Online education is growing in popularity as more people of all ages use the Internet to study.
College lessons or online courses increase access for students looking for alternative ways of learning in relation to family and work responsibilities.
Distance learning requires preparation and knowledge of what tools to use and how to use them to teach an online course.
Planning, Design and Teaching
Learning to teach or create online courses requires different skills and processes than classroom learning.
Courses for students who are not physically in front of you require more in-depth preparation. Virtual learners have different needs than classrooms.
Planning
- Know who your students are to design course materials based on their needs and level of expertise.
- Define learning objectives.
- Create a sequential course structure
- Define the curriculum by including course information, materials, objectives, instructor contact information, and grading policy.
- Create weekly schedules including required reading, presentations, assignments and tests
- Schedule online lectures and discussions
Planning - Get to know your students to develop course material about their needs and level of knowledge
- Define learning objectives
- Create a coherent course
- Define the curriculum by including course information, required materials, goals, instructor contact information, and grading policies
- Define weekly schedules including required reading, presentations, assignments, and exam
- Plan lectures and discussions Online
Design
- Create course content, including PowerPoint presentations and video tutorials.
- Organization of lessons and lectures.
- Create engaging activities and content.
- Recording lectures
Design - Produce course content including PowerPoint presentations and instructional videos
- Organize lessons and lectures
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- Create engaging activities and content
- Record lectures
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Teaching
- Use technology to improve student collaboration and online discussions with tools like Skype, Zoom, Google Classroom or software included in Learning Management Systems (LMS). which you use
- Be available and keep in touch with your students.
- Encourage student interaction.
- Conduct regular scheduled discussions and Q&A sessions.
Teaching - Use technology to improve student collaboration and online discussions using tools like Skype, Zoom, and Google Classroom , or the software included with your Learning Management Systems (LMS)
- Be available and communicate with students
- Encouraging student interaction
- Regularly scheduled discussions and question-and-answer sessions
Provide students with your curriculum and course materials prior to the start of the course. Let them see if your materials, deadlines, and other requirements fit into their schedules and meet their needs.
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Tools, hardware and software
Tools, Equipment, and Software
You must have a reliable computer and a good internet connection. When it comes to technology, there are many options to choose from.
Please be aware that the LMS you choose may include some of the third party tools listed below.
- Video conferencing (Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Skype)
- Web collaboration (Google Docs, Padlet, or Scribblar
- Presentation (PowerPoint, Google Slides or Prezi)
- File sharing platforms (Google Drive, Dropbox or OpenDrive)
- Testing and grading (Google Forms, Survey Monkey or Kahoot).
- Screen capture software (Screencast-O-Matic, Jing or Camtasia).
Screen Capture Software
Screen capture software is essential when creating online courses. This allows you to show students what you are doing on the screen.
Screencast-O-Matic is one of the most reliable and free or low cost screen capture tools on the market.
The free version allows you to:
- record data from a webcam or screen
- trim recordings
- save to desktop
- Share on Facebook, Twitter or Google Classroom
- Record in full screen or windowed mode.
- Add signatures.
- Zoom in while recording.
- Choose from 30 music tracks to add to your video.
- Publish to Screencast-O-Matic and YouTube.
The two updated versions offer enhanced functionality such as editing and branding. The Deluxe option is $ 1.65 per month (billed annually) and the Premier version is $ 4 per month (billed annually). This product is not only reasonably priced but also very easy to use.
To start using the free version, go to the Screencast-O-Matic homepage and click the blue button that says Start Recording Free.
You will be taken to the screen recorder page.
Click the orange button to launch the free recorder. A small box will appear above the button to indicate that the recorder is starting up.
The launcher will open in a pop-up window.
Click “Open Link” and a voice recorder will appear on the screen.
In the Record field, select screen recording, webcam recording, or both. The maximum recording time for the free version is 15 minutes. If you need to create a longer video, you can update it by clicking the blue link.
Select the video size for your recording from the options or use the up and down arrows.
You can also adjust the video size by dragging the sides or corner of the recording window.
The Voiceover option shows the standard microphones that Screencast-O-Matic automatically detects as installed on your computer.
Computer audio for the free version only records your spoken narration. If you want to record any additional background sounds from your computer, you need to update.
Click “Settings” to change settings.
When you’re ready to record, press the red button. You will notice a 3 second countdown.
The frame around the recording location on the screen will change from a black dotted line to red to indicate that recording has started.
If you want to focus on another part of the screen, press pause, move the video frame, and press Record again to continue.
When you’re done recording, tap Done. Screencast-O-Matic will redirect you to the video manager.
With the free recorder, you can trim the beginning or end of a video by dragging and dropping the strips at the bottom to the length you want.
The editing function is only available in the updated version. Other options that you have access to in the free version include:
- Redo: delete and start over
- Cancel the entry and delete it.
- Add captions to your videos during the publishing process by uploading the captioned file.
- Save and share
- Save as video file on your computer (MP4, AVI or FLV)
- Upload directly to YouTube as soon as you connect your account.
- Save on Screencast-O-Matic hosting services on your account and get a link to share your post
- Add multiple types of content, including text, PDFs, videos, quizzes, and polls.
- Content delivery via built-in course player.
- Create a community forum.
- Issue certificates.
- Create an online course and learning paths.
- Customize the look using the drag and drop editor.
Platforms to host your online courses
Online course platforms are Learning Management Systems (LMS) that provide users with access to digital courses.
When choosing the best platform for online classroom teaching, look for an LMS that integrates well with the other tools you use.
You want to be able to create course content, organize it efficiently, and deliver it to students. Below are a few of the most popular online course platforms.
Thinking
Thinkific
Thinkific is a robust all-in-one platform with features like email marketing tools, member site integrations, and excellent customer support.
Other features include:
Learner
teachable
Teachable is good for beginners and is a great platform for teaching online courses.
It allows you to easily upload materials, customize the look of your online classroom, and interact with students.
Udemy
Udemy
Udemy is one of the most popular online course platforms.
It offers a support team of instructors to help you learn how to prepare an online course. This includes a resource center, peer-to-peer support group, and a community of other online teachers.
There are also several free open source LMS platforms available for online learning and a number of high quality e-learning apps for kids As described above, learning to teach an online course is a multifaceted process. This is much more than just adding a webinar to a website.
Providing quality courses includes setting clear goals and objectives, using the right technology, having sound teaching strategies, encouraging student participation, and including relevant materials that support your goals and objectives.
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