Resources for AMS Online Tutors. Feel free to add others you find useful.
Wimba Classroom login Wimba Classroom: Physics
Prezi: our presentation.
For Follow Up:
Archived: Success With Wimba Classroom - it will give you a chance to see what we tried to show in our botched demo.
Get admin access to the Wimba Classroom that has been set up for each of the following subjects:
Online Tutoring: Realities and Strategies
|Takes more time||Prepare your materials in advance. Check in with everyone at first to get a sense of what they are looking for . Offer some resources and tell them approx. when you will be avail to them.|
|Seems less “personal”|| Use what you can to bring a personal touch to your tutoring/ avatar, photo, camera, voice, etc. Do what is comfortable to you. Always use students’ names when communicating in text.
|Sometimes a challenge to know when a student is “getting it” – because you may not be able to see them.||Check for understanding by: offering a few examples to work on – sharing worked through examples and ask students to explain the steps and why they work. Develop your skills at summarizing (ie. acknowledging the variety of contributions,refocusing discussion, and reinforcing important ideas) weaving (ie. using varied examples to illustrate a point, providing additional info. correcting common errors) and providing feedback to assist in understanding.|
|Students may be relatively silent online – and that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t engaged.||Ask if there are any questions or concepts that need to be reviewed. Give time for students to respond. Sometimes 30 seconds can seem like an eternity but it is important thinking time for responses.|
|Out of sight - out of mind.||You need to establish a presence online and communicate when you are stepping away. Use your "away" message on IM and customize it to let people know when you will return. Be available when you say you'll be there and make initial contact with everyone who contacts you.|
|Communication is everything.|| If it is your first time using a particular tool - let students know that you are learning too. Take time to orient students to new environments. Pause often for questions or have a buddy keep track of chat when you are "teaching" a concept. Review "netiquette" guidelines and remember to instill confidence by being clear that you can or can't help someone with their specific questions.
Tips for Participants: offers an overview of the Wimba Classroom and a short video tour.
Tips for Facilitators: will take you through the steps you need to prepare to facilitate a tutorial using Wimba. Note: is not as complex as it looks - just try it!
Wimba Classroom Instructor Resources
Wimba Overview, Resources and Tips: UBC's eLearning site
Best to use these in collaboration with your tablet and pen (which you can get on loan from the AMS Tutoring office).
Groups on Blogs
Could be helpful for starting up study groups:Blogs.ubc.ca
Good Tutoring Tips
Tips for Communicating in Wimba Classroom
IM: Instant Messaging
Getting Ready Guide PDF
Presenters' Guide PDF