Finding the Rhythm of Remote Learning | Campus Life - Tufts Now

Four of Tufts’ distance education veterans share best practices for a smooth transition online, summarizes Monica Jimenez, writer at Tufts.

“The big new thing is using online tools synchronously, with real-time interaction in the chat room and breakout rooms," said William Masters, a professor at Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Photo: Ingimage

When U.S. universities closed their campuses and switched to online learning, Tufts had a significant head start. 

Tufts’ Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy already offers a fully online graduate certificate program, with classes geared toward health professionals, communications professionals, and those interested in healthy communities and sustainable agriculture, led by program director and professor Diane McKay. It also offers a hybrid Master’s in Nutrition Science and Policy (MNSP), led by program director and professor Lynne Ausman, which includes five-day residencies in the fall, spring, and summer, but goes online the rest of the semester...

For teachers:
Don’t try to teach the way you would in person. 
“My number-one piece of advice is don’t try to simulate an in-person class,” Masters said. “A good teacher works the room like any politician — watching people’s faces, recognizing how people are feeling, modulating their voice and presence. But online teaching deprives you of the ability to see students’ reactions and body language in real time — especially if you have a larger class and can’t see them all on the Zoom screen. You’ve got to adapt and do it differently.”...

For students:
Take a deep breath.
Many students learning online now didn’t necessarily expect to be doing so this semester, McKay acknowledged, and it can be a challenging transition to make. She encouraged students to step back and think about what they already know how to do online.
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Source: Tufts Now