Frequently asked questions by teachers
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Is online teaching using MS Teams, Google Hangout Meet, or ZOOM mandatory? I take care of a small child at home, I cannot go online at the time of the original lecture …
So far the direct online teaching is not mandatory. Teachers use it primarily as a substitute for seminars in which they would otherwise intensively discuss with a small group of students. Direct interaction with small number of students could be led with the help of these tools and it can fully replace teaching of these small groups. Teachers for whom is this direct online teaching very demanding (they have small children they need to care for, poor connection, technical problems or they need to run their homes, etc.) tend to choose asynchronous teaching methods. They record examples for students, communicate in discussion groups, assign various tasks, and then give individual feedback (using video or commentary). Get inspired by other teachers or call us and we can try to come up with a solution suitable for you.
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I am concerned about publishing my video lectures for students, as it will be shared at student’s servers and nobody will come to lectures next year.
Many teachers share this concern. At IS MU we are preparing a system that should prevent students from downloading the published videos (if the teacher chooses this option) however it is not available yet. Write us if you want to be notified as soon as we launch the feature.
Unfortunately, you will never be absolutely sure that students do not make a record of the lecture. Just as you could record your lecture on a dictaphone in the classroom (and many do, but teachers don't usually know about this activity), students can record a screen, even in direct online classroom, and save the video and audio recordings. However, if students overcome these obstacles and somehow acquire the video and then publish it against your will, this is already illegal and legally punishable. The RMU Legal Department will be able to answer with more details on the legal aspect of this matter.
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Students do not respond to me during online classes in MS Teams, nor do I know they are there. I feel like I'm just talking to the computer and no one is listening to me. I don't know if they're playing games and if it's any use at all
Teachers' experience suggests that a small group students tends to respond very positively to online learning, and teachers receive a lot of grateful responses for their initiative to provide a lecture in some way. You need to be prepared to interact with students. Ask questions often to verify that they understand what has been said so far. Take advantage of the of chat, where students can ask you questions - it is a more suitable form for the shy ones. Give time for reading and commenting on questions.
In the case of lectures, where explanation precedes the discussion and questions, the following approach has been proven useful to some teachers. They make explanatory part of the video beforehand (for example, using a smartphone they record how they calculate examples on paper or on an improvised board / flipchart), they send it to students and make short 15-minute online entries at selected times, focusing solely on student’s questions and feedback on whether they understood.