Practical examples of distance learning

The Konstanz Augmented Classroom teaching concept was developed out of a collaborative, international, English-language seminar via video conference. The starting point was a shared classroom constellation on the topic of film analysis in an international context, in which two seminar groups (one abroad, one in Konstanz) each assembled in a videoconferencing room. The classes were organized alternately by the lecturers on the two sides.

It became evident that the video conference, although initially very exciting, quickly became a predominantly “lecture style” method of teaching, where one side at a time followed the presentations on the screen, but there was very little interaction overall. The live event could also easily have been shown over longer phases as a recording – and as such would also have been easier to arrange.

On the basis of these considerations, we developed a “flipped classroom” model for distance learning. Here, teaching was effectively “flipped” upside down: Everything that can be kept in a static form – teaching videos with instructions and explanations, texts on the topic, practical exercises and (in our case) video clips for studying and dealing with analysis tasks in greater depth – were placed online in ILIAS.

This freed the live sessions from the pure communication of content and facilitated a discussion of the practical exercises (submitted online beforehand) as well as the follow-up of observations and ideas that had sprung up. Because the course features a large percentage of self-study, a small number of live sessions is sufficient (at the end of each topic area).

Live video sessions – whether in the recording room or at dispersed locations via webinars – must in any case be properly structured and strictly controlled by the lecturer. On the one hand, it is sometimes necessary to help participants overcome their shyness (especially in front of the camera) and encourage them to join in. On the other hand, spontaneous and enthusiastic input needs to be properly channelled in order to avoid chaos. Contributions submitted beforehand make it easier to structure the video session – good input (or elements of it) can be given special mention; things that are less easy to understand can be picked up and discussed again in greater depth.

It might also be possible to dispense with using the live session for transmitting materials and corrections – in this way, sudden technical problems on the part of the course organizers or of the participants can be cushioned. However, through the regular live meetings a special “sense of community” in the study group also evolves, which is self-evident for in-person courses but tends not to materialize in (online) forums due to the time-delayed form of communication. Due to the exceptional situation concerning “personal presence”, good preparation and the possibility to clarify all purely informative aspects beforehand, the live sessions additionally became lively and fun even early in the semester, which in normal operation tends to occur as rare highlights (mostly towards the end of a course).

It became apparent that the online material framing the course should also contain a detailed description of the procedure and how the course will run, so that participants are familiar with it in advance and have a clear idea of what is required of them. Depending on personal preference, this can be a more informal agreement with expectations and suggestions in relation to the course or a formal “learning contract” (many examples for the contents of a learning contract already exist. Here is an example).

Unfortunately, it has so far not been possible to establish the course permanently as a pure distance learning offer. It did run regularly from 2015 to 2019 as a blended learning course with in-person classes in the seminar room for Erasmus students on literary and film studies programmes.

However, the course design’s advantages were also clearly seen in normal classroom operation: Thanks to the extensive preparation of input and practical tasks, the course can easily be copied and used again and again, students are fully aware of what is expected of them and motivated to study by themselves to a larger degree on the basis of regular practical exercises. The typically very heterogeneous study group with different language skills and learning levels was also able to follow the course very well and participate in lively discussions within a very short space of time, even in a foreign language. In this way, it was possible to adopt elements of the course design into other seminars with normal classroom operation and use them to advantage.

Online distance teaching requires considerable commitment on the part of the participants. This can be fostered by varied learning materials and steered by means of detailed work instructions and an overview of what is expected of participants in terms of self-study.

As far as possible, teaching materials, content-related input and instructions for practical exercises should be accessible and doable on a time-independent basis – in this way, short-term technical problems with the platform do not constitute a breakdown in the learning process. A common procedure for time-independent communication should be agreed upon (e.g. forums with a subscription to a news alert function, where necessary).

Live communication phases (video conferences, live chats, etc.) should nevertheless not be neglected and are key to establishing a group atmosphere with exchange and discussions that are conducive to learning.

The benefits gained when designing distance learning are to a large extent transferable to classroom teaching – work invested here can be used to advantage over the longer term.

You can find a detailed overview of the distance learning seminar “Film in Film” on self-reflexivity in film (in English) on this page, the course is available in ILIAS and you are very welcome to use it.