The internet has been a boon to educators and learners alike, providing new ways for people to access educational content. With so many options out there, it can be hard to figure out which route is the best one.
It may seem like an easy decision to make. Whether to create a class for students online or in-person is a complex one that requires careful planning.
A lot of factors are there to be considered before choosing one method over the other. There are many different ways to structure your online classroom, and this guide will assist you in making the right call.
The first thing most people ask when they hear that they are going to be teaching online is, “How do I work with students who aren’t physically present?” There are so many different strategies you can use when handling this question. The most crucial factor is that you have a plan in place.
You’ll want to figure out how you are planning on online education and how you are going to interact with questions from students who aren’t physically present.
You will also want to think about the types of assignments your class will require and how the assessments for each assignment will be graded. These factors are essential for determining what kind of technology your course will work best with and what type of software your students should have for their computers.
But before you dive headlong into creating an online class of your own, here are some things you should think about first:
How is Your Personality Best Suited to Teaching an Online Class
Some people like the structure of a classroom and find that they can use their interpersonal skills to reach a large number of students. These teachers will do well in face-to-face online classes.
Other people prefer being able to work at their own pace and in a more individualized way. These teachers will do well in online classes that are more self-directed.
What Kind of Students Will Enroll in Your Class
When you create an online class, you are not only responsible for the content that’s delivered but also for the type of student who enrolls. So think about who you believe would be likely to take your course.
How Can the Class Benefit Everyone Involved
Before you create an online class for others to use, you have to consider whether there’s any benefit for your students. For example, it could help them save costs on fees.
But it might also require that they work through all of the prerequisites before they can enroll in your course. A class that is built to help cash-strapped students can end up excluding them due to the barriers it imposes.
How Can You Make Sure That You’re Getting Enough Financial Support
Since you’re offering your class online, you should expect to deal with a lot of administrative tasks. For example, you’ll have to determine an enrollment fee, keep track of payments and manage finances.
All of this takes time away from teaching and requires a monetary outlay on your part. Choose one of the many platforms that handle administrative tasks for instructors so that you don’t spend too much time on these tasks.
How Can You Make Your Classes Easily Accessible
Not everyone is connected to the internet, so you need to ensure that you’re providing access outside of this network. For example, students may want to download PDFs of each lesson and print them off.
There are also times when internet connections go down or aren’t available through certain content providers. So it’s in your best interest to make sure that any content that you place online can be accessed through other sources as well.
Will, Your Students, be Able to Contact You Easily
Since an online class removes a lot of interaction between teachers and student, students must have an easy way of contacting their teachers should they need help or have questions.
Online courses can fail if students do not receive the guidance they need. So make sure to establish communication protocols early on in your online class so that students can get the help that they need.
Overall, the process of creating an online class is no different from creating a face-to-face course. The only difference is whether you’re providing the content to your students via email or through a learning management system. Classplus helps teachers to just easily get their own app and make online teaching easy for teachers. it brings solution of all your problems at one place in your app.
