Good teaching guide: Difference between revisions

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== Preparation ==

So, you want to give a class? Good for you - EVE University relies on people giving up their time to share knowledge on subjects that they understand to new players. So, best be prepared for it, right?

~~One can~~'t ~~emphasise enough~~ the ~~importance of having~~ class ~~notes prepared in advance and having a clear idea of:~~

Sensible preparation underpins good teaching. You don't need to spend hours scripting every part of your class down to the word—this would make your class inflexible—but you do need to make sure you have laid the groundwork for your teaching.

* what you ~~are covering; and~~

* what order you are covering it in; plus

* what you might need to ~~cover depending on questions that get asked~~.

EVE University ~~used to maintain a~~ [[~~:Category:Syllabi~~|~~Syllabus Library~~]] for ~~classes. While this~~ is ~~no longer required, the historical library can be~~ a ~~good starting point for this~~. ~~With any luck,~~ you'~~ll find~~ a ~~pre-prepared~~ class ~~syllabus that you can crib from. These are a great resource~~, ~~so use them. They'll help to jog your own memory of what needs~~ to be ~~covered and also helps classes taught~~ to have a more uniform feel to them. Bear in mind that these have fallen into disuse, so you may find outdated information. Always check with current game mechanics for any question information you find.

You should make sure you confidently know:

* what you are covering

* what order you are covering it in

* what extra details you might need to cover, depending on questions that get asked.

EVE University's set of [[Classes#CORE_Classes|"CORE" classes]] offer pre-designed templates for teaching essential introductory topics, and a CORE class is a great way to get started with teaching. If you'd like to develop a class on another topic, talk to the Teaching Department: they will be happy to help.

=== Class notes ===

Have you ever tried presenting someone elses work? It is always harder to give a presentation that you didn't write yourself. Preparing a presentation, or even simply reordering the points in a way that makes the most sense to you, leads to a presentation that flows better and feels more natural as you present it, and so it will feel more natural to your audience as they listen to it.

So, even if you are starting off with a ~~syllabus from the Library~~, go through the following steps. Expect to spend an hour of preparation for an hour-long class.

Have you ever tried presenting someone else's work? It's harder to give a presentation that you don't know well yourself. Preparing a presentation, or even simply reordering the points in a way that makes the most sense to you, leads to a presentation that flows better and feels more natural as you present it, and so it will feel more natural to your audience as they listen to it.

So, even if you are starting off with a CORE class, go through the following steps. Expect to spend an hour of preparation for an hour-long class.

The best way to prepare for your class is to compose some class notes.

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** ...</div>

~~Nothing~~ earth shattering here, but ~~it helps the instructor to~~ remember to cover all the points and gives a logical sequence to ~~do so~~. By preparing a few bullet point items to cover, you can still speak fluently without simply reading your notes.

There is nothing earth-shattering here, but notes such as these will help you remember to cover all the points, and gives a logical sequence to use. By preparing a few bullet-point items to cover, you can still speak fluently without simply reading your notes.

~~Once you've written your~~ class ~~notes~~, you~~'re almost ready for~~ the class. ~~You know what~~ you ~~want~~ to ~~cover~~, ~~but students have an annoying habit of asking questions that~~ don't ~~quite fall within your neat class notes.~~

If preparing a CORE class, you can acquire the slide deck PDF from the CORE class page and make notes on paper or in a text file to accompany each slide. The Teaching Department can also provide PowerPoint files of the slides; these come with some electronic notes which you can add to. (If you receive and modify a PowerPoint file for a CORE class, don't pass it to anyone else, to help the department avoid having competing versions circulating!)

~~=== Additional notes ===~~

If you're at all nervous, you can work through your slides, or the stages of any practical exercise you have planned, and practise saying aloud the kinds of elaborations on your notes which you will be offering. This will ensure a more natural and engaging delivery in the class proper.

~~Depending on the class~~, ~~there may be little need for additional information. However, most classes have related topics that~~ you ~~might not intend to cover~~, ~~but that~~ you ~~might be asked about. Think through these related topics~~, and ~~prepare some short~~ notes. It will ~~help you to manage~~ the class ~~and deal with questions - and also make you look smart~~.

For ~~example~~, ~~for~~ a ~~production and research class, one~~ might ~~not intend~~ to ~~cover POS use in great detail beyond using them for high sec research, but you could would prepare a separate page of class notes~~ on ~~all aspects of POSes. Clearly~~, ~~there is no need to go into as much detail as you would have for your main topics, as an instructor always has~~ the ~~"that is beyond~~ the ~~scope of this class" option, but giving a general idea of a related topic, if you have time, can add real value to your class~~.

For some classes, it is also useful to ready a document containing all the links you might expect to post on Discord, in the rough order of the subjects covered.

~~As another example~~, for a class on ~~Caldari ships - basically~~ a ~~run~~-~~through of each type of vessel~~, you could prepare a ~~set~~ of notes on ~~shield tanking (active and passive)~~, ~~railguns and missiles~~, ~~plus drones and ECM~~. ~~Nothing detailed~~, ~~but~~ if the question ~~came up~~, ~~you can then cover~~ the ~~main points~~.

Once you've written your class notes, you're almost ready for the class. You know what you want to cover, but students have a habit of asking questions that don't quite fall within your neat class plan.

=== Additional details ===

Depending on the class, there may be little need for additional information. However, most classes have related topics that you might not intend to cover, but that you might be asked about. Think through these related topics, and prepare some short notes. It will help you to manage the class and deal with questions, and will also make you look smart!

For example, for a production and research class, you might not intend to cover Upwell structure use in great detail beyond using them for high-sec research, but you could prepare a separate page of class notes on the basics of player structures. As another example, for a CORE class on weapon systems, it is handy to have a few notes on the very basics of [[overheating]], as this topic sometimes comes up during weapons discussion.

If student questions travel too far beyond the topic at hand, you can always say that this question really does lie well beyond the class's topic; if you know of a regularly-taught class or any other resource which ''does'' address the question, point the student towards them. Finally, it's always okay to admit that you don't know something if you don't know it!

=== Final preparations ===

~~So, you now have:~~

* Class notes, setting out the class as you want to give it

* Supplementary notes to help deal with questions

~~The~~ final ~~thing~~ that you ~~might consider doing is~~ to ~~prepare a Note in-game~~ that ~~lists all the websites~~ and ~~items~~ that you ~~might want~~ to ~~link during the course of the class - in the order~~ you'~~ll want~~ to ~~link them~~.

In the final run-up to your class:

* check that you have your notes to hand

* check that you have any slides you'll be using

* check that you're comfortable with any [[Teaching_Classes_at_EVE_University#Discord_streaming|Discord streaming]] you will need to do

Make sure your surroundings are as quiet as you can realistically make them, and that you have water or another soft drink to hand to keep yourself refreshed while speaking.

If you feel nervous, that's okay: mild nerves are completely natural before teaching (and even some very experienced teachers still feel them!). EVE University classes are positive, friendly environments, and if you're new to teaching for the University a Teaching Officer will probably be on hand to back you up.

== Giving the class ==

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == Preparation ==
-So, you want to give a class? Good for you - EVE University relies on people giving up their time to share knowledge on subjects that they understand to new players. So, best be prepared for it, right?
-One can't emphasise enough the importance of having class notes prepared in advance and having a clear idea of:
+Sensible preparation underpins good teaching. You don't need to spend hours scripting every part of your class down to the word—this would make your class inflexible—but you do need to make sure you have laid the groundwork for your teaching.
-* what you are covering; and
-* what order you are covering it in; plus
-* what you might need to cover depending on questions that get asked.
-EVE University used to maintain a [[:Category:Syllabi|Syllabus Library]] for classes. While this is no longer required, the historical library can be a good starting point for this. With any luck, you'll find a pre-prepared class syllabus that you can crib from. These are a great resource, so use them. They'll help to jog your own memory of what needs to be covered and also helps classes taught to have a more uniform feel to them.  Bear in mind that these have fallen into disuse, so you may find outdated information. Always check with current game mechanics for any question information you find.
+You should make sure you confidently know:
+* what you are covering
+* what order you are covering it in
+* what extra details you might need to cover, depending on questions that get asked.
+EVE University's set of [[Classes#CORE_Classes|"CORE" classes]] offer pre-designed templates for teaching essential introductory topics, and a CORE class is a great way to get started with teaching. If you'd like to develop a class on another topic, talk to the Teaching Department: they will be happy to help.
 === Class notes ===
-Have you ever tried presenting someone elses work? It is always harder to give a presentation that you didn't write yourself. Preparing a presentation, or even simply reordering the points in a way that makes the most sense to you, leads to a presentation that flows better and feels more natural as you present it, and so it will feel more natural to your audience as they listen to it.
-So, even if you are starting off with a syllabus from the Library, go through the following steps.  Expect to spend an hour of preparation for an hour-long class.
+Have you ever tried presenting someone else's work? It's harder to give a presentation that you don't know well yourself. Preparing a presentation, or even simply reordering the points in a way that makes the most sense to you, leads to a presentation that flows better and feels more natural as you present it, and so it will feel more natural to your audience as they listen to it.
+So, even if you are starting off with a CORE class, go through the following steps. Expect to spend an hour of preparation for an hour-long class.
 The best way to prepare for your class is to compose some class notes.
@@ Line 51: / Line 53: @@
 ** ...</div>
-Nothing earth shattering here, but it helps the instructor to remember to cover all the points and gives a logical sequence to do so. By preparing a few bullet point items to cover, you can still speak fluently without simply reading your notes.
+There is nothing earth-shattering here, but notes such as these will help you remember to cover all the points, and gives a logical sequence to use. By preparing a few bullet-point items to cover, you can still speak fluently without simply reading your notes.
-Once you've written your class notes, you're almost ready for the class. You know what you want to cover, but students have an annoying habit of asking questions that don't quite fall within your neat class notes.
+If preparing a CORE class, you can acquire the slide deck PDF from the CORE class page and make notes on paper or in a text file to accompany each slide. The Teaching Department can also provide PowerPoint files of the slides; these come with some electronic notes which you can add to. (If you receive and modify a PowerPoint file for a CORE class, don't pass it to anyone else, to help the department avoid having competing versions circulating!)
-=== Additional notes ===
+If you're at all nervous, you can work through your slides, or the stages of any practical exercise you have planned, and practise saying aloud the kinds of elaborations on your notes which you will be offering. This will ensure a more natural and engaging delivery in the class proper.
-Depending on the class, there may be little need for additional information. However, most classes have related topics that you might not intend to cover, but that you might be asked about.  Think through these related topics, and prepare some short notes. It will help you to manage the class and deal with questions - and also make you look smart.
-For example, for a production and research class, one might not intend to cover POS use in great detail beyond using them for high sec research, but you could would prepare a separate page of class notes on all aspects of POSes. Clearly, there is no need to go into as much detail as you would have for your main topics, as an instructor always has the "that is beyond the scope of this class" option, but giving a general idea of a related topic, if you have time, can add real value to your class.
+For some classes, it is also useful to ready a document containing all the links you might expect to post on Discord, in the rough order of the subjects covered.
-As another example, for a class on Caldari ships - basically a run-through of each type of vessel, you could prepare a set of notes on shield tanking (active and passive), railguns and missiles, plus drones and ECM. Nothing detailed, but if the question came up, you can then cover the main points.
+Once you've written your class notes, you're almost ready for the class. You know what you want to cover, but students have a habit of asking questions that don't quite fall within your neat class plan.
+=== Additional details ===
+Depending on the class, there may be little need for additional information. However, most classes have related topics that you might not intend to cover, but that you might be asked about. Think through these related topics, and prepare some short notes. It will help you to manage the class and deal with questions, and will also make you look smart!
+For example, for a production and research class, you might not intend to cover Upwell structure use in great detail beyond using them for high-sec research, but you could prepare a separate page of class notes on the basics of player structures. As another example, for a CORE class on weapon systems, it is handy to have a few notes on the very basics of [[overheating]], as this topic sometimes comes up during weapons discussion.
+If student questions travel too far beyond the topic at hand, you can always say that this question really does lie well beyond the class's topic; if you know of a regularly-taught class or any other resource which ''does'' address the question, point the student towards them. Finally, it's always okay to admit that you don't know something if you don't know it!
 === Final preparations ===
-So, you now have:
-* Class notes, setting out the class as you want to give it
-* Supplementary notes to help deal with questions
-The final thing that you might consider doing is to prepare a Note in-game that lists all the websites and items that you might want to link during the course of the class - in the order you'll want to link them.
+In the final run-up to your class:
+* check that you have your notes to hand
+* check that you have any slides you'll be using
+* check that you're comfortable with any [[Teaching_Classes_at_EVE_University#Discord_streaming|Discord streaming]] you will need to do
+Make sure your surroundings are as quiet as you can realistically make them, and that you have water or another soft drink to hand to keep yourself refreshed while speaking.
+If you feel nervous, that's okay: mild nerves are completely natural before teaching (and even some very experienced teachers still feel them!). EVE University classes are positive, friendly environments, and if you're new to teaching for the University a Teaching Officer will probably be on hand to back you up.
 == Giving the class ==