Online Classes 101: What You Need to Know

Rashida Beal
Jan 11, 2023

COVID-19 in early 2020 only accelerated the digital transformation that was already in progress. Many people turned to the digital world to see entertainment, engagement, and even education.

In fact, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that at least 84% of undergraduate students in college had at least one (if not all) of their classes moved to online learning.

Two years later, online courses continue to be a major part of the education system.

Online courses offer flexibility for students who find it difficult to attend an in-person class, as well as provide that same flexibility to instructors to have all materials in one place that their students can access at any given time. Online learning tools improve learning accessibility for many people.

Even spheres outside of higher education are thriving with the addition of virtual education options. Services that teach content online such as languages, crafting, and video/photo editing are increasing in popularity due to their accessibility to the average person.

Keep reading to learn the basics about online classes and digital student learning.

Course Delivery Methods

There are a few potential methods of online class delivery. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of live-streamed classes vs on-demand online classes.

Live-Streamed Classes

During these classes, the teacher broadcasts the class while it’s happening. Therefore, the students listening are doing so in real-time. They can ask questions and engage with the instructor during the course. However, this does make it harder to keep up with the speed of the class.

On-demand Classes

These classes include pre-recorded videos. The instructor shares the videos through distribution tools, like online course software, a website, etc. Online, students can access the recorded video on their own time. The teacher prepares the material in advance and the learner accesses it when it's convenient for them. With this format, it’s much easier to pause, fast-forward, or speed up lectures to improve learning. They can help both students and instructors with time management for this reason. However, the learner can’t engage with the instructor in real-time to answer questions.

Combination

Many modern online courses include a combination of live-streamed and on-demand material. A combined strategy offers the benefits of both methods.

Benefits of Online Classes

There are several key reasons to introduce online learning courses as they benefit teachers and students.

Instructor Benefits

• Hold classes anywhere without commuting to school
• Reduce the risk of illness transmission
• Share your screen
• Cost-effective
• Streamline the class without student interruptions

Learner Benefits

• Learn from anywhere
• Reduce the risk of illness transmission
• Learn at your own pace (with on-demand classes)
• Re-watch lectures for studying and greater retention (on-demand)

Ways to Use Online Classes

Of course, educators use online classes for remote learning. However, there are many other helpful use cases for online classes. Some examples include:

• Learning a new language
• Online workout classes (yoga, HIIT, etc.)
• Internal education for employees of a company
• How-to for using software or products

Tips for Creating an Online Class

Instructors recording class lectures should limit the background noise in the recording so students are not distracted by the noise and it can be easier to transcribe. Make sure the recorded audio is also of a high quality so it can be easily heard. Using a microphone can help improve audio quality.

Aside from the audio, ensure you have a clean background as well. While students may not always have cameras on, instructors typically do. If you are a student, be mindful of your background as well in case you must use your camera.

Planning is key for an effective online course. Plan out the learning materials ahead of time, and make recording or streaming stress-free.

When planning your online class, focus on creating interactive sessions that will keep the attention of your class. Use PowerPoint, videos, and other graphics to draw attention to urgent and important information.

Online Class Tools to Use

Here are a few tools that can help with online class creation and learning:

Zoom

Zoom is a platform for online meetings that can accommodate groups of up to 500 people at once. It also includes helpful teaching features, like breakout rooms and whiteboards.

Furthermore, you can record meetings on Zoom, to turn live learning sessions into on-demand ones as well.

Google Meet

Google meet is another top online meeting tool. The free version allows up to 100 participants. For Google account users, meetings are very fast and easy to set up. Invite students to your meeting and automatically add the meeting to their Google calendars. Set up recurring meetings as well.

With the paid version, you can enjoy a questionnaire and Q&A function to engage students. Using extensions, you can add several other features.

Maestra Transcription Tool

Maestra’s Video to Text Converter tool makes it easy to get a simple and accurate transcript of the audio provided in the lecture. Simply download the lecture and upload it to Maestra’s Video to Text Converter, and let the tool do the rest of the work!

Conclusion

Online learning can be a great idea for students or people looking for a non-traditional way to learn new material or want to explore learning outside of the typical classroom.

Tools like Maestra’s Audio to Text Converter or Video-to-Text tool can help make online learning more engaging and accessible so more people can create their own learning experiences.

Tools like these can help students by assisting them with note-taking by recording audio notes that will be transcribed into a written format.

Check out Maestra today for all of your transcription, voiceover, and subtitling needs!

Rashida Beal
Jan 11, 2023