As I have been a volunteer for TEALS, one thing has become clear: we will have to utilize remote teaching if we are going to be able to reach all students. As it stands right now, most schools do not have dedicated computer science teachers and must get help from programmers. In large cities, it is fairly easy to connect local programmers who want to help with local schools. However, due to the nature of the coding industry, programmers tend to congregate in larger cities. This makes it harder for schools in smaller towns to connect with programmers. Thus we need to find a way to teach computer science from a remote connection.
The setup my team has currently devised is far from perfect, but it's a good starting point.
First the tools:
- Computer for each student (they need something to work on)
- Headset with Microphone (for one on one conversations)
- Webcam attached to an on-site Instructor's computer
- Projector attached to an on-site instructor's computer
- Skype (we use Skype for Business)
- A continual Skype meeting for the classroom, and one for each student.
- Slack
So now that you have all the basic pieces, here is how they work together. First, the on-site instructor's computer will be hooked up to both the webcam and the projector. This computer will join the classroom Skype room. This will allow the remote instructors to see the whole class via the webcam and the class can see them via the projected screen. The instructor can also share his screen to the projected screen when needed for instruction.
When they start class for the day, each student should join their personal Skype call. For most of the time, they will be the only one in the room, but a remote instructor can hop into the meeting when individual instruction is needed. Finally, Slack is used to chat between the on-site instructor and all the remote instructors. It's especially useful in my situation, as we have a rotating group of four instructors with only two per class, so having a persistent chat is very handy for the transfer of knowledge between sessions.
As I mentioned previously, the system is not perfect. Being able to jump in on a student's computer is not nearly as convenient as being able to just walk up to them and ask how it is going. The students seem reluctant to ask for help from remote instructors as compared to the few times I was able to join the class in person. With Skype as it is set up with my team, there is no method to point at something or even take control. Seeing the whole class through a single webcam, which is often constrained by a number of physical concerns, doesn't really help engagement with the instructors either. Often, when I jump in with one student, I exist the classroom meeting, so I lose connection with the greater class conversation.
This post is a brief overview of the tech we use. I don't think it's perfect, but I think it's a good starting point. Writing this post has already gotten me thinking about other ways to teach remotely, and when I do come up with a solid idea, I will share in another post.