Classroom teaching has never been one to approach without strategy, otherwise the teaching objectives may not be achieved. For an educator, there are always the usual factors to consider; what should be the outcome of this lesson, what is the best teaching method to deliver this lesson, how do I cater for diverse learners, what kind of exercises should i use with the learners, what tools and resources do I require. In short, there has to be an elaborate structure and plan to teaching, specifically designed to meet the objectives of the lesson.
Remote online teaching is no different, it equally requires careful planning while considering all the above mentioned factors. the key factor is to not look at these factors in isolation. The achievement of the lesson outcome is well linked to the resources and approaches used in the lesson delivery. The difference here is that the approach and resources used will now differ from the ones you would have used in a physical classroom setup or at least it will be a variation of it.
For example, if the educator wishes to use the collaboration method in class, they can have the learners sit in groups and have a session where they exchange knowledge or collectively work on an exercise and then present it. To do this while teaching remotely, the educator needs to make use of digital resources that allow collaborative interaction amongst learners remotely using either low-end instant messaging or high-end video conferencing digital tools. For example, making use of social media platforms such as whatsapp groups (accessibe by majority of learners), google team meetings,and or other chatroom or discussion forum facilities, document sharing platforms such as google docs. Of course the resource used needs to be one that will facilitate the achievement of the set learning objective as well as that is accessible to educators and learners.
The level of engagement with remote teaching and learning is limited in comparison to that in a classroom setup. the best way to manage this is for the educator to be well versed in learner centered methods of teaching. This approach to teaching is imperative and useful in this situation mostly because it relieves the educator from being seen as the sole source of information.
So, instead of the learner sitting in class while the educator lectures away, the educator has to make use of teaching methods that allow and equip the learner in being able to conduct knowledge acquisition on their own and or with minimal guidance. This can be done by making use of simple exercises such as asking the learners to find out all they can about a particular concept and then writing a short report on it, the way they understand it.
Last but not least, the educator must take into consideration the circumstances of the learners. It maybe quite difficult to take measures that cater to all the different learner backgrounds. There are some learners who come from well resourced households and others that do not. The educator must therefore be able to give exercises in varying ways that allow different learners with access to different resources to still get the most of the learning experience. For example, an educator teaching a class on conditioning and positive reinforcement for a psychology class can give the learners an option to either do a desktop research on the topic and give a brief report, or the learner can make a video recording showing how they would go about teaching their dog a new trick, in which both concepts will be practiced. This will be an interesting and engaging way to teach.
Remote teaching will definitely require some creativity from the educators, however, with the right knowledge on available resources, technologies and teaching approach, this is well achievable.