When I first heard about zoom classes, I thought it was cool. There was a professor who was teaching a class from another continent.
I thought this is neat-
Then COVID19 hit and we all went to ZOOMMMMM-
Too bad I didn’t buy the zoom stock…I was thinking about it and then it went up and up and that was that- I thought $150 was expensive… Lesson learned-
After having taught 3 zoom classes, I think I can share some tips that have worked.
- Record your zoom class. Believe it or not…not every professor does it…whoa! Shock! But record it and the students can watch it later at their own pace. Also, upload the class asap. I know you may have multiple classes but try to upload as fast as possible and students will appreciate it.
- Keep classes short. We teach 3-4 classes, the students take 4-5 different classes and zoom fatigue is real. Some have classes back to back. So staring at the screen for 5-6 hrs will burn their retinas and cause extreme fatigue. To help out my students, I try to keep my classes as short as possible and rarely I go over time. I also tell students to rest if they need to because the lecture is being recorded so they can come back later.
- Record and upload complicated topics. The students are already tired of zoom. So the last thing they want to see is more zoom with lot of complicated material. So if I am covering something that is theoretical or that it requires a lot explanation, I just record a video and upload it. Then in class, I take questions (much more efficient). It is more work for the professor but it is all about learning.
- Be an entertainer. Often I teach night classes so the students are already tired. So to cheer them up and to keep them focused, I tell a lot of jokes and try to make the class amusing. Of course, I am far from funny. But when you are tired somethings just sound funnier. So it works. My advisor said teaching is a class is like delivering show. And my show tends to be mediocre but not terrible comedy. Some students find my jokes funny (that is what the reviews say…).
- Don’t give too much homework! Professors are afraid that students are slacking off. The students are…so in order to make sure they are learning. More homework and projects have been added. This is not a good strategy. Because you are only adding to your course. But other professors are doing the same. So at the end the students drown in homework and projects! Don’t overburden your student!
- Minimum group work. I try to keep group work to a minimum because their eyes hurt due to all the Zoom classes. Then they have to meet again for more group work zoom…too much ZOOM! I always encourage students to try to keep group meetings short as possible.
- Use critical thinking questions for quizzes and tests or substitute with a project. Online class has increased the likelihood of cheating. Of course, you can use different versions of exams and use camera or Proctorio to monitor but they can still cheat. A better way is to use critical thinking questions that they can’t easily google or ask. For me, this has worked well as I teach financial statement analysis. I can go pick a small firm that there is no information on Google. Substituting an exam with a project is not a bad idea but remember that students already have too much homework and projects.
I hope these tips are useful. It is all about maximizing learning 😀
Please share other great zoom class tips in the comments ^^
Thank You Jesus for zoom. We are thankful that we can continue to teach even during these challenging times. Please protect and bless us. Amen!
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