Tips for a successful start with digital teaching

Digital teaching is becoming increasingly important in the education system. Clear communication, interactive methods and technical know-how are crucial to the success of your online courses. Below you will find the most important tips for a good start:

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Then please contact us by e-mail: elearning∂studium.kit.edu

1. familiarize yourself with different scenarios and tools for digital teaching
First consider how your digital teaching should be designed. Different scenarios such as blended learning, hybrid teaching or inverted classroom offer different advantages and disadvantages. Familiarize yourself with these concepts and decide which format best suits your course. It is also important to choose the right tools. Find out about video conferencing systems and the ILIAS learning management system and decide which you would like to use. The optimal combination depends on your course objectives, the learning styles of your students and the resources available.
2 Ensure a clear structure and communication
Transparent course organization is key. Set clear expectations regarding timetables, tasks and assessment criteria and communicate these to your students at an early stage. A modular course structure makes it easier to keep track of the course. In addition, set clear learning objectives from the outset in order to manage the learning process in a targeted manner.
3. make your teaching multimedia and interactive
Use the many possibilities of digital teaching to make your content varied and interesting with videos, presentations or podcasts. Multimedia content encourages engagement and opens up flexible learning paths. Increase the active participation of students through interactive elements such as discussion forums, group work, quizzes or surveys. This enables a more intensive engagement with the learning content.
4. plan regular live interactions
If possible, integrate live sessions for lectures, discussions or Q&A sessions into your course. The direct exchange strengthens the sense of community and enables spontaneous queries. In addition, virtual office hours can be offered to ensure individual support.
5 Provide regular and constructive feedback
Feedback supports learners in their individual development and continuously motivates them. Use online teaching to provide prompt feedback, promote strengths and work on weaknesses.
6. reflect on your course and adapt it accordingly
Take time to evaluate your course after each semester. Student feedback provides valuable information for optimization. Use these findings to continuously improve your courses - both for the current course and for future courses. Exchanging ideas with colleagues from the digital teaching community can also open up new perspectives and expand your wealth of experience.

Important tips for communicating with students

The switch to online teaching means an unfamiliar situation for many students. You should therefore explain the changed structures and processes to them in detail - ideally in writing or as part of a live event. Provide information on the course schedule several times and in different places to offer orientation.

>> Information for lecturers to pass on to students

Netiquette for online participants

As online teaching can create a feeling of distance and anonymity, clear netiquette is particularly important. Encourage participation by asking students to switch on their cameras (voluntarily). In the event of disruptions, you can remove people from the meeting and use the waiting room.

>> Netiquette in online teaching

Problems with troublemakers? KIT has created a handout with recommendations on how to deal with troublemakers, which you can request via elearning∂studium.kit.edu if required.

A treasure trove for online teaching

  • The 15-minute introduction to media didactics:Professor Gabi Reinmann describesin a videothe essential didactic functions that should be harmonized in a digitally supported teaching-learning setting: Content delivery, activation and support.
  • Introductory course:The Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD), e-teaching.org and the Gesellschaft für Medien in der Wissenschaft (GMW) ran the"Quickstarter Online-Lehre" qualification special at the beginning of the corona pandemic. The recordings and accompanying materials from the twelve course modules are still available to you free of charge.
  • Digitalization University Forum: TheDigitization University Forumaccompanies the discourse on higher education in the digital age throughout Germany.
  • e-teaching.org: The colleagues at e-teaching.org have been supporting the process of digitizing teaching at universities for many years. Accordingly, you will find extensive assistance and materials for the implementation of courses, including