The pandemic changed the way students learn, forcing teachers to rethink the way they teach.
Forced to adapt to a new medium of instruction overnight, teachers realised the need to constantly update their teaching methods.
Here are some online courses designed to help teachers go beyond traditional teaching methods and upskill themselves to ensure a better learning experience for students.
1. Teaching with Google Classroom by Udemy
If you are looking for a quick and comprehensive guide to using Google Classroom, this course by Udemy has to be your go-to. Google Classroom — the free blended learning platform with over 150 million users — has become the primary student-teacher communication platform. This course is aimed at helping educators use Google Classrooms efficiently.
What is taught: The course offers a better understanding of how Google Classroom affects learning and teaching. It teaches best practices of how to create engaging assignments. The course teaches how to use the functions of Google Classroom to create classes, self-grading tests and quizzes, assignments, announcements and to enroll students into classes. Along with changing classroom settings, educators can learn how to communicate with students using the platform.
Time: The course can take a little over 4 hours to complete.
Certification: A certificate of completion is awarded on completion of the course.
Price: The course costs Rs 1,280 but discounts may be available on the website.
2. Foundations of the Teaching for Learning: Being a Teacher by Coursera
The Commonwealth Education Trust offers this course through Coursera to strengthen teaching, professionalism, and other skills in educators. Reflecting on professional and personal development as a teacher along with becoming a part of the Commonwealth Teaching community is what the course offers.
What is taught: Dennis Francis, Dean of Education at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa; and John MacBeath, Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge, UK, are the instructors for the course. The eight-part course teaches educators how their learning process affects their teaching. The introspective course elaborates on the roles of a teacher as well as how they can translate their learnings into effective lessons for students. At the end of each lesson, some quizzes need to be completed to move on to the next lesson.
Time: Enroll for free and complete the course at your own pace. There are around 12 hours of content to go through and the course is estimated to take 6 weeks to complete.
Certification: The course can be completed with or without certification. The certificate is sharable on platforms such as LinkedIn.
Price: The course can be enrolled for free but the free course does not offer the completion certificate. For getting a certificate of completion, one has to pay Rs 2,152 at the time of enrolling. Coursera Plus members (Rs 4,378 per month) can also get a completion certificate without paying the course fee.
3. Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement by EdX
The MicroMasters programme offered by the University of Michigan aims at enhancing educational innovation, research, and practice to improve education. The programme on the EdX platform has been created in collaboration with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
What is taught: The faculty comprises professors from the University of Michigan as well as the president and senior vice-president of operations of the Carnegie Foundation. The programme is divided into five courses — Leading ambitious teaching and learning, Design and leading learning systems, Improvement science in education, Case studies in continuous education improvement and Leading educational innovation and improvement capstone.
Time: The self-paced course should ideally be completed in 10 months if 2 to 4 hours are dedicated per week.
Certification: Once all five courses are completed, one can earn the MicroMasters Programme Certificate. This certificate can count as credit towards completing a master’s degree programme, depending upon the university.
Price: The five-course MicroMasters Programme costs 800 pounds.
4. How To Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students by FutureLearn
It is never too late to learn how to conduct effective classes online. FutureLearn offers a short course for educators to learn better online teaching techniques and execute the techniques for a better learning experience for students.
What is taught: The course covers the basics of getting started with online classes. It introduces educators to tools that can be used to create lessons and assessments. Educators are taught the importance of gathering student feedback and how to respond to the feedback. Participants can become a part of the teaching community by accessing and adding to the library of learning designs. Those who enroll will be encouraged to discuss how they can manage the personal impact of teaching online.
Time: By dedicating 2 hours weekly, the self-paced course can be completed in 3 weeks.
Certification: A certificate of achievement is awarded after completing the course.
Price: The course is free to enroll.
5. Leaders of Learning by Harvard University
Identifying one’s theory of learning and applying it to the changing landscape of learning is what Harvard University offers through this course. It challenges educators to question the how, what and why of education to improve the learning experience of students. The course is accessible on the EdX platform.
What is taught: The course is led by Richard Elmore, Gregory R. Anrig Professor of Educational Leadership, Harvard Graduate School of Education. During the course, participants are exposed to what leadership looks like in various learning environments. They are taught how the personal theory of learning and an organisation’s structure affects learning. The course delves into digital and physical design shape learning. Those who enroll will also be taught how neuroscience plays a role in the future of education.
Time: The self-paced course can be completed in 10 weeks by dedicating 2-4 hours weekly.
Certification: There is an option of getting a verified certificate of completion.
Price: Without certification, the course is available for free. To get the certificate and unlimited access to the course, the cost is 139 US dollars.
