Even though we are essentially living in the age of technology, there’s no guarantee that all conferencing platforms will work seamlessly 24/7. Claire Macrae, Program Coordinator for the Master of Education course at Murdoch University Dubai, shares her tips on what to do when technology fails in an online classroom.
Technology is amazing when it works, but we all know that it’s erratic at times. Always have a plan B for your lesson in case the key tech aspect doesn’t work. Having other options like the LMS forum for discussion if the breakout groups won’t work, email or another chat option if the Chat facility can’t be accessed – there are many different channels available and you can tell students what to do/where to go if anyone loses contact during the session.
Rather than showing tension and frustration, a bit of humour goes a long way and makes students realise that you are human too! Refer to the tech as if it’s a misbehaving student that’s not turned up or has left the room without permission, for example.
Primarily this is a chance to create a learning partnership with your students. Remember that if you are afraid of the technology, most likely your students are not. Like you, they may not be familiar with the particular tools being used but they lack the fear of trying new tools, so embrace that and use it to your advantage.
You remain the subject specialist but don’t underestimate what it means to students to be the tech experts in front of their teachers – ask them for suggestions when things aren’t working as planned or if things go wrong. Students who see a teacher willing to learn from them are way more willing to learn from the teacher. This skill of helping the student become the teacher is a powerful shift in focus. Of course, this chance for students to learn online will also help them develop different skills with long-term career benefits in an increasingly virtual world. Embrace this opportunity!
Watch Claire’s video on what to do when technology doesn’t work during online classes.
Claire Macrae holds two Education Masters Degrees, from London's Middlesex University in Dubai, and Rhodes University South Africa, and is a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Her philosophy of teaching is grounded in the belief that students, particularly at HE level, should be critically reflective learners who are able to construct their own knowledge via social interaction and enquiry. Effective teaching is about facilitating and supporting collaborative learning, leading to students becoming meaningful contributors to, and change-agents within, their own environments.
Claire has 30+ years of educational experience in both tertiary and secondary school contexts, as well as an educational publishing background. She teaches various modules in the Masters in Education programme at Murdoch, co-ordinates this and the Masters in Healthcare Management programmes, and is chair of the university's Learning and Teaching Committee. Above all, she enjoys the challenge of assisting others to make teaching and learning meaningful and relevant to the future for the next generation.
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