Although you may be following a curriculum and a textbook that has been already selected, sometimes you may want to supplement the course content with extra materials. The following are some ideas on how to present class and supplementary materials.
Websites. The common way to present websites is through a list. However, make sure that you include
The title of the page linked to the site
The link of the page linked to the site
A short description of what the site is about
This will help your students decide quickly if they want to use the resource.
Electronic Reserves. These materials are copies of printed materials converted into electronic format and kept at a place where the students can access them via de Internet. The advantage of having electronic reserves is that all of your students, regardless of place of residence, will be able to access them for the class. However, be aware of copyright issues and convert printed materials making sure that you follow this law. One chapter (or 10 % of a book) is usually considered fair use of a book and no special permit must be obtained to post it as electronic reserve.
Electronic Presentations. One of the most efficient ways of presenting information may be by using presentation software, such as Power Point. However, several consideration should be taken when creating a presentation.
Background. Make sure your background is not too dark, too light, or too busy; in other words, your background should work as a canvas where the information can be seen clearly, not as a way to express your artistic abilities.
Text. There is nothing more frustrating that not being able to read the text from a screen. Your presentation must have text no smaller than 24 pts. Anything smaller than that will be difficult to read.
Information. Your electronic presentation should work only as an outline; do not try to insert all the information that you will talk about in the slide. Besides being perceived as inconsiderate to read from the screen when your students can do it for themselves, trying to have all the information in the slide will result in a very small text size.
Graphics. The graphics in your presentation must enhance the topic and being aesthetical pleasing. Size is also another factor that needs to be considered. Large and/or flashy graphics will only distract from the content of the slide.
Animations and Transitions. Try to avoid animations as much as possible. Not only they are distracting but they become a nuance in presentations. Usually, animations that are considered as good design are those that highlight the line you are talking about and dim the rest of the text. Also, you can use animation to make the text appear as you touch on each one of the bullets instead of having all the text on the screen at the same time. Slide transitions should also be avoided because they are more of a distraction than an enhancement.
Sound. Animation and transitional sounds should also be avoided because of the reasons explained above.
Video. Inserting video can be a good way to demonstrate something that you cannot do in person. For instance, a lab practice can be easily demonstrated through video. However, always test your video many times before showing it to the class to make sure that it will work correctly. You also need to consider the time delay, if any, that the video will have to get to the other broadcasting sites.
Timing. Although it is easy to put your presentation on an automatic timing, it is better to set it in a manual mode so you can stop at any time to clarify questions or expand on what you are talking.
Email. Whether you are an experienced online educator or a novice one, it is important to recognize the role that personal communication plays in the teaching-learning dyad. While teaching distance education, you may realize that you do not have enough interaction with your students, that you need to know them better, need to send written instructions, or that you need to tell your class about something you forgot during your instruction time. Email can be a very efficient way to access all of your students at the same time. The technology coordinator in your building can help you to create an email listserv that will include all the email addresses of your students. On the contrary, if you want to communicate with one of your students in a more individual way, email can also be a good way to accomplish that goal.
Email Attachments. One of the skills that you first need to make sure that your students have or develop is the ability to send and receive email attachments. Being able to send attachments in the correct format, i.e., saved correctly, will save you tons of time and frustration. Also, being able to download, save, and open attachments is a skill that will save time, frustration, and missed points to your students.
Electronic Packets and Handouts. With the use of electronic attachments, you can make sure that the students will have the appropriate handouts for class. In this case, you need to set up a day, or days, of the week when you will send the attachment so the students can download them and print them. Having a preset time to access class materials will shift the responsibility to the students for having the class materials ready and being prepared for class.
Fax. Having a fax available at your site and the broadcasting sites will allow you to easily send printed materials to your students or your students to send you their homework. Research has shown time and again that a fax machine is an invaluable piece of equipment in an IITV class.
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Telephone. Although you will be working with interactive television that includes video and audio, it is a good idea to have a telephone line available at your site and the broadcasting sites. There may be occasions when the audio may not work and having a telephone can allow you to continue with your class.