Dr Tony Bates is a Research Associate with Contact North and the author of 11 books in the field of online learning and distance education. In response to the rapid global uptake of online learning due to the pandemic, Tony wrote a series of blogs explaining the key insights from his many years of research and experience in this area. This self-paced course combines suggested reading from those blogs and other sources, with input from Tony himself through an interview with CLC director, Sarah Horrocks. This course has been designed for teachers who have gained some experience of online teaching and are hoping to put these skills to good use as the conditions of the teaching profession continue to change in the wake of the global pandemic. To complete it, simply work through the PDF below, which links to textual and video resources as well as online spaces in which you can share your ideas with other learners. You can also watch Tony’s full interview on the CLC Youtube channel.
- 01:03 Introduction to Tony’s work and the state of online learning in North America
- 01:42 The challenges of creating meaningful and impactful online learning experiences
- 05:28 Recommendations for learning design, curriculum adaptation and pedagogical approaches when teaching takes place remotely
- 14:17 The importance of creating a community of inquiry and a sense of teacher presence when teaching online
- 19:05 How teachers can work with parents to ensure that their role in home learning activities is as positive and constructive as possible
- 23:11 How teachers can create a supportive learning environment and culture online
- 28:37 The differences between approaches to online teaching across different age groups
- 33:28 Advice for decision makers to consider when developing a strategy to support the future of online and blended teaching and learning
