If you’re also one of them, we got that. 

You might feel overwhelmed at first, but don’t worry; these are straightforward, tested techniques for converting face-to-face classes to online classes.

1. Discover Your Technology Options  

To begin, contact your school to learn about all of the technology and software that you and your students have access to. Verify if any of the following are available: 

  • LMS (Learning Management Systems) (Canvas®, Blackboard®, etc.) 
  • Content Management Systems (CMS) (e.g., Google DocsTM) are a type of CMS. 
  • Software for web conferencing (e.g., Zoom, WebEx®) 
  • Apps and tools for learning 
  • Both you and your students will need hardware (for example, laptops, tablets) 
  • For all of the above, teacher and student login information is required.

You might also need, for example:

  • Conference call classes or tutoring sessions.
  • Independent study programs.
  • Worksheet packs that could be sent via email. 

Live virtual classroom sessions (for example, through Zoom or Skolaro), YouTube-style learning videos, asynchronous conversations via an LMS, and access to third-party curriculums and practice opportunities might all be created by mid-to-high-tech institutions.

2. Convert Curriculum For Online Delivery  

When it comes to converting your curriculum to the internet, the most important thing to remember is to adapt your content to the medium and tools available to you. To do so, fill out the following form:

  • Streamline material to provide students with only what they need. Avoid “info-dumping,” which leads to cognitive overload, busy work, and learning disruption. 
  • Choose educational strategies that will entice remote students. Create opportunities to grab their attention, show how the subject is relevant to them, boost their confidence, and give enjoyable learning experiences. 
  • Allow learners to ask questions, practice essential skills, receive timely feedback, and decide how to give assessments.

Then, based on your goals, discover or build the online learning treatments. You may come up with a variety of different treatments that are effective in your situation.

Make online classes interactive with: 

  • Videos of a shorter length (preferably three minutes or less) 
  • Multimedia and interactive visual presentations 
  • Infographics 
  • Demonstrations, either live or recorded 
  • Discussions on the whiteboard 
  • Small group discussions will be held in breakout sessions. 
  • Multiple-choice/multiple-select/true-or-false questions and discussion questions are examples of knowledge checks. 
  • Scavenger hunts on the internet 
  • Students can use screen sharing to watch them practice essential skills or to share their work. 
  • Interviews with experts and guest speakers 
  • Illustrations and storytelling 
  • Resources for frequently asked questions

3. Facilitate With Remote Learners In Mind

The good news is that guiding principles for face-to-face courses translate well online, so you should be OK in a remote setting after a minor learning curve. Consider the following suggestions and adapt them to your own requirements:

  • Encourage students to make use of their webcams. 
  • To encourage involvement, use existing technology (for example, polling, raise-hand tools, chat boxes, whiteboarding, and sharing screens). 
  • Determine how to accept and respond to queries during live sessions and whether or not another resource should be accessible to answer them in real-time. 
  • Record and share web sessions with other students and for future reference. 
  • Breaks should be included in sessions that last longer than an hour. 
  • Include knowledge checks and call on participants at random to answer questions or give their opinions. 
  • Keep your information overload to a minimum.

4. Implement And Improve

Consider your online course conversion to be an iterative process. Once it’s up and running, assess how effectively your technology and design choices serve your demands and make small tweaks until you reach your objectives.

  • Obtain responses to the following questions throughout this evaluation: 
  • What has shown to be effective for other teachers at my school and me? 
  • Is it true that I’m having the same success with my pupils online as in class? If not, what is the source of the issue, and how can I resolve it? 
  • Does my existing technology setup suit the demands of my class in terms of capability, reliability, and access? 
  • How much time do students devote to schoolwork? Does the content need to be simplified more if it feels too much? 
  • What percentage of students took part in the activity? 
  • Is this online experience satisfactory for students and their parents? 
  • How well do students understand the goals? 
  • What additional support do students need?

Success is just 4 steps away.

Taking classes online may feel like a journey. Just keep in mind that success is only four steps away.