Teaching Classes at EVE University
- See also: Teaching Department
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This page is specific to EVE University. Other corporations or groups in the game may operate differently. For a summary of EVE University's rules and code of conduct, see EVE University Rules. |
Teaching is the main function of EVE University, which is why our teachers and guest lecturers are some of our most important resources. Teaching at EVE University is a rewarding activity in many ways, not least because it gives you the opportunity to educate thousands of capsuleers as they begin their journey in New Eden.
We are always looking for new volunteers willing to step up and teach what they have learned to a new generation of EVE pilots.
Becoming a teacher
While most of our teachers are current members of EVE University, this is not a requirement: we often have guest lecturers holding classes, workshops, and talks. Some of them even put an alt character into the University to continue their teaching on a semi-regular basis.
Why teach?
- Give back to the community, share your knowledge with the next generation of capsuleers, foster your playstyle, and provide content for yourself and others.
- Learn by teaching your chosen topic. Advance your own understanding of the subject matter and hone your real-life presentation and public-speaking skills.
- If you're a member of EVE University, teaching can earn you credit towards the Educator Medal, the Cross Campus Initiative, and Progression Titles like Sophomore and Graduate.
What is expected?
You do not have to be an expert in every area of EVE Online to teach classes, nor do you have to know every last detail of your particular speciality. If you have a good working knowledge of a specific part of the game, that might be the right topic to teach. You should be comfortable with most aspects of your chosen subject, be able to present them in a concise and understandable manner, and be able to answer student questions.
| Example knowledge for "Introduction to Exploration" |
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In general, EVE University hopes that its teachers will:
- have a working knowledge of the subject area(s) they wish to teach, and the ability to communicate that knowledge
- comply with the standards outlined in this article.
- act appropriately as a member/guest of the University and set a positive example to students: EVE University’s general rules and guidelines must be kept.
- continue growing as educators, be it through self-observation, constructive feedback from students, or mentoring by the Teaching Staff.
Actually running classes requires:
- timely and correct scheduling (see below).
- class-relevant content (slides, instructions for a practicals/workshops).
- access to our public Mumble and (open) Discord.
- Contact the Teaching Department for Discord rights and any help you might need to make your class happen.
Support from the Teaching Department
- A library of ready-to-teach CORE Classes.
- Assistance in creating your own non-CORE classes or practicals. Just contact a Teaching Officer via Discord and they will be happy to assist you.
- In-game resources for practicals (ships, BPCs, et cetera): we see no reason for you to also pay ISK on top of your teaching efforts. Just get in contact with us and we'll try to figure something out!
- Please note that non-Core classes must be checked and approved by an Teaching Officer at least one week in advance of the class.
- Mentoring from our Teaching Officers (optional).
- Teaching assistance during your class, e.g. posting links, providing an in-game target to shoot/scan down, etc. Just approach any member of the Teaching Department if this sounds useful.
- Please note that the presence of a Teaching Officer is mandatory for any guest lectures.
- Constructive class feedback, gathered by students filling out the Class Feedback Form at the end of your class.
Choosing a topic
CORE classes
In order to make teaching as accessible as possible and to provide students with the proper basic knowledge to find their way in New Eden, the Teaching Department offers a library of ready-to-teach "CORE" classes. Most new teachers are advised to start their teaching career with one of these: they are easy to pick up and teach if you have a working knowledge of the topic area.
Other classes
By their very nature, CORE classes do not cover all areas of interest and expertise in EVE Online. We encourage experienced and/or specialized teachers to develop and hold their own classes. To ensure some quality control, though, bear in mind the following points:
- We ask that you submit your class slides and/or practical instructions to the Teaching Department at least one week ahead of your class.
- Make sure you're willing and able to react to constructive feedback, and adjust your preparation accordingly.
- Equally, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. A decent class that gets held is better than a perfect class that never happens.
- Please use our slide template in our corporate branding, which we can provide.
Players outside of EVE University who would like to contribute practically by leading educational fleets can do so through the Guest Fleet Commander Program. This can be a good way to share and foster types of advanced content and gameplay which the University itself lacks the resources to provide.
Presentation options
Different options (or a combination) can be used for different types of classes:
- Classic slide decks are a good way to present bundled up static information in a visual way.
- Screen-sharing your EVE in-game view offers a great way to demonstrate things in real-time, and our Discord classroom is set up for this already.
- Organising in-game practicals gives students hands-on experience and works well for some topics. (If you require ships/materials for these the Teaching Department is more than happy to help you out and foot the bill!)
To hold classes, we most commonly use:
- Mumble for voice communication.
- Discord for screen-sharing, slide presentations and typed questions.
- Class (EVE Uni) ingame channel for in-game links and sometimes also questions
Additional options include, but are not limited to:
- Twitch streams
- YouTube videos
Choose the right way to present for you and your topic. It is common and natural to evolve your approach as you gain experience with the subject and better understand how students perceive the content.
Scheduling your class
- Try to schedule your class at least one week in advance, to give people a chance to hear about your class and make time in their schedule to attend. If you are expecting support for ships/modules or other manufactured items this is a minimum requirement and not optional.
- Check the UNI in-game calendar for available dates/times. Do not schedule a class at the same time as any other class or event. A Teaching Officer can check the calendar on behalf of guest lecturers from outside the University.
- Try to leave a buffer of 15–30 minutes in between different classes to give students a break and avoid any overlap in case one class runs into overtime.
Forum announcement
- Post an advert as a new topic in the Scheduled Classes Forum, using the standard format described below.
- If you do lack access to this forum, please ask the Teaching Department to do this for you.
| Forum Template |
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[img]link to suitable image to illustrate class[/img] Short description of what this class is. Maybe who it's intended for, how it improves your game, etc. Feel free to copy from historical class announcements for the same class! [color=#00FFFF]When:[/color] Thursday 12th January, 20:00 EVE Time [color=#00FFFF]Where:[/color] Mumble and Class (EVE Uni) [color=#00FFFF]Duration:[/color] 1 hour [color=#00FFFF]Topics Covered:[/color] [list][*]list points [*]some more list points [*]even more list points [*]add more list points with the [ * ] prefix [*]Q&A[/list] [color=#00FFFF]Student requirements:[/color] [list][*]Public Mumble registration and access - make sure you have Mumble sorted out and operational well before the class begins. Use this guide for set-up: [url]http://eveuni.org/publicmumble[/url] [*]Access to the Class (EVE Uni) in-game chat channel [*]If students need specific ships, or need to be in a specific place, here would be where you say that.[/list] Additional information: This class is primarily lecture, delivered in public Mumble and the Class (EVE Uni) channel, followed by Q&A. There is no practical component. |
In-game calendar
Create a class announcement on the in-game EVE Uni calendar (provided you hold the Sophomore title; if not, ask a Teaching Officer).
Make sure to:
- include "[CORE]", "[Class]", "[Practical]" or "[Q&A]" as a title prefix, followed by the name/topic of the class.
- set availability to "Alliance" (preferred); the default is "Private", which only you can see. Do not tick the box labelled Important.
- set a realistic duration, leaving time for questions. We generally prefer classes to last around 60 minutes, but 45–90 minutes is perfectly acceptable.
- ensure that your class is not colliding with other classes. It's generally a good idea to leave at least 15-30 minutes in between classes so students can take a break and to avoid any overlaps.
- include a short outline of the class and a forum link in the description.
Pings
You must ping everyone in the "#ping-class" Discord channel shortly before you start, and you can ping with advance notice beforehand.
- (optional) "@everyone x hour preparing for Intro to XYZ"
- (mandatory) "@everyone Intro to XYZ starting now/in 5 minutes"
Feel free to expand on those pings by providing the forum link or additional context to the class, but keep it reasonably brief.
EVE University members can also put an announcement in the "Alliance" chat channel in-game.
Holding your class
Beforehand
- Prepare your hardware (microphone etc.)
- Prepare your software (Discord, Mumble etc.)
- Prepare your lesson content:
- Prepare the slide deck and speaker notes if desired.
- Prepare an agenda to be followed, even if you're not using slides to stay on track.
- If your class includes a practical, check what you need:
- Prepare the ships/materials needed, or check they have been delivered as expected.
- Prepare the environment. For instance, many practicals benefit from having established bookmarks to streamline activities.
- Prepare yourself: have water on hand, and double check that any notes you need are present.
During class
- Main article: Good teaching guide
- Be early and start on time
- Follow a clear structured agenda; don't jump all over the topic
- Take your time (and drink of water). People tend to talk faster when they are excited/nervous, so slow yourself down and breathe.
- Leave room for questions after "chapters" of your class and at the end.
- Be assertive. Do not shy away from banking certain questions for later or referring to additional classes/materials so you can stick to your lesson plan. Make frequent references to the EVE University Wiki as needed and drop links in the Discord channel #class-questions. For guest lecturers, a Teaching Officer can assist you in this.
- Do not be afraid to not know something. Get back to students on questions that you don’t know or see if someone else in the class knows the right answer.
The good teaching guide offers more detailed advice on preparation and delivery
Discord streaming
To present your slides (or in-game view) we use the EVE University Discord channel #class-presentations. This requires either one of the Discord roles “Teacher” or "Guest Lecturer (OOC)". A member of the Teaching Staff can assist with these permissions.
Once you have the required permissions follow these steps (click to enlarge):
Evaluation
Ask your students to fill out the Class Feedback Form at the end of the lesson. The form is also conveniently pinned on the Discord channel #class-questions. Note that the class date/time field in this form is currently broken, so ask students to select "Other" and fill in the class topic and date in the comments field.
Reflect: what went great? What will you improve upon next time? Does the material need tweaks or edits?
Now that you have made it to this point, well done, and thank you for your service!
