As with anything COVID-related there has been a clear interest in doing online delivery as well as possible – especially when it was the only real option to keeping things going.
With restrictions maybe starting to lift, at least in larger states, it seems that online is here to stay – although more likely as part of a more blended approach to delivery, as our first article in this issue suggested.
Tips and tricks for good online delivery
University College London (UCL) has published some tips and tricks for making online learning as good as it can be. (Google searches will throw up a lot more of these for you too!) UCL’s messages are that first, you need to be kind to yourself and your students, but you will get a drop in your educational ‘productivity’ that you have to live with. You also need to keep it simple, but don’t just put the ‘normal course’ and resources ‘on line’. You not only need to think about the key things your students need to know – but you also need to think about what online approaches can and cannot do and, more particularly, what they SHOULDN’T try to do
You also need to think about teaching and learning occurring more ‘asynchronously’ and re-think and plan when and how learning can happen. You also need to think beyond video, live streaming and anything that really chews bandwidth, especially for those that have limited web access and capacity. UCL suggest pre-recording where you can and keeping videos short. If you are using third party resources, can the student access them readily?
This access issue also begs the question about whether you also need more ‘tried and true’ distance education approaches and resources in the ‘toolbox’ for those who have these limitations of web availability or are just not tech savvy and computer literate. After all, some people don’t have ready access to a computer either, so how do you meet their needs? You need to design for this, perhaps! The digital inclusion index for Australia (the ADII) is improving, but certain groups are disadvantaged, including those aged 65plus, those with disabilities, or from low income households or not in the labour force. You can have a look at a report on that here.
Your students need to be partners in your delivery and should help co-design the program. You need to know where they are geographically and what technologies they have available to them and then use this information to co-design or redesign learning activities and formative assessments. Actively involve your students in the process. All of this tells the students you actually care!
Being ‘seen’ and communicating is important to students. Send them emails, arrange virtual office hours and make use of systems like Zoom, Microsoft Teams or the chat features of Moodle to stay in touch as well as providing any necessary remote technical or pastoral support. It’s about being remote, but not distant! They need to feel connected to you and their study. They also need to be connected with each other and be able to collaborate and socialise with their peers. You can do this through asynchronous group tasks, utilising live seminar sessions, or the chat tool in Moodle. But not everyone can get to sessions like this, so “provide methods for students to review the session and to participate if they are not able to take part in real-time.”
Being clear about your expectations is important too (FAQs can help with this). They need to be clear about what you expect them to do and when. Students working this way often have commitments that reduce their ability or willingness to study, so don’t overload them.
Finally, make sure you share your practice! This is why activities like networks, peer support networks of teachers, benchmarking, mentoring and communities of practice are SO IMPORTANT.
Where can I get some advice?
ASQA’s website has a video of a webinar they did in May this year. Entitled Online delivery: Beyond PDFs and Zoom it’s maybe worth a look. Readers may also be aware that they are conducting a strategic review of online learning. We’ll keep an eye out for this report, of course, but in the interim they have published an Insights paper that you can access here.
TEQSA, the Tertiary Quality and Standards Agency, hasn’t been idle either and they have some resources on good practice in online delivery on their site. These include a video on key considerations for providers, and a range of resources focused on: best practice in getting started, helping staff work with online learning, enhancing the online experience for students and ensuring assessment integrity. There is also a series of podcasts and webinars that may be useful.
Victoria’s Department of Education and Training has published a short factsheet focused on quality in online delivery for those with Skills First contracts. And, last but not least, a 2019 publication by NCVER authored by Griffin and Mihelic contains a table (Table 9) which outlines elements of good practice in online delivery. These elements include pre-enrolment and enrolment issues, the learning platform and teaching resources, communication and student support, assessment approaches and, finally seeking to improve quality and gather student feedback.
