming semester means preparing for new students, both those who actively chose to study on a distance learning course, and those who were expecting on campus learning, but have found this is no longer an option in the current circumstances. . From day one, you should decide on the cadence of your communications and stick to it as often as you can. Focus on what’s really important, and limit your emails and messages to twice a week, so nothing gets missed.

“The learning curve for a new student goes like this: Arrive day 1 super eager to engage with everything and everyone. Do all the learning activities. Worry if you're doing enough. Ask loads of questions. Worry if you're doing enough. Post lots to the forum. Worry if you're doing enough. Attend all the video tutorials. Worry if you're doing enough. Fall behind a little. Worry if you're doing enough. See others keeping up very high participation levels. Decide for sure you're not doing enough. Become disengaged and switch off. Once you step off the comms treadmill, it rapidly moves on without you and there are hundreds of messages to catch up with and you have no idea which ones are really important. We see this with class sizes of 12 students taking one module per semester.”

– Helena

Feedback

Remaining consistent with the feedback you provide, and finding new, more convenient avenues to present this feedback will not only keep your students on track, but allows you to check up on students who may be struggling or under-performing. 

“I’ve found Google Docs where students can put their ideas and get formal feedback as they go along or ask anonymous questions and get feedback that everyone in the class can see, really useful.”

– Leander

Remember that some students may feel too embarrassed to raise concerns, or ask questions. This is true for new students, and existing students who lack confidence or who have struggled with the shift to remote learning. Do not assume a level of knowledge of skills, so open up generic feedback and specific answers to the whole module.

“When one student asks a question, share the reply with everyone (anonymised/made generic if necessary).”

– Helena

Keeping it Human

“It needs to be human – I have the odd silly aside just to remind them that a human who knows them put this stuff together – I do think that helps. It helps to smooth away this feeling of remote disconnect between them, me and the classroom.”

– Leander

Possibly the most crucial element to remember is retaining the human touch. Remote teaching isn’t just about setting reading and assignments, sending emails, and holding online lectures – students are more anxious and apprehensive than ever – it’s about pastoral care. Incoming students may not get a chance to meet you in person, and current students have had that element unexpectedly taken away from them, but they still need to know you’re on their side. They may also need someone outside of their immediate circle of friends and family to talk to.

“I have done tutorials on Google Hangouts and they have not been rushed. As much time has been spent asking them how they are and just nattering about life, as helping them make sense of their ideas and work. It also means that I can send them links to stuff in the chat function – this has worked really well and supports their supplemental individual learning and research.”

– Leander

Distance teaching can mean you lose this personal, human element, but it doesn’t have to.

“I have used PowerPoint, but I have added a short recorded video beforehand to explain it overall, and later on added a pause to talk about the human side. So, for instance, about how hard it is to concentrate right now, and what we can do to get our work done, but be kind to ourselves most importantly. It's important that they hear my voice and know that I get it. I understand.” 

– Leander

“It is really hard to spot when invisible humans are content, or confused, or angry, and especially hard to spot when they aren't even attending "class". Build in time for checking in with students, and letting them know that you are paying attention to them as an individual (this requires a ratio of 1 tutor to no more than 5 students ideally). You can go above that number but beyond 10 and you will really struggle to be able to visualise these students and their ability and needs in your head.”

– Helena

Preparation, Clarity, Communication, Feedback and Keeping it Human have been key to delivering good remote teaching at Oxford Brookes, both on distance learning courses, and on those courses that have been forced to make the transition. However they are not exclusive to remote learning. Take a moment to reflect on how you incorporate these factors into your face-to-face teaching. How has the virtual campus made this more difficult for you and your students, and how has your teaching evolved in response? Which technologies are you using to overcome those barriers  Please share your stories with us, and with other teachers across the world who are facing similar challenges.

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