Teaching
Learning the art of teaching adult basic education students at a distance
Tips & Resources
Learn about skills needed for distance teaching. Distance and classroom teaching are different in many ways. Learn more about the specific skills involved in distance teaching and evaluate your own skills by completing AdultEd Online's free Distance Teaching Self-Assessment.
Find about instructional strategies for distance. Chapter 3 of the Handbook of Distance Education provides instructional strategies from experienced distance teachers and activities to get you started.
Match the students to the method. Even the best teaching strategies won't work for a student who isn't suited for distance. Carefully screen students: assess their reading levels and talk with them about their learning styles, time management, technology access, and independent study skills. Make certain that students have the necessary skills and motivation as well as the proper support systems in place to help them succeed with their distance studies.
Communication is key. Phone or email distance students frequently to keep them engaged in their studies. Compose emails carefully: it's harder to convey ideas clearly and in a supportive fashion via email than face-to-face in the classroom. Watch the Voice of Experience video clip to the right to find out what one online teacher learned about potential pitfalls in using email to communicate with distance students.