Successful course transition to an online format

Balancing digitalization and pedagogical integrity

When considering transferring parts of a course to a digital format, there exists two opposing mindsets which should be avoided:

• My course can be transferred online without altering the setup.
• My course cannot be transferred online.

Reality is more nuanced, something many experienced during the pandemic. Some parts of a course can be moved online with relatively minor adjustments, while others may require more extensive changes. Course components that initially seem difficult to transfer can sometimes be streamlined or enhanced with the help of digital tools. Therefore, it is crucial to make conscious and well-founded decisions at each step of the process.

When considering moving a course component online, reflect on how this will impact:

• students’ opportunities for collaboration and social interactions
• students’ engagement and motivation
• assessment and evaluation
• your contact with students.

Your goal should be to evaluate and plan the transition so that the core aspects of these points remain unaffected to the extent possible, or even improved. This is addressed in more detail in the next section.

Tip!

Student attendance for courses scheduled adjecent to your course may be affected by students needing to switch between online and classroom-based instruction. Please take this into account when designing your course.

Consider primary and secondary purposes for the course component

For a successful transition to an online format, your reflections should be based on the primary and secondary purposes of the course component. Suppose you are considering shifting from a traditional classroom lecture to a recorded video lecture to reduce premises costs. By analyzing the purposes that a traditional lecture serves, you can consider whether the digital solution can satisfy them.

Purposes of a lecture:

• Primary purpose:
  • Communicate course content.
• Secondary purposes:
  • Create a meeting point for students, facilitating social interactions.
  • Provide an opportunity for students to verify their understanding of the content through discussions in smaller groups, before, during, and after the lecture.
  • Enable direct contact with the instructor, for instance, to answer questions about current and previous course content.

A recorded lecture can fulfill the primary purpose of a lecture, but often fails to address the secondary ones. To compensate for this, you should consider integrating other learning activities that address these needs, either directly in connection with the video or in other parts of the course. For example, you could link quiz questions to the video or use it as a discussion topic in upcoming course meetings.

Tip: The transition to a digital format does not only have to involve recreating the existing setup. This change can open up new learning opportunities and expand your pedagogical toolkit. A recorded lecture, for instance, becomes a reusable resource, comparable to a course book. Students also gain the ability to adjust the playback speed, rewatch material, and pause to process information at their own pace.

Practical support for the online transition

There are many ways to transfer course components to a digital environment, such as through videos, Zoom meetings, quizzes, or discussion forums in Canvas. As a first step, you should refer to the recommendations on the page Use existing knowledge and support .

Additionally, we have compiled links to guides, examples, and workshops that can help you identify the tools and methods that best suit your course. These resources are organized by usage area and can serve as valuable guidance throughout the process.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

When transitioning to online teaching, there are common pitfalls that can lead to an increased administrative burden for the teacher or reduced student learning. Here are the consequences of these pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Unclear or inadequate communication

The ability to correct misunderstandings online is more limited than in a physical environment and students tend to ask fewer questions in a digital setting. The consequences of this can be an increased administrative burden for the teacher or long-standing misconceptions about the subject for students.

To counteract this, instructions should be formulated with extra clarity and made easily accessible to students. It is important to reiterate key information verbally and ensure that all students know where to find it in writing. Also, encourage students to actively ask questions and seek clarifications.

Lack of structured student interaction

It is often assumed that students can establish contact and create study groups on their own, but digital environments lack the natural meeting places that a physical classroom offers. Without structured student interaction, students risk never interacting with their peers, which negatively affects their learning.

To promote interaction, you should create structured opportunities for students to meet up. This can be done, for example, by opening breakout rooms in Zoom or creating discussion forums in Canvas. It is important to include these social activities early in the course and make them mandatory to ensure that all students participate.

Replacing class time with self-study

In conjunction with reducing the number of physical meetings, it may seem tempting to replace class time with self-study, such as reading course literature. However, students still need instructor presence in the teaching process and guidance through the course content. Without it you risk lowering the courses’ student completion.

Instead of relying solely on course literature, you should replace physical meetings with digital equivalents. For example, Zoom sessions or other interactive and social activities that engage students and maintain instructor presence.

Lack of digital interactivity

Digital teaching risks reducing how much students can actively interact with the course content by replacing course components with oassive activities, such as watching recorded lectures. Without the possibility of interactive learning, students learning can be negatively affected.

To avoid this, you should integrate interactive elements into the course. For example, you can introduce short quizzes linked to video lectures, organize Zoom sessions for theory discussions, or create assignments with peer feedback. Design these interactive elements to encourage active learning and reflection.

Further reading

For those interested in learning more about this, feel free to read the following articles and books:

Contact and support for digital education

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