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How Technology is Revolutionizing Remote & International Teaching

By Dr. Jonathan Cooley

 

As the world becomes increasingly connected, the way we teach and learn is rapidly changing.

No longer confined to the traditional classroom, teachers and students can now connect and collaborate with peers from all over the world through technology. This is particularly evident in the field of international teaching where technology can revolutionize the way educators interact with their students and their students with each other.

 

From Zoom and virtual classrooms to online collaboration tools, technology is making it possible for professors to teach courses to multiple locations around the world from the comfort of their home or vacation location. I have taught classes in China and Africa from home in Oregon in the middle of the night. And I taught classes from a vacation rental and a beach in Kauai, Hawaii, from a café in Agadir, Morocco, an apartment in Suzhou, China, and a vacation rental in South Africa. Once, I even made a work call from the top of a sand dune in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan!

 

Is it freedom or just a working interruption to freedom?

 

 

 

Teacher Travel and Global Classroom Tools:

In the past, the logistics of teaching abroad were often daunting, requiring extensive planning and travel. Accommodations, local transportation, language and cultural obstacles, food choices, and potential medical issues are all real considerations. I enjoy these challenges, but some may not.

 

Today, however, professors can use tools like video conferencing and online course management systems. Being familiar with the concepts of using these Learning Management Systems software (LMS) such as Canvas, Blackboard,  or Moodle to connect with students and university requirements is critical. Once you have used an LMS successfully, it’s much easier to adapt to a new one, albeit it can still be challenging. I once gave an entire final exam through a university’s LMS as required, only to find I had some settings incorrect and had to go back and grade all of them by hand! Ouch!!

 

What is an LMS? Here’s a link to a short presentation that might help understand – and they are evolving rapidly. What is an LMS? https://www.overnitecbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/What-is-a-LMS-1200x675.png

 

Other software such as Zoom, Zoho, Google Hangouts, Slack or TopHat allows us to connect to classrooms and students in real time, regardless of where they are located. Some are text only, some are video and text, and some are “Webinars”. While some are free, others have a “Freemium” plan, meaning a free version with some limitations of functionality and more robust features with a paid subscription plan. Here are a few…

 

Beware! Some software applications such as Google are NOT available in China, so international restrictions must be considered for all of your choices. Others can be quite expensive and some may be dictated by the university’s choice.

 

Key Online Class Meeting Features to consider include:

 

• Online Face-to-Face meeting capability

• File and Screen sharing options for the teacher, an individual, and group participants

• Chat box to and from the entire group or selected individuals

• Team and group Chat options set in advance or quickly during a meeting

• Video sharing such as YouTube, Tik Tok, or for China – Youku, Tudou and iQiyi

• Platform independence – can they easily join from the desktop computer, laptop, iPad or Android Pad, and Smartphone (I’ve had students join from their phone while riding on a bus!)

• Administrator (teacher) control functions such as:

  • Seeing a roster of all participants

  • Seeing all participants, not just speakers

  • Speaker focus selection

  • Password protection capabilities

  • Muting one person or all with one button control

  •  

Here’s a summary of a few online meeting applications I’ve used.

 

Zoom:  

For teaching, being able to see a roster of all participants, selectively focus on speakers, share screens for individual or group presentations, and making team “chat rooms” on the fly make this my go-to choice. Students especially enjoy screen sharing for group presentations from the comfort of their location, offline group meetings, and live discussion groups during classes.

 

Meeting recording is also an essential feature of Zoom, where you can save the meetings you have been invited to whether or not you have participated in them. It's great for hosting impromptu prescheduled meetings after which we can start the meeting immediately with no additional configuration required.

 

Zoom's intuitive interface makes it ideal for hosting meetings, as unfamiliarity never interferes with the user experience. You can expand Zoom's capabilities through various software applications Zoom has partnered with to create an even better platform for remote teaching.

 

Google:

The user interface is extremely intuitive, making it easy to manage and navigate my video calls. It has great audio and video enhancement features such as video lighting adjustment and noise cancellation, providing a better experience.

Microsoft Teams:

 

The software provides the ability to bring teams together for communication and collaboration. The integration with other Microsoft 365 tools such as OneDrive and SharePoint has made it easier for organizations to stay organized and on task. It includes the ability to conduct virtual meetings with screen sharing and recording capabilities – a key requirement to remote teaching. 

 

GoTo Meeting:

With GoToMeeting, one now has a quick, convenient, efficient, and professional online meeting that allows groups to meet face to face online, communicate with colleagues via in-meeting chatting or conferencing speaking, and screen sharing their presentations. 

 

Zoho:

Zoho Meeting is a good Zoom competitive platform for online meeting solutions. It has a unique and effective online meeting platform and is simple and easy to use. 

 

Others:

Here’s a source for many of these summaries and a more complete comparison of several Zoom alternatives… https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/meeting-solutions/vendor/zoom/alternatives .

 

The Role of Technology for Remote Teaching in the Global Classroom

 

One of the most significant benefits of technology in international teaching is the ability to reach and interactively engage a broader audience. With online tools, professors can easily offer courses to students in remote locations and multiple countries, creating truly global classrooms. This not only expands the reach of education but also CAN foster a diverse and inclusive learning environment. In addition, technology can help bridge the gap between students who are physically present in a classroom and those who are participating remotely, creating a more integrated and collaborative learning experience.

 

Another key advantage of technology in international teaching is the flexibility it offers both students and professors. With online course management systems, students can access course materials and assignments at anytime from anywhere with an internet connection.

 

This means that students can work at their own pace and on their own schedule, which can be particularly valuable for students who are juggling other commitments such as work or family obligations.

 

For professors, technology can make it faster and easier to manage and grade assignments, communicate with students, and monitor progress in real-time, freeing up valuable time and resources for other activities.

 

Technology Challenges

 

Of course, technology is not without its challenges in any remote or international teaching.

 

One of the most significant concerns is the potential for technological problems, such as poor internet connectivity or software glitches, which can disrupt the flow of instruction and communication. It can still make it difficult for students with poor internet connections to fully participate. In addition, there is the risk of miscommunication and misunderstandings, particularly when dealing with students from different cultures and backgrounds. However, with proper planning, communication, and training, these challenges can often be overcome.

 

A second challenge is the technology hurdle for professors. Learning one LMS or online meeting application can be daunting enough. Quickly adapting to new ones that may be dictated by the university or institution is another.

 

A third major challenge one must address is, "How does one make remote classrooms engaging with active learning?" This is the topic of many podcasts and research papers. Here’s a few…

 

Podcasts:

• Teaching in Higher Ed by Bonni Stachowiak https://teachinginhighered.com/episodes/
• The EdTech Take Out by Jonathan Wylie and Mindy Cairn https://theedtechpodcast.com/
• Lecture Breakers by Barbi Honeycutt https://barbihoneycutt.com/blogs/podcast

 

Articles:

• The website Edutopia has articles on the topic, including Active Learning in Remote or Hybrid Classrooms by Matthew Lynch at https://www.edutopia.org/

• The Importance of Active Learning in a Flipped Classroom: Evidence from a Hybrid Course Model, published in the Journal of Education and Training Studies in 2018.

• Online Active Learning: Lessons from the Field. published in the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks in 2016.

• Engaging students in online learning: Moving beyond discussion boards. a chapter in the book “Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology" published in 2014.

• The Effect of Active Learning on Student Characteristics in a Large Online Course. published in the Online Learning Journal in 2014.

 

These podcasts and articles explore various strategies for using active learning in remote classrooms, and offer insights into how online instructors can engage and motivate their students.

 

Making Remote Classrooms Engaging

 

1. 10 Tips for Engaging Students in Remote Learning by Edutopia https://www.edutopia.org/ : Provides tips for online learning to make it more engaging to students, such as incorporating interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and breakout rooms.
2. How to Make Online Learning Fun and Engaging for Students by Top Hat https://tophat.com/ : Offers strategies to create a fun and interactive online learning experience. Concepts such as using humor, videos, multimedia and gamification.
3. 6 Ways to Make Virtual Learning More Fun and Interactive by TeachThought https://www.teachthought.com/ : Suggests using various teaching methods, not just lectures. One should include hands-on activities, group collaborations, and other active participation concepts to keep students engaged.
4. 5 Ways to Make Remote Learning Fun and Engaging by Ed Surge https://www.edsurge.com/ : Recommends using virtual (online) icebreakers and team-building activities to create a sense of community. Using storytelling and real-world examples may make lessons more relatable while testing to see if these are working.
5. Making Remote Learning Fun: Tips from Teachers by WeAreTeachers https://www.weareteachers.com/ : Insights from other teachers who have made remote learning more entertaining for students. These teachers describe using virtual scavenger hunts, interactive quizzes and polling, and using some movement ideas during class breaks.

 

Despite the challenges, the potential benefits of technology for remote and international online teaching are significant, and the trend toward online and virtual classrooms shows no signs of slowing down – even after the pandemic lockdown.

 

Remote and International Teaching Trends

 

Many predict that these and other evolving technologies will continue to transform education - especially remote teaching - in the near future and years to come. This will create new opportunities for both students and educators alike, while teachers will need new tools to help assure academic rigor is maintained.

 

Alarming fears should not be relevant. I remember when electronic calculators were first widely available. "Students will forget how to do math!" was the cry. Although our math skills may have diminished in general since that time, it has relieved many of the "math challenged" of the common errors. Check-out registers often now prescribe the exact change to give the customer. And it has not precluded continued advancements and innovations.

 

One of the most exciting trends in international teaching are Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI)  tools.

 

With AR and VR, students can engage in immersive learning environments, such as virtual field trips or hikes through a jungle. These can bring a subject matter to life and provide emotional context. For example, students using VR who are studying history can "visit" famous historical battlefields or ancient ruins, while biology students using AR can be immersed in the human body to explore it in detail. These tools make active learning more engaging while providing opportunities for students to experience subjects in ways that might not otherwise be possible.

 

With the emerging trend in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools, teachers and professors can personalize the learning experiences for each individual student based on both their interests and learning styles. Teachers can now personalize an AI-powered chatbot to answer students' questions in real time with the teacher's style. ML algorithms can help analyze student performance data to identify student strengths and weaknesses in lieu of formal testing and with more granularity. This may allow professors to create more effective and efficient learning experiences tailored to the student's learning needs.

 

With the massive adaption of ChatGPT we are seeing today, It appears inevitable that AI tools like ChatGPT will completely alter secondary research and Search Engine markets – albeit with challenges regarding students plagiarizing the ChatGPT responses. Already there are available tools to detect AI written materials. I will publish a blog soon about opportunities and challenges using

ChatGPT tools in the classroom.

 

Finally, Social Media is also playing an increasingly important role in international teaching. With social media, professors can connect with students and peers from around the world, share resources and ideas, and build professional networks. In addition, social media can also be used as a teaching tool, with professors creating online communities and discussion groups where students can collaborate and share ideas.

 

Summary & Conclusions

 

It is now clear that the future of remote and international teaching - even IN the classroom - will be shaped by the latest advances in these digital advances. The potential benefits are significant. While there are certainly new challenges associated with this transformation, educators around the world need to embrace these and emerging technologies as a means to improve and expand successful student learning experiences. As the Kahn Academy and Saylor University demonstrate, remote access to education may create new opportunities for those global souls without access or funds to attend a formal school or university. I hope it leads to a more interconnected and integrated global learning environment.

 

Throughout this technological revolution, the most successful remote applications and international educators will be those who are able to learn and use these tools, striking a balance between the benefits and risks of technology. Digital tools can enhance teaching while teachers maintain a focus on the core principles of education fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and a lifelong love of learning. With the right mindset and approach, technology can be a powerful force for positive change in remote teaching, international teaching and every classroom, creating new opportunities for students and educators alike.

 

Authors ChatGPT Note - this article was written with the help of ChatGPT and an AI plagiarism checker, Original AI https://originality.ai/!!