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Texas State Office of Distance and Extended Learning Distance Learning Faculty Teaching Continuity Guide Online Teaching Quick Start Strategies

Online Teaching Quick Start Strategies

Quickly developing learning materials for online teaching will benefit from applying some strategy.

  • Identify familiar tools: Use familiar tools first such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, and Canvas to create instructional materials that can be shared online. PowerPoint may include narration and recording lecture materials on a set of slides may be easily learned. Zoom (the university's recommended and free-to-use desktop videoconferencing software) will also allow easy recording of lecture materials and features a whiteboard. Both tools require access to a computer equipped with a microphone.
  • Determine synchronous and asynchronous activities: A tool such as Zoom can provide an opportunity to meet with students synchronously through desktop videoconferencing. Zoom even allows students without home computers or access to strong Internet connections to join meetings by phone or mobile device. As noted above, Zoom may also be used to create video recordings for students to access asynchronously. Canvas provide an excellent platform for storing and providing student access to other asynchronous learning materials such as documents and recorded video and audio. Use a mix of synchronous and asynchronous materials to provide maximum flexibility for instruction and availability of learning to students.