I’ve taught online for over a decade and it has lots of good and bad points.   I previously gave you my tips for teaching an online course for the first time, but this time I want to focus on the best online teaching tools.

Creating a Great Experience with the Best Online Teaching Tools

Tools to Create Face-to-Face Interactions in Online Learning

There are lots of tools that do this.  These include Zoom, Go-to-Meeting, Google Hangouts and Skype (to name just a few).  Some are better designed for a classroom setting.  Find something that works for your situation.

Creating connection with you and other students is a powerful tool for students.  The bonus is that video conferencing is not going away in the workplace so it gives them some hands on exposure.

Tools to Stand In for the Whiteboard in Online Learning

There are times you will need to write a formula, create a diagram, or sketch an idea.  A whiteboard if where you would do that in the regular classroom, but how do you replicate for online learning?

A virtual whiteboard. You might try something like Whiteboard Fox   or Ziteboard.   Need a free option?  Try Google Jamboard.

Tools to Promote Discussions in Online Learning

Hopefully whatever platform you are using for your online courses will have a built in discussion tool.  If not, there are options on the market that will make discussion and feedback a breeze.

I have personally used slack and while it could get hard to follow in large groups, creating discussion groups could help make it more manageable and it is easy to start using.  There are other options that are available specifically with educators in mind check out these 5 online discussion tools.

Tools for Homework in Online Learning

Assignments are an essential part of any learning environment and students have often been conditioned to turn it in and get a grade.  That can mean an organizational headache for online instructors that may be more accustomed to simply putting papers in folders.  Again hopefully, you will have a platform that makes it simple.

If you don’t, there are some tools to help you manage the work coming in so that you don’t pull your hair out and the kids get the benefit from doing the work (the whole point in the first place).  Google classroom in conjunction with google drive and google docs is a free although sometimes clunky way to get assignments handed in.  It is a great tool for collaborative docs.

Check out these ideas for tools for taking, grading and how to manage assignments online.

Tools for Screen Recording in Online Learning

If  you are teaching using a video platform, record it within the platform but if you can’t OR you are using asynchronous learning try screen recorders.

My all time favorite affordable screen recorder is Screencast-o-Matic.   It is easy to use and you can record your screen, yourself, and have options for different audio in puts.

There are other options so do your research, but there is no need to invest in something like Camtasia for most people.