Preparing Your Teaching Environment

In recent years, the teaching and learning environment at McMaster have expanded beyond the physical classroom. If you would like some professional development in the areas of blended and online learning, the Effective Teaching Strategies for Blended Learning learning module and the Learning to Teach Online course (please note that this course requires access to Avenue to Learn) are both great, free places to start.

There are a variety of technologies that can be included in your teaching and all of them require careful consideration before they can be used effectively. The MacPherson Institute offers consultation for technology-enhanced teaching. Consider contacting the Institute if you are thinking about using a new teaching tool in your course and you would like to discuss it.

When you plan to use technology in your teaching (whether in-person or online), it is critical that you have had the opportunity to practice in advance. While you may be familiar with the software on your own computer, the particularities of your teaching environment may introduce issues that can disrupt your teaching. Before the first day, visit your teaching space to test all of the tools you plan to use on your first day. Contact Campus Classroom Technologies for codes to the computer cabinets, login details of any computers that may already be available in the room, and to ask any questions you may have about the teaching and learning technologies in your classroom.