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Insights on tools and techniques to improve online teaching from dozens of faculty at the American University in Cairo

Online teaching insights, part one: social connection and listening

Insights and lessons on effective tools and techniques to improve online teaching, put together by faculty spanning dozens of disciplines at the American University in Cairo

Hoda Mostafa, Maha Bali

American University in Cairo

Universities have been taking all the wrong cues when trying to measure engagement.

Forget everything you think you know about online engagement

There’s much interest in how many times students access the virtual learning environment or complete online tasks, but that only provides part of the picture, says Linda Kaye

Linda Kaye

Edge Hill University

Difficult and emotional course content is easier to digest through non-linear, asynchronous delivery

Online micro-learning can transform the teaching of sensitive topics

Non-linear course design means that emotive and uncomfortable content can be paused or skipped and returned to another time, says Gemma Ahearne

Gemma Ahearne

University of Liverpool

Guidance on ensuring the cybersecurity of your online teaching and ed-tech

Cybersecurity in online learning

Mohammed Rehman explains what steps universities should take to educate staff and students about cybersecurity and how to protect themselves when teaching and learning online

Mohammed Rehman

Arden University

An empty university lecture hall. The sector should come together to welcome students back to campus.

The sector should come together to welcome students back to campus

Universities wasted a lot of time developing individual online transition resources last year. Let’s not make the same mistake again, says Donna Murray

Donna Murray

The University of Edinburgh

Maintain a level of consistency throughout an online course to aid student learning

Fostering module consistency to aid learning

Maurice Kinsella and John Wyatt explain how to keep a level of consistency throughout course modules that helps students achieve the desired learning outcomes

Maurice Kinsella, John Wyatt, Niamh Nestor

University College Dublin

Sharing knowledge and becoming 'intellectually dependable' are intertwined and should be placed at the forefront of education

Teaching students to think for themselves is not enough

The critical thinking ideal is too individualistic and self-focused − students must learn to help others think well, too, says T. Ryan Byerly

T. Ryan Byerly

University of Sheffield

Doing science at home. Harvey Mudd College in California devised many innovative methods to teach lab work online

Rethinking remote labs to deliver during Covid and beyond

Our faculty has devised truly innovative methods to replace the in-person lab experience, says Maria Klawe

Maria Klawe

Harvey Mudd College

A guide to introducing compassionate communication into your online teaching

Embracing a compassionate approach in higher education

Caroline Harvey and Frances Maratos explain how to embed compassionate communication into higher education when teaching online

Caroline Harvey, Frances Maratos

University of Derby

Getting creative in the classroom is crucial in helping stave off online adversity.

A bit of creativity can go a long way when teaching online

It’s crucial to shake things up to stop online delivery from homogenising even the most disparate teaching styles, says Constanza Pacher

Constanza Pacher

MacEwan University

Rules to put in place to keep students engaged in the virtual learning environment

Enabling behavioural change for participants in an online setting

Narayan Pant describes how he adapted his leadership course to online and uncovered opportunities for intimate group learning, deep reflection and flexibility that can serve learners long after the pandemic

Narayan Pant

INSEAD

Huge uptake of science subjects is expected in the wake of the pandemic, and we must utilise online learning to serve the demand.

Only a digital drive will allow us to capture the boom in STEM interest

We certainly don’t want to turn away thousands of enthusiastic STEM students due to a lack of capacity, says Steve Davies

Steve Davies

University of South Wales

A robot marks a book. Aritificial intelligence has been trumpeted as our saviour, but the truth is much more complicated.

AI has been trumpeted as our saviour, but it’s complicated

Time saved by lecturers on marking assignments could indeed be used to enrich teaching, but unfortunately many silver linings have a cloud, says Harin Sellahewa

Harin Sellahewa

University of Buckingham

How to use technology to offer disadvantaged students pathways to higher education

Using tech to connect refugees with pathways to higher education: an emerging case study

Kate Symons and Georgia Cole share key lessons from a pilot project aiming to support refugees and learners from disadvantaged communities in Uganda into higher education

Kate Symons, Georgia Cole, Foundations for All team

The University of Edinburgh, Foundations for All

Philosophy and other humanities are at the heart of making sustainability work on a national and international scale

Social sciences, humanities and arts are critical for sustainability

The neglect of social sciences, humanities and arts is at the heart of why the shift to sustainability has been slow − and why it may eventually fail, say Eric Neumayer and Charles Joly

Eric Neumayer, Charles Joly

The London School of Economics and Political Science

How online education platforms can facilitate progress to address the sustainability development goals

How to ensure online education is a clear win for the SDGs

Online teaching offers many opportunities to drive education and awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals. Ellen Touchstone explains how

Ellen Touchstone

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Using the SDGs as a lens through which to teach multiple topics and subjects

How to teach through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals

Terry Sunderland offers insight on how the Sustainable Development Goals can provide a useful framework to guide students’ learning across multiple disciplines

Terry Sunderland

University of British Columbia

A student takes part in a virtual internship

Impostor syndrome can strike even in virtual internships

It’s worrying that students who do internships online underestimate their contributions when employers rate them as valuable, say Chloe Severn and Katie Stote

Chloe Severn, Katie Stote

University of Plymouth

Loudspeaker design. One key takeaway from the Covid crisis is the proven ability of leadership to communicate effectively.

Covid proved that HE can change quickly and effectively after all

Much discussion has focused on what to do better, but we should also recognise strengths that had not been seen prior to the crisis, say Jon McNaughtan and Hugo García

Jon McNaughtan, Hugo García

Texas Tech University

Promoting community and inclusivity to dispersed and diverse students through your online teaching

Promoting community and inclusiveness to diverse and dispersed students

Three psychology lecturers share insight into how to create inclusive learning communities and courses that work for dispersed and diverse students

Chiara Horlin, Emily Nordmann, Heather Cleland-Woods

University of Glasgow

How to use group participation activities which are used in stakeholder engagement projects in order to teach a better understanding of sustainability issues

We are not alone: using participatory group activities to engage students in sustainability

Natalie Kopytko and Susannah Sallu detail how participatory activities used for stakeholder engagement can help motivate students to learn about sustainability online

Natalie Kopytko, Susannah Sallu

University of Leeds

The campus of the future will need to take into account the likely use of hyflex pedagogy

The campus is dead, long live the campus

Potential post-Covid changes to campus design will slide along a spectrum from optimising space to rethinking academic structures, says Jay Deshmukh

Jay Deshmukh

IBI Group

Move marking online to reduce waste paper at your university

Greener assessment: transitioning to online marking

Universities should lead by example on sustainability issues, looking at what they can do to shrink their environmental impact. Here, Ling Xia and Yao Wu outline a project that could herald a major reduction in their institution’s paper consumption

Ling Angela Xia , Yao Wu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Asian student learning about virtual exchange. There is a need to be clear on the outcomes of virtual exchange as it becomes more common.

Virtual international exchange needs a sharpening of practice

For committed international educators, there is a need to clarify the purpose of virtual exchange before the trend takes hold, says Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Advice on teaching languages online both via synchronous and asynchronous teaching models

Virtual language learning through synchronous and asynchronous teaching

Theresa Perales and Kelly Metz-Matthews outline how synchronous and asynchronous online teaching tools can be used to engage students in new ways that enhance their language proficiencies

Theresa Perales, Kelly Metz-Matthews

San Diego State University

A photograph of a war zone. When teaching to diverse groups overseas, there are many circumstances to consider.

Lessons learned teaching online, from wi-fi woes to war zones

Human issues, particularly willingness to contribute to discussions, were more significant than tech issues when teaching across borders to diverse audiences, says David Mould

David Mould

Ohio University

Rural America suffers from a lack of high-speed internet access, which in turn hinders social mobility

Biden’s next big deal must include expanded broadband access

The pandemic helped expose an insidious digital divide that imperils efforts to reduce inequality and promote social mobility, says Jem Spectar

Jem Spectar

University of Pittsburgh Johnstown

Making your online course content accessible and clear for all students

Five steps to making your digital course content more accessible for all

Drew McConnell describes some straightforward techniques to make your digital course content more accessible and improve the overall user experience for students

Drew McConnell

University of Glasgow

Co-creation is still possible even though most teaching and learning is taking place online.

Co-creation does not need to stop because we’ve moved online

Co-creation is far more about mindset than suitability for a particular setting, and the evidence demonstrating its benefits is growing, says Catherine Bovill

Catherine Bovill

The University of Edinburgh

Advice to develop student-centred online teaching

A blueprint for an engaging and student-centred online degree  that works 

Sue Brown and Karalee Dwyer explain how to approach online education to ensure it is not just an adaptation from face-to-face delivery but purpose-built for better learning outcomes

Sue Brown , Karalee Dwyer

Federation University Australia

Virtual learning, book and laptop merged

Virtual learning environments mustn’t lead to module silos

We must ensure modules complement one another by establishing consistency in their form and functioning, says Maurice Kinsella

Maurice Kinsella, Niamh Nestor, John Wyatt

University College Dublin

How learning technology can help build students employability skills

Using learning technologies to enhance students’ professional communication skills

Learning technology offers an opportunity to embed useful workplace skills training into university courses, as Kyle Bowen and Allison Hall explain

Kyle Bowen , Allison Hall

Arizona State University

Delivering blended learning for students on campus and overseas

Delivering blended learning to work for all students, everywhere

Blended learning enables universities to serve students on campus and overseas with a quality education but requires careful planning and delivery, as Eddy S Fang, Ewout van der Schaft and Patricia Pieterse explain

Eddy S Fang, Ewout van der Schaft, Patricia Pieterse

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Steps to help foreign language students engage with online class discussions

Supporting foreign-language students in online class discussions

Online discussions pose a challenge for foreign-language students studying remotely overseas, so instructors should take steps to support their understanding and engagement, says Liyun Wendy Choo

Liyun Wendy Choo

The University of Auckland

A multiracial group of students. It's going to be even tougher to engender interactions between students from different countries while learning online.

Don’t let Covid disrupt bonding with overseas students

We will need to work harder than ever to create meaningful interactions between international and domestic students in pandemic times, says Futao Huang

Futao Huang

Hiroshima University

Managing conflicting perspectives of international students when teaching online

Negotiating the minefield of global online teaching: dealing with difference  

Farish A. Noor offers advice on managing the conflicting viewpoints of students living and studying in different countries and cultural contexts when teaching international groups online

Farish A. Noor  

Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Using anonymous polling platforms in online teaching to boost student participation

Anonymous polling platforms to boost student confidence, engagement and inclusivity

Students are often reticent to speak up in front of large groups online, but when offered anonymous ways to share thoughts and feedback, most are keen to participate. Christina Stanley explains how to put this to good use

Christina Stanley

University of Chester

Applying flexibility, inclusion and empathy to your hybrid teaching model for on-campus and overseas students

Guiding principles to support students on campus and overseas through hybrid teaching

Markus Davis explains how three guiding principles of flexibility, inclusion and empathy have helped shape a hybrid teaching model that serves both on-campus and overseas students effectively

Markus Davis

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on supporting students locked down overseas via digital channels

Ensuring quality digital teaching for students locked down overseas

Parama Chaudhury offers advice on how to help international students continue their studies while stuck in their home countries during the pandemic

Parama Chaudhury

UCL

A scantron sheet. Do we dehumanise students when we put them into spreadsheet rows?

Grades are dehumanising, but ‘ungrading’ is no simple solution

There is nothing ideologically neutral about grades, and nothing ideologically neutral about the idea we can neatly and tidily do away with them, says Jesse Stommel

Jesse Stommel

University of Mary Washington

Lessons in improving online teaching and learning from a survey of Hong Kong students

Lessons on improving online teaching from a survey of students in Hong Kong

A survey of students in Hong Kong highlighted concerns relating to the efficacy of online teaching. Ka Ho Mok runs through key lessons for universities looking to improve their digital education

Ka Ho Mok

Lingnan University

Tips on addressing student anxieties in the online learning space

Supporting students with Covid-related anxiety when teaching online

Helping students manage their anxieties is good pedagogy as it helps them learn. Alexandra Dufresne shares her tips for making students feel supported in the online learning environment

Alexandra Dufresne

Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)

A student takes part in an online work placement. Given the huge backlog of placements created by Covid-19, universities should consider e-placements.

It’s time for the sector to embrace online work placements

Placement capacity has been shaken to its core by the Covid-19 pandemic, creating a huge backlog. We must look for sustainable alternative solutions, says Gilly Salmon

Gilly Salmon

Swinburne University of Technology

Driving internationalisation in digital teaching to enhance the student learning experience

Using internationalisation to enhance digital learning experiences for all

Omolabake Fakunle explains how steps to support internationalisation in digital teaching can enhance the learning experience for all students

Omolabake Fakunle

The University of Edinburgh

Steps to running online masters courses that cater for international students

Developing online master’s courses for an international audience

Lauren Johnston-Smith describes steps to create a quality learning experience for students enrolled on online postgraduate courses from all over the world

Lauren Johnston-Smith

The University of Edinburgh

Using storytelling to boost student resilience and sense of connection online

Using the art of storytelling to help students build resilience when learning online

Judith Francois describes how she facilitates storytelling via online channels to help students build resilience and feel more connected

Judith Francois

Kingston University

A shy student. Many young people do not want to see their likeness on-screen.

Teaching in the hall of mirrors: should faculty ever mention appearance?

Educators must pay attention to why young people are using platforms that allow social interaction without visual scrutiny, says Elizabeth Losh

Elizabeth Losh

William & Mary

Cool, modern avatars for young people. Students are ready for the next generation of online comms technology and spaces, but the design of them is important

Life beyond Zoom and Teams: students are ready for next gen online spaces

Virtual spaces can create a sense of community and connect students across disciplines – provided they are designed well, say Yvonne Rogers, Paola Lettieri and Ben Meunier

Yvonne Rogers, Paola Lettieri, Ben Meunier

UCL

Five pillars to offering an effective multifaceted education online

The five pillars of a quality online education

Raj Kumar describes five key pillars universities must build on to ensure end-to-end, effective delivery of quality online education

Raj Kumar

O.P. Jindal Global University

Advice on redesigning assessment in the digital space, to test skills needed in future careers

Rethinking assessment in line with the changing world of work

Sarah Montano offers insight on redesigning assessment in the digital space to test the skills students will need in their future careers

Sarah Montano

University of Birmingham

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