Online Teaching Strategies - Teaching Resources

With many options for teaching modality, effective planning and preparation are essential to deliver a successful course. It is particularly important to consider teaching and learning activities which engage all learners, whether they are in-person or remote, and whether activities occur within or outside of class time.

Sample activities and suggestions for implementation in various teaching modalities are provided in the table below, including synchronous online classrooms, asynchronous online classrooms and HyFlex classrooms. These recommendations consider different groups of learners, evolving public health guidelines, and critically, the central goal of actively engaging all learners, regardless of teaching modality.

Synchronous Online Classroom

Sample Activity
Introductions	Students turn on camera and/or microphone and introduce themselves Students go into breakout rooms for smaller group introductions
Lecture	Instructor shares slides/content over web-conferencing and leads class using audio and video
Brainstorming	Students write ideas on a shared whiteboard (e.g., multi-user whiteboard in Zoom) or work in a shared document Students use response system (e.g., polling) to share ideas
Small/Large Group Discussions	For small groups, students work in breakout rooms, share back with larger group For large groups, students raise their virtual hand to share using audio and/or video, or post ideas in the chat
Student Presentations	Students share screen and deliver presentation with audio and/or video
Case Studies	A case study is shared (slide, document, text copied into chat, etc.), and students work in groups (breakout rooms) or in a large group to discuss and/or answer questions
Think-Pair-Share	Students work in pairs in breakout rooms, then share ideas with the larger group
Question and Answer	Students raise virtual hand or use chat in the web-conference to ask or answer a question
Polling/ Clickers	Live polls (e.g., Zoom, PollEverywhere) used to get feedback, do knowledge checks (e.g., multiple-choice questions); results displayed and discussed in class
Review Sessions	Content reviewed in online session using breakout rooms, polling, and ‘reaction’ features Content is pre-recorded, then live meeting used for questions/discussion
Peer Review	Students review other students’ materials outside class time, then share feedback in breakout rooms
Quick Check-ins	Students use reactions (e.g., smiling face, frowning face, thumbs up or down) to respond to pace/understanding Polls used by instructor to verify pace, understanding, etc.

Asynchronous Online Classroom

Sample Activity
Introductions	Students introduce themselves on online discussion forums Students record, upload and post videos to introduce themselves
Lecture	Mini lectures pre-recorded and posted online Tip: Try our classroom studios to record content in advance Instructor records synchronous session and posts online (e.g., upload to Mediaspace, embed in Brightspace)
Brainstorming	Students work in a shared document Students use online discussion forums
Small/Large Group Discussions	Students post and respond to peers via an online discussion forum by set deadlines (e.g., post by Tues. and respond to X posts by Thurs.) Students post to an online discussion forum on a recurring schedule (e.g., weekly by 12pm on Wed., twice/week, 3 times per half term)
Student Presentations	Students record, post, and watch peer presentations, post questions for others to online discussion forum for others Students submit written responses or record themselves answering questions orally
Case Studies	Case study posted online, students work in groups within a shared document to discuss, answer questions, do an assignment, etc. Students work independently to answer case study questions, submit as assignment (e.g., written, audio recording)
Think-Pair-Share	Students work in pairs in a shared document or on a discussion forum, then share final product with larger group online
Question and Answer	Students post questions relating to course content on an ‘Ask the Instructor’ online discussion forum, which is moderated by the instructor and/or teaching assistants
Polling/ Clickers	Students provide feedback and do knowledge checks by completing online quizzes (e.g., multiple-choice)
Review Sessions	Students watch pre-recorded content and complete online quiz, assignment, or use online discussion forums Students prepare review questions/content and submit as assignment, post to discussion forums, do a video post, etc.
Peer Review	Students use document-editing features to provide feedback on peer work and share over email
Quick Check-ins	Students complete check-in questions via an online quiz, assignment, or H5P lesson after each module, week, lesson, etc. (e.g., multiple-choice questions, note muddy points)

HyFlex Classroom (In-Person and Online Synchronous)

Sample Activity
Introductions	Students use online discussion forum, assignment, or icebreaker activity to introduce themselves within or outside of class Supplemental introductions can occur simultaneously in web-conferencing breakout rooms (online learners) and in class (in-person learners)
Lecture	Instructor shares slides in class while content is simultaneously streamed to online learners via web-conferencing (e.g., Zoom)
Brainstorming	Students use response system (e.g., polling), or raise physical/virtual hand Tip: Poll Everywhere has versatile activity types, which can be used for online chats, brainstorming, Q&A, upvoting peer responses, and more. Both sets of learners can use a shared whiteboard (e.g., multi-user whiteboard in Zoom), a shared document, online discussion forums, or online chat within or outside of class time
Small/Large Group Discussions	Instructors should always repeat questions to ensure they are heard by both sets of learners
Student Presentations	Online learners share screen and deliver presentation with audio and/or video In-person learners present at front of class, using device with microphone (e.g., phone, laptop) to join web-conference audio to be heard online Instructors may join web-conference with a device with microphone for presenters without a device
Case Studies	A case study is shared (slide, document, text copied into chat, etc.), and students work alone, in small groups (e.g., breakout rooms for online learners, shared documents, online chat or aloud in class, when possible), or in a large group to discuss Students attending in person and online can use a shared whiteboard (e.g., multi-user whiteboard in Zoom) to collaborate in real-time
Think-Pair-Share	In-person learners use shared documents and/or online chat to collaborate, or speak aloud, when possible Online learners use breakout rooms to pair up and discuss ideas
Question and Answer	Instructor uses polls (e.g., Poll Everywhere) to ask all students a question Students in class raise physical hand; online learners raise virtual hand or use chat All learners use online discussion forum (e.g., FAQ, Ask the Instructor) to ask or answer questions anytime
Polling/ Clickers	Live polls used for both groups used to get feedback, do knowledge checks (e.g., multiple-choice questions), vote for discussion topics, and more; results can be displayed in real-time or later
Review Sessions	Online learners use breakout rooms to discuss or solve problems in groups; polling and ‘reaction’ features used to gauge understanding Content is pre-recorded and posted, then live meeting used for questions and/or discussion Tip: Alternate taking questions/responses from in-person and online learners to create an engaging experience for both groups Students prepare review questions and submit as assignment, post to discussion forums, do a video post, etc. Students complete review quizzes during live session, using polling system (e.g., Poll Everywhere’s live remote quizzes can be presented with or without answers, can be timed and/or used in competition format for more live engagement)
Peer Review	Students work in shared documents during class, then share feedback in breakout rooms, online chat, or in class (when possible) Students use document-editing features to provide feedback on peer work during or outside of class time
Quick Check-ins	Polling can used by instructor to verify pace, understanding, etc. for both groups of learners Online learners can use reactions (e.g., smiling face, frowning face, thumbs up or down) to respond to pace/understanding Reflection activities can be used as pre-assessment activities and/or to get students thinking about content before class

Tables adapted from McDaniels, Pfund, & Barnicle (2016)

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