Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-2-3-challenges-and-tips [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Teacher CPD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd.md) › [CPD: The Teaching Online Handbook - Seneca Certified](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified.md) › Challenges and Tips # Challenges and Tips CPD: The Teaching Online Handbook (by Courtney Ostaff), topic 1.2.3 ## Challenges and Tips As many people found during the pandemic in the spring of 2020, teaching a synchronous session is arguably more difficult than teaching a face-to-face lesson. ### Multi-tasking ![Multi-tasking](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/72c6df50-fa11-4f26-b93d-f9d4611458c8/multi-tasking-2840792_1920.jpg) - Part of the reason is that successful online teaching is intensively cognitively fatiguing because teachers are constantly task switching. - Reading the chat box - Drawing on the board - Monitoring time - Thinking about the content - Answering student questions - Monitoring student engagement - Gauging needed explanations - Asking student questions - Checking student answers ### Online vs. face-to-face ![Online vs. face-to-face](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-11/40c9874d-2f74-441d-a886-e9f92c4358a3/roll-eyes-.jpg) - All of this together for hours at a time is draining. - But it’s necessary, because students wander far more frequently online than they do in the face-to-face classroom. - At least in a face-to-face classroom, teachers can demand that students pretend to pay attention, but online teachers must insist on frequent participation. - In addition, face-to-face teachers see students roll their eyes or nap, but online teachers only see text or poll participation. ### Tips & tricks! ![Tips & tricks!](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/e4dc28ad-27f8-4c91-8820-1dc5aed3fbcc/teach-teacher-learn-.jpg) - Don’t let students distract the class. Off-topic chatting is the most disliked part of a synchronous class session. - Don’t ask students to do anything other than listen and participate. Focusing is hard enough for them without distracting them with other tasks. - Expect students to answer frequent (every 3-5 minutes) questions, disrupting their web surfing. ### Tips & tricks! (cont.) ![Tips & tricks! (cont.)](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/d07d2068-cc90-4b76-ab79-a230ca95894a/shutterstock_340864385.jpg) - Don’t back up and reteach for late students. It’s recorded—they can go back and watch it. Late students should slip quietly in. - If the lesson is interrupted (e.g. the videoconferencing software went down), record the lesson by yourself and send students the link for later viewing. - Limit text on slides to five words per line and no more than five lines per slide. Keep all slides high-contrast, black and white if possible. Make sure illustrations are easy to read and understand. ## Test yourself on Challenges and Tips - Why is true about online teachng compared to teaching face-to-face? - What is the best way to ensure students are paying attention during online teaching? - Which of these should you do when teaching online? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/59aed537-a796-4e04-b608-2b026755abe8/section/d4b72ed1-1ff8-43db-9acb-e958b3fdba3b/session) - Previous topic: [1.2.2 Synchronous Class Discussions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-2-2-synchronous-class-discussions.md) - Next topic: [1.3.1 Scheduling the Work](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-3-1-scheduling-the-work.md) ## CPD: The Teaching Online Handbook (by Courtney Ostaff) contents ### 1 The Teaching Online Handbook - 1.1 Common Online Assessments - [1.1.1 Guided Notes & Weekly Quizzes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-1-1-guided-notes-and-weekly-quizzes.md) - [1.1.2 Deliberate Memorization 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-1-2-deliberate-memorization-1.md) - [1.1.3 Deliberate Memorization 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-1-3-deliberate-memorization-2.md) - [1.1.4 Hands-on Activities](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-1-4-hands-on-activities.md) - [1.1.5 Journals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-1-5-journals.md) - 1.2 Conducting a Synchronous Class - [1.2.1 Conducting a Synchronous Class](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-2-1-conducting-a-synchronous-class.md) - [1.2.2 Synchronous Class Discussions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-2-2-synchronous-class-discussions.md) - [1.2.3 Challenges and Tips](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-2-3-challenges-and-tips.md) - 1.3 Scheduling the Work - [1.3.1 Scheduling the Work](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-3-1-scheduling-the-work.md) - [1.3.2 Repetitive Assignment Types](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-3-2-repetitive-assignment-types.md) - [1.3.3 Challenges and Solutions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-teaching-online-handbook-seneca-certified/1-3-3-challenges-and-solutions.md)