Online pedagogy: How to teach lecture-oriented courses in architecture and design, virtually.
Tips for architecture tutors, mentors and scholars.
Creating and uploading your materials
· Put your slides in a consistent and distributable format (e.g., pdf).
· Break up your presentation slides: be aware that online, perhaps even more than in the classroom, students will read first and listen second. Consider PowerPoint’s “Animation” feature (or equivalent) that allows you to show just a bullet or two at a time.
Learn more about how to create and upload materials in my Facebook group for digital architecture course creators.
Presenting your lecture
· Practice (at least once) in advance: rehearse using the Share Screen and switching among windows you intend to display. If you’re using your own laptop, remember to close all the windows you won’t be using (particularly personal email, etc.) prior to the class.
· Keep your normal pace: just because things are delivered electronically does not mean you should speed up or slow down. Your students will still absorb and process information at the same rate. But you should check in with your students more frequently than you might normally, to make sure that they follow the material and remain engaged. If you want to know more read: Tips on engaging students during virtual learning experiences for architect scholars, mentors and teachers.
· Be visible: even when using Share Screen, it’s good practice to make sure that your face is visible on a side screen while the materials are being displayed — otherwise, engagement can decrease.
Engaging students
Having students listen to a lecture attentively on a small screen can be challenging. Consider taking advantage of various features in Zoom to keep them engaged, such as reflections, Chat, or invited Q&A (using Raise Hand).
· Reading the room: unmuted students can inadvertently start talking at the same time, you will not be able to read body language easily, and those less inclined to speak may disappear more easily. To address these issues, be more diligent about pausing and asking if anyone else has more thoughts before jumping to the next topic.
· Invite and respond to questions: if your class normally is a large-class lecture format with Q&A, consider inviting students to ask their questions in Chat. To help you not having to browse through all the questions in Chat in real-time, your assistant can help you by picking a few questions for you to answer at the appropriate moments or, say, every 10–15 minutes. You can also consider asking students to use the Raise Hand feature in case they have an urgent question. (Zoom makes this easier than a standard lecture hall.)
· Encourage students to reflect: for example, say “I’d like you to think about ….”, take a short pause, and then if appropriate, provide an answer, or solicit answers from the students. Again, the Chat feature can be helpful in having students record their reflections.
· Post answers later: You might consider offering to post responses after the class to certain Chat questions that you didn’t have time to address during the session.
Stay tuned for more updates. If you found this article useful, follow me on medium. I also encourage you to reach out to me on social media and talk to me about any issues you might have. I am happy to help support you transition into virtual work with my useful advice.