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Good teaching guide: Difference between revisions

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Neville smit (talk | contribs)
Neville smit (talk | contribs)
m Giving the class: Minor corrections and style adjustments
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== Giving the class ==
== Giving the class ==
Advertise the class a week in advance if possible to ensure as many people as possible get notice and can arrange to attend. Longer than that and they might forget come the day and if you only give people a couple of days, you might find attendance is on the low side.
Advertise the class at least a week in advance, if possible, to ensure that as many people as possible can arrange to attend - longer than that and they might forget. If you only give people a couple of days, you might find attendance to be on the low side.


For fleet-based classes, it is a great idea to advertise a 15 minute fleet sign up period when advertising the class. For example, "fleet will form from 19:45 to 20:00 and class will start promptly at 20:00 - latecomers will not be able to attend" (you might choose to be more lenient on the day but no need to let people know that in advance!)
For fleet-based classes, it is a great idea to advertise a 15-minute fleet sign-up period when advertising the class. For example: "Fleet will form from 19:45 to 20:00 and class will start promptly at 20:00 - latecomers will not be able to attend." (You might choose to be more lenient on the day, but no need to let people know that in advance!)


On the day, make sure you have all your notes to hand and get there ahead of time to prepare. You want to be there waiting for students to arrive and start on time. Remember, people are taking time out to listen to you - yes, it is a great service you are doing but also they might only have an hour and you owe it to them to keep your end of the bargain.
On the day of your class, make sure that you have all your notes on hand, and log in ahead of time to prepare. You want to be there waiting for students to arrive and start on time. Remember, people are taking time out to listen to you - yes, it is a great service you are doing, but they might only have an hour and you owe it to them to keep your end of the bargain.


The best classes I have been to (in EVE and in real life) are those that:
The best classes (in EVE and in real life) are those that:
* have a clear structure;
* have a clear structure;
* are presented well;
* are presented well;
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You'll have a very good idea of how you want the class to run. The best way to make sure this happens is to let your class know this in advance.
You'll have a very good idea of how you want the class to run. The best way to make sure this happens is to let your class know this in advance.


EVE University classes are often run on Teamspeak with an in-game channel and some instructors like to run EVE Voice on the in-game channel.
Eve University classes are run on TeamSpeak (in the Class.E-UNI channel), and also use the in-game Class.E-UNI chat channel for posting links and questions.


From a professional education standpoint, the following method of teaching (lesson plan structure) has an incredibly high success rate for the students to retain the information you are teaching them, which can be summed up in the following three point guide.
From a professional education standpoint, the following method of teaching (lesson plan structure) has an incredibly high success rate for the students to retain the information you are teaching them.  This structure can be summed up in the following three points:
* Tell them what you are going to tell them (Introduction, and what you are going to talk about)
* Tell them what you are going to tell them (Introduction, and what you are going to talk about)
* Tell them (Go through each item that you are wanting to cover)
* Tell them (Go through each item that you are wanting to cover)
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At the start of the class, spend a few minutes telling people about the class. You might like to cover:
At the start of the class, spend a few minutes telling people about the class. You might like to cover:
* A brief overview of what you will be covering
* A brief overview of what you will be covering
* How you intend to use the channels and teamspeak
* How you intend to use the chat channel and TeamSpeak
* Whether you want a volunteer to link items for you as you talk about them
* Whether you want a volunteer to link items for you as you talk about them
* How you intend to deal with questions
* How you intend to deal with questions


People want to be helpful, so use them in a controlled manner:
People want to be helpful, so use them in a controlled manner:
* You'll have people linking things you talk about in the class channel, but you can arrange a volunteer in advance to limit channel spam and also to make sure you don't ask "can someone link an Avatar blueprint please" and get 30 helpful links!
* You'll have people linking things you talk about in the class channel, but you can arrange a volunteer in advance to limit channel spam and also to make sure you don't ask things like, "Can someone link an Avatar blueprint, please?" and get 30 different links!
* Likewise, making sure someone is recording will mean the inevitable "Is anyone recording this?" question is quickly answered.
* Likewise, making sure someone is recording will mean the inevitable "Is anyone recording this?" question is quickly answered.
* You might even ask for a volunteer to keep an eye on corp chat and drag late comers into the class channel.
* If you are expecting people from outside the UNI to attend, you might arrange a TeamSpeak administrator to keep an eye on Chat.E-UNI chat and drag any out-of-corp attendees into the Class.E-UNI channel.


So, my introduction for my production and research class might look something like:
So, an introduction for a production and research class might look something like:


<div style="margin:0;background-color:{{{color|#ccccee}}};border:1px solid {{{border|#8888aa}}};border-left-width:5px;font-style:italic;text-align:left;padding:1em 1em 1em 1em; overflow:hidden;color:{{{text|#000022}}}">
<div style="margin:0;background-color:{{{color|#ccccee}}};border:1px solid {{{border|#8888aa}}};border-left-width:5px;font-style:italic;text-align:left;padding:1em 1em 1em 1em; overflow:hidden;color:{{{text|#000022}}}">
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Before I start, can I check who is recording? Cool, Dierdra is, great. Also, can I ask someone to keep an eye on corp chat and pull in any pesky latecomers to the class channel? Thanks Cazzah.
Before I start, can I check who is recording? Cool, Dierdra is, great. Also, can I ask someone to keep an eye on corp chat and pull in any pesky latecomers to the class channel? Thanks Cazzah.


Ok, so I am going to be using Teamspeak to give the class. What I'd like to do is to use the in-game class channel for any questions you might have as I go along and keep Teamspeak quiet. I will be watching the channel and if you ask a question I am going to cover in a few minutes then please don't think I am ignoring you, I will get to it. Also, if topics come up that might need some time to discuss, I've got 20 minutes at the end and we'll cover larger topics then.
Ok, so I am going to be using TeamSpeak to give the class. What I'd like to do is to use the in-game Class.E-UNI channel for any questions you might have as I go along and keep TeamSpeak quiet. I will be watching the channel and if you ask a question I am going to cover in a few minutes then please don't think I am ignoring you, I will get to it. Also, if topics come up that might need some time to discuss, I've got 20 minutes at the end and we'll cover larger topics then.


For the class, I am going to run through research first, looking at a blueprint in detail and then covering the various research you can do on one and the skills involved. For those who know a little about research already, I intend to cover Invention in detail at the end. After covering the research side of things, I'll go into production, the skills involved and cover a little bit on how to get into production for profit. I'll finally cover invention, which is the production of tech 2 goods using invented tech 2 blueprints.
For the class, I am going to run through research first, looking at a blueprint in detail and then covering the various research you can do on one and the skills involved. For those who know a little about research already, I intend to cover Invention in detail at the end. After covering the research side of things, I'll go into production, the skills involved and cover a little bit on how to get into production for profit. I'll finally cover invention, which is the production of tech 2 goods using invented tech 2 blueprints.
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=== Presentation tips ===
=== Presentation tips ===
Everyone has their own style - my own is relatively chatty - but I have the following hints and tips that ought to help you when setting out.
Everyone has their own style - some are chatty, and some are more formal - the following hints and tips ought to help you when setting out.


'''Always make clear when you are stating your own opinion, rather than facts and recognise other opinions may exist.'''
'''Always make clear when you are stating your own opinion, rather than facts. Recognise that other opinions may exist.'''
For example, "The caracal is a great ship and I would normally passive tank it for missions, although you'll see people active tanking it as well. It comes down to personal preferences. For a passive tanked caracal, you'd fit with..." is a lot better than "A caracal should be passive tanked for missions. You need to fit...". For a start, I know I can argue both sides and the last thing you want is to have people arguing with you in the middle of a class - recognise up fron their view is valid and present your own. Very Happy
For example, "The Caracal is a great ship and I would normally passive tank it for missions, although you'll see people active tanking it as well. It comes down to personal preferences. For a passive tanked Caracal, you'd fit with..." is a lot better than "A Caracal should be passive tanked for missions. You need to fit...". The last thing you want is to have people arguing with you in the middle of a class - recognise up front that alternative opinions are valid, and then present your own.


'''Always be polite.'''
'''Always be polite.'''
The moment you start raising your voice to someone, you've lost control. Keep polite and your class is on your side - if someone keeps misbehaving, eject them and carry on. Your class will thank you for dealing with the trouble maker and you come across a lot more professional.
The moment you start raising your voice to someone, you've lost control. Keep polite and your class is on your side - if someone keeps misbehaving, eject them and carry on. Your class will thank you for dealing with the troublemaker, and you come across a lot more professional.


'''Don't rush.'''  
'''Don't rush.'''  
You'd be surprised how fast you run through material. It might seem to you like you are taking your time, but often you will be going through things more quickly than you think. Take time to explain things, slow down your delivery, and don't be afraid to pause for a second or two before answering a question. You'll sound and come across better for it.
You'd be surprised how fast you run through material. It might seem to you like you are taking your time, but often you will be going through things more quickly than you think. Take time to explain things, slow down your delivery, and don't be afraid to pause for a second or two before answering a question. You'll sound and come across better for it.


I remember the first time I was recorded for a presentation course - if you think hearing yourself recorded is awful, seeing yourself is a whole new world of pain - I felt my presentation had been slow, faltering and I stumbled a lot. I was pleasantly surprised to see it came across a lot more fluent and not too slow at all - although I did discover I had an unfortunate tendency to say "erm" and fiddle with the papers I had!
Don't worry too much about being recorded. You will probably be pleasantly surprised to hear later that you come across a lot more fluent and not as slow as you thought - and no one minds any nervous hesitations nearly as much as you do.  If the content is good, your audience will focus on that - if you can do it with a smooth delivery, so much the better, but it's not required for a good class. 


'''Find out what your annoying habits are and cut them out.'''
'''Find out what your annoying habits are and cut them out.'''
I, erm, say "erm", a lot, erm, less than I used to now. Which is, erm, good.  
Almost everyone, erm, says "erm", a lot, at first.  But with, erm, some practice, you'll, erm, say it less often. Which is, erm, good.  


'''Don't get side tracked.'''
'''Don't get sidetracked.'''
Especially when questions come up, it is tempting to answer them right away. However this might be a totally different part of the class than what you are currently talking about. It is much easier to follow for everyone if your story/explanation progresses logically, so do your best not to get side tracked. If necessary, answer questions with "I'll cover this later on in the class".
Especially when questions come up, it is tempting to answer them right away. However, this might be a totally different part of the class than what you are currently talking about. It is much easier to follow for everyone if your story/explanation progresses logically, so do your best not to get sidetracked. If necessary, answer questions with "I'll cover this later on in the class".


'''Practice makes perfect.'''
'''Practice makes perfect.'''
Players will memorize the subject matter better if they are able to put the knowledge into practice. Therefore, adding a practical part to your class greatly enhances its effectiveness, as well as making it more entertaining for the students. This is ofcourse not possible with all classes, but a Research & Production class for example can be greatly enhanced by handing out 1run BPCs at the start of the class. Then, as the class progresses, the teacher talks the students through all the required steps to install, run and deliver their production job.
Players will memorize the subject matter better if they are able to put the knowledge into practice. Therefore, adding a practical part to your class greatly enhances its effectiveness, as well as making it more entertaining for the students. This is, of course, not possible with all classes, but a Research & Production class, for example, can be greatly enhanced by handing out 1-run BPCs at the start of the class. Then, as the class progresses, the teacher talks the students through all the required steps to install, run and deliver their production job.  Consider adding a practical exercise or two to make your class more interactive and engaging.


=== Dealing with questions ===
=== Dealing with questions ===
As you will have seen from my mock introduction above, my preference is to ask people to use the in-game channel for questions. I find that it gives me more control over the class and allows me to deal with questions when I want to and to defer large topics.
Ask people to use the in-game Class.E-UNI chat channel for questions. It will give you more control over the class and allow you to deal with questions when you want to do so.


* If you are going to defer a topic then let the class know.
* If you are going to defer a topic then let the class know.
* When answering a question from the in-game channel, repeat the question in teamspeak before answering it - recordings will make more sense and there might be people solely listening on teamspeak.
* When answering a question from the in-game channel, repeat the question in TeamSpeak before answering it. Recordings will make more sense and there might be people listening only on TeamSpeak.
* If you have a lot of similar questions then take a short bit of time out to consolidate them into a short topics - "A lot of people are asking questions relating to passive shield tanking so I'm going to take a bit of time out to cover that as a topic" - if appropriate.
* If you have a lot of similar questions, then take a short bit of time out to consolidate them into a short topics - "A lot of people are asking questions relating to passive shield tanking so I'm going to take a bit of time out to cover that as a topic" - if appropriate.
* If someone asks a question you are not sure of the answer of, then don't answer definitively. You might think you know the answer, in which case let them know: "''Someone has asked how moon mining works - I know the rough details but it is a bit beyond the scope of this course, so if it is ok with you, I'll leave that for a more detailed course on POSes''".
* If someone asks a question that you are not sure how to answer, then don't answer definitively. You might think you know the answer, in which case let them know: "''Someone has asked how moon mining works - I know the rough details, but it is a bit beyond the scope of this course, so if it is ok with you, I'll leave that for a more detailed course on POSes''".


The important thing with questions is to deal with them when you want and to stay in control.
The important thing with questions is to deal with them when you want and to stay in control.
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This means that you need to discipline:
This means that you need to discipline:
* anyone chatting in the class channel (ask them to take it private)
* anyone chatting in the class channel (ask them to take it private)
* anyone continually trying to answer questions "for you" in the class channel ("please could those of you responding to questions in the class channel stop - I know you are trying to be helpful but it is a distraction and I intend to cover points as I go along")
* anyone continually trying to answer questions "for you" in the class channel ("Could those of you responding to questions in the class channel, please stop - I know you are trying to be helpful but it is a distraction and I intend to cover points as I go along.")
* anyone misbehaving in channel
* anyone misbehaving in channel
* anyone repeatedly speaking on teamspeak.
* anyone repeatedly speaking or keying up on TeamSpeak because they do not have "Push to Talk" enabled correctly.


In the first instance be polite and ask them to stop.
In the first instance, be polite and ask them to stop.


If they don't then do kick them from the Teamspeak channel or in-game channel. Using the in-game channel commands, you can choose to mute them for a period as well.
If they don't, then do kick them from the TeamSpeak Class.E-UNI channel and in-game chat channel. Using the in-game channel commands, you can choose to mute them for a period as well.


== Summary ==
== Summary ==