Teaching electronically during coronavirus times

[pugmaster]

One of the things about SLAP which I appreciate the most is the heterogeneous makeup of the posters. It is evident that many work in education in various settings.  I have taught online and don't think it is superior to in person classroom instruction methods. However,  this modality of instruction is just going to have to work for the time being.

For those of you who are rolling out online education,  it would be a wonderful place to share your experiences and thoughts to make online education effective and to minimize cheating on online examinations.

I for one, am especially interested in how to minimize cheating on tests, as my wife, a dirty, dirty tramp, has excelled at it.

[Hevonen]

A friend of mine just started her internship, teaching a special ed class through skype. Says it's not going well

[TheLurper]

Write the exams like you would an open book/note exam and just accept that the kids are going to use their notes, books, Google, and each other.

You can write multiple versions of the exam (different questions) but this is just extra work for you.

[Madam, I'm Adam]

I teach at a college and a school division. Both have shifted into online-only delivery.

I'm thankful I'm not in my 50s or 60s teaching because not only do we need to know about computers, we need to know about apps, and platforms, and browsers, and discussion forums, and all that.

I haven't found it too strenuous - we use apps like Zoom and sites like Schoology to deliver lessons and classes. Those are well worth your time! My college has its own computer system and video conferencing service, so I've been adapting those.

The thing is, it's not that hard. We're conditioned by social media to an extent, so we know how to learn online. I'd say the hardest part - for the school division since I'm teaching kids - is that some of them just don't participate. That's where it's important to continue contacting them, either through DMs or texts/phone calls - to try and get them to join the class. But it's like the old saying goes, "All students have a right to fail."

[Deputy Wendell]

One of the things about SLAP which I appreciate the most is the heterogeneous makeup of the posters. It is evident that many work in education in various settings.  I have taught online and don't think it is superior to in person classroom instruction methods. However,  this modality of instruction is just going to have to work for the time being.

For those of you who are rolling out online education,  it would be a wonderful place to share your experiences and thoughts to make online education effective and to minimize cheating on online examinations.

I for one, am especially interested in how to minimize cheating on tests, as my wife, a dirty, dirty tramp, has excelled at it.

i appreciate this thread pug--i'm beat and don't have much to say that will be very insightful, but this semester i teach an "intermediate" composition class at a big public university, and a literature class at a smaller private university. at the former, Canvas has Big Blue Button "synchronous" conferencing, which i just finished using about a half hour ago. the latter, has Zoom installed in Canvas.

both worked well this first week back, in their own ways--surprisingly, although i don't want to get used to them. i work from a basement, with a bunch of x-mas lights hanging in the rafters behind me, so my students in both classes joked about it looking like i'm teaching in a bar...

...i have to admit, i'm so grateful for my classes right now--it's like four days a week, i get to work with almost 40 different priceless human beings (between both classes), and even though this "remote" teaching/learning is a trip, it's doing so much to keep me focused, positive, and excited.

a big issue, of course, which i think someone mentioned above, is how many students at the public university have limited and sketchy access to tech stuff, but i had 19 out of 22 students at this first online class meeting, so i'm pretty stoked for now.

i so hope all is well for y'all...

[drewsmahgoos]

Not a teacher but the easiest way to stop cheating is to create new problems with the material you have. Even if someone references something similar, they either know the concept and can apply it to what you've created, or they don't know it and cheating becomes very obvious.

I think it comes down to how motivated or lazy you are in regards to creating new material. My schooling comes from a math/computer science related background and with that, it's very easy to create problems that you aren't able to easily cheat from.

With something like literature, it might be a little harder but still doable.

An example I can think of. On a test where an individual needed to read some fiction: instead of having a question like "What did soandso do after that guy gave them the locket in chapter three?", ask something like "what do you believe soandso's intention to be when the accepted the locket?" or whatever the fuck.

Seems lame but the first question, if given during an in class test, would allow you to tell whether the person actually read it. The second, since you won't truly be able to tell whether they're being honest, will allow you to see the effort they put into the question. Seems a sincere way to judge an individual when you can't judge them in person.

Might be a stupid, incoherent response(I'm a little tipsy), but it makes sense to me. I'd just start judging people on the effort of their answers, more than the answer itself.

[TwisT]

I'm a learning technologist and a large university. I'm working in online tool management, training, and pedagogy.

Here are some of my tips for curbing online cheating
timed assessments. Create a window to start and end the assignment
The current time we're going with is 30sec per multiple-choice question
Take advantage of randomization tools. Our LMS randomizes answers order and question order
One question per page, combined with the randomization makes collaboration difficult.
Short answer questions that test applied knowledge and critical thinking
Word questions in a way that make them less google-able.
Don't use questions directly from the publisher, those can leak online

If a student has to research to find the answer then they probably learned a little more. As long as it's not a straight answer. It's a pain in the ass but it takes time to prepare a fully effective online course, you can't just throw somebody into an LMS and say teach. You have to train them in the best methods and practices to teach online and they give them time to develop strategy and course. Likewise, students didn't sign up for online school either.

Shout out to all the PALS working in education. They're gonna give you teachers so much shit even though you didn't ask for this.

[Deputy Wendell]

this is a shot in the dark, perhaps, but i just found out that the summer literature class i'm teaching needs to be "100% asynchronous," and i figured i'd bump this thread and see if any of the fine human beings that frequent the forums and teach, have taught "100% asynchronously" before.

i've always refused to teach online period, but since our new normal has given me little choice, i figured a summer semester is a good time to find my way. since Spring Break, when things quickly changed due to the virus, both of the classes i've been teaching this semester went online, but still synchronously--meaning, we still met on Zoom during our normal class meetings. so this whole asynchronous approach is totally new for me...other than office hours, no scheduled class meetings. i will appreciate any comments or suggestions people might have, including from heads who have taken asynchronous classes online.

by the way, as i was searching for this thread and happened upon the "Last time you shat yourself?" thread, i couldn't help but to be overcome with a warm and fuzzy feeling of gratitude for how dizzyingly infinite Slap is as a meeting place of perspectives, personalities, and experiences...

[Sick Duck]

My sister is a highschool teacher and she has been bitching about it constantly

[Deputy Wendell]

My sister is a highschool teacher and she has been bitching about it constantly

i feel her pain man, be patient with her...the whole "remote teaching" thing is diametrically opposed to what many of us got into teaching for...

[Sick Duck]

Expand Quote

My sister is a highschool teacher and she has been bitching about it constantly

[close]

i feel her pain man, be patient with her...the whole "remote teaching" thing is diametrically opposed to what many of us got into teaching for...

well she just got into teaching for summer break but yeah i’m sure it sucks

[Sona]

For me teaching style depends on the subject and student/student group

Music and English are the most important subjects in my opinion

[Carrolls Chesthairs]

Been doing this since March 17th for my 5 high school math sections

• My lessons are on youtube to avoid pressuring students to attend a live zoom class where they might as well just put a screenshot of themselves as their zoom background and walk away. This also allows me to film/record when I want to.
• To ensure students are actually paying attention to the video and retaining, use edpuzzle.com to coat your videos in questions and other interactive bits.
• Students are cheating. Having them submit work to a specific assignment has been helpful. I write, "To work around tech difficulties and ensure you earn full credit, post your scrap paper/work here.
• If possible, be creative with your assignments.
• See if your institute can work in a grading day. This work is tough if you have not done it before. Don't feel pressured to post something every day. Your students and you will be happier.
• Keep video segments under their age range. Ex: a 15 year old should only be watching a 15 minute long video max

I've learned a ton. Overworked myself and really resented assigning so much.
Once you get that rhythm, it's kind of a sweet spot.
Of course, that human interaction is important.

Be mindful of your mental health and your students' mental health.

Hope that helps!

[pugmaster]

I totally agree with modifying projects and assignments to stream line them and make them more feasible for students who are really dealing with a lot.  I have also modified due dates to keep their stress levels lower.

Time management is a big issue for the undergrads here, so I plan on breaking up some of my assignments into smaller assignments which all contribute toward a larger project.

I have only done 100% asynchronous 1 time.  Basically, pre-record a lecture and I think the recommendation of the person above about embedding questions into the ppt is helpful.  I also have "in class activities" which they can complete and send to me for feedback.  I hate just testing to assess knowledge, I want them to get at higher order skills on Bloom's taxonomy. 

It has been very interesting to see how many students actually show up when I do class.  I record it and post online so they have access to it later.

[DotGuru]

I've been teaching online for a long time.
Anyone struggling can hit me up with a private message.

[Carrolls Chesthairs]

Bumping this for the upcoming year that I'm sure we're all anticipating.

What's your district doing? What fears do you have? Is the world on fire? Anybody asking their district for one of these?

[pugmaster]

How long do you all give students on test questions that are short answer?  I have heard 45 seconds is adequate for multiple choice questions but was curious about short answer (2-4 sentences).

Thanks!

[rawr1922]

I'm not a teacher nevertheless wanted to share stats on my Physiology exam today.  49 total questions , 105 minutes. Out of those questions , 38 multiple choice & 11 short answer.
 
Online school been so challenging. Realized I'm not disciplined or motivated enough to excel. Procrastinate so much. No accountability. With normal school, stay up to date so I don't look like a dummy due to a lot of group work/interaction.

[pugmaster]

Bumping this for the upcoming year that I'm sure we're all anticipating.

What's your district doing? What fears do you have? Is the world on fire? Anybody asking their district for one of these?

Fortunately I don't have one of those force fields. We are online probably through the summer at the very least.

So far I have only heard of some people being furloughed. I think the adjuncts are going to be the recipients of the short straw. The budget is supposed to come out in December... not exactly looking forward to that.

[Made In China]

I work at a large university as an adviser, not as a professor or lecturer. It's been strange on my end because my job is normally predominantly meeting with students face-to-face or over the phone, and we're not doing either right now. Most of my job is over email or Zoom, which definitely has it's pros and cons. It does make it easier to manage my workload though, which was crazy high at certain points over the last few months.

Shout out to all of y'all who teach. I can only imagine how difficult and limiting it must be. You're doing great!

[Peter Zagreus]

Expand Quote

One of the things about SLAP which I appreciate the most is the heterogeneous makeup of the posters. It is evident that many work in education in various settings.  I have taught online and don't think it is superior to in person classroom instruction methods. However,  this modality of instruction is just going to have to work for the time being.

For those of you who are rolling out online education,  it would be a wonderful place to share your experiences and thoughts to make online education effective and to minimize cheating on online examinations.

I for one, am especially interested in how to minimize cheating on tests, as my wife, a dirty, dirty tramp, has excelled at it.

[close]

i appreciate this thread pug--i'm beat and don't have much to say that will be very insightful, but this semester i teach an "intermediate" composition class at a big public university, and a literature class at a smaller private university. at the former, Canvas has Big Blue Button "synchronous" conferencing, which i just finished using about a half hour ago. the latter, has Zoom installed in Canvas.

both worked well this first week back, in their own ways--surprisingly, although i don't want to get used to them. i work from a basement, with a bunch of x-mas lights hanging in the rafters behind me, so my students in both classes joked about it looking like i'm teaching in a bar...

...i have to admit, i'm so grateful for my classes right now--it's like four days a week, i get to work with almost 40 different priceless human beings (between both classes), and even though this "remote" teaching/learning is a trip, it's doing so much to keep me focused, positive, and excited.

a big issue, of course, which i think someone mentioned above, is how many students at the public university have limited and sketchy access to tech stuff, but i had 19 out of 22 students at this first online class meeting, so i'm pretty stoked for now.

i so hope all is well for y'all...

I'm doing a PhD in English at a private university, teaching one section of freshman composition per semester. I'm working under the "hybrid" model of instruction, which means I spend half the time on Zoom, and the other half teaching a mixed class with some of the kids in-person and some on Zoom. I'm essentially running a writing workshop, so I can't say much about testing or cheating, but I will say that Zoom has been far more conducive to lecturing, discussion, and workshopping. I make the best of my "hybrid" classes, but it's awkward to have the class split, and to lead class behind a sheet of plexiglass with all of my students masked up. Half the time, I can't tell who's talking, and the Zoom kids tend to check out unless I provoke them.

Props to my brothers and sisters out there teaching. These are wild times to do what we do!

[pugmaster]

I give my students exam study guides one week in advance, which I feel like is a decent amount of time. Do you all give study guides? If so, how far in advance do you give out the study guide?

[50mm]

SO is like half teacher half therapist for kids that have difficulty in school. Not special Ed but maybe like aspergers or behavioral problems. She loves it. It’s actually better. She actually has more problems with the parents than the students. All her old ass coworkers want to go back to in person because they have no life outside of work but she doesn’t want to at all.

[IUTSM]

Last year was crazy when we went to an online format. I wasn't teaching classes per say, but was a Master's of Social Work intern running therapy sessions with kids gr K-8 via zoom. We went from playing basketball and playing to trying to talk on Zoom while half of them are living in a crowded ass house/RV with like 6 other people and animals. I was also running mindfulness meditation classes with middle school kids at that time as well. During the start of covid, although we had been running groups weekly during the rest of the year, the buy in was hard. Some kids were able to stick with it, some were not.

I just recently started running another mindfulness meditation class with a grade 5 group. It has been cool to have waited until the classroom developed a relatively standard dynamic, so that, even though most of the kids already know me from the year prior, the foundation/expectations are set. It's been good and feedback is positive.

[pamier]

I'm in high school and this shit is so unhealthy man. We have to spend the full day in in synchronized learning so we're required to sit in Zoom's for 6 hours with 15 minute breaks every 2 hours. Then on top of that we have to do our homework which is all online, so its like 8-9 hours at least in front of a screen. Fuck this shit man, none of us have learned anything since we don't have the attention span or the desire to work with our teacher who are using outdated tech and disorganized class structures. (not their fault our school uses a program that makes teachers $60 to open a late assignment) All around a complete joke just give us the work and let us learn on our own, because we're gonna have to do that either way, might as well save the 6 hours we spend in useless Zoom's.

Bless up Mr. V

[TheLurper]

For the teachers of SLAP

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/11/goodbye-secretary-of-education-betsy-devos.html

Also, my buddy teaches at a university and he says he can't get the kids to turn on their damn cameras. The students have the same issues as always, but he cares less because he is just talking to a blank screen.

Good luck.

[Carrolls Chesthairs]

Also, my buddy teaches at a university and he says he can't get the kids to turn on their damn cameras.

Definitely something I came out strong with in the virtual model.
Not as much in the hybrid model but I do my best to keep them engaged and touch base.

Quite worried about students with rough home lives that aren't going to school in person, adulting themselves, or making an effort at what I believe is the easiest time to be a student.