Lead the Course

Welcome Letter

When you have the class roster and contact information from the Osher office, send a Welcome letter or email to class participants.  The letter summarizes the course content - what will be covered, what questions will be addressed, how participants can expect the class to run (e.g. 40% discussion, 60% lecture), and if there will be guest speakers. Sometimes study leaders list what will be covered each week. The letter may include any expected preparation (readings, etc.) for the first class and, finally, a review of class times, location, and study leader contact information.

Sample of a Welcome Letter/email

Course Outline

The course outline is your master plan for the course overall and for individual sessions.  It maps out what will take place during each class meeting, how the course goals will be met.  This may not be easy to create, but will be invaluable once the course begins.  You are taking learners on a journey – a journey of discovery. 

Create a course outline 
Sample of a course outline 

Useful Tech Skills 

The Osher office uses Google Drive to store all its files, including your class folder where you can find your roster, class Zoom link and other Osher information concerning your course. So you need to know where to find your class folder, how to upload your material to your class folder, and once the class is over, how to find the class recording. 

Google Drive Workshop for Study Leaders (recorded December 14, 2023)

FAQs:

1. Where do I find my Osher class folder?
2. Uploading documents to your class folder.
3. Where is my class recording?

Slideshows

Many Study Leaders rely on the use of slideshows to support lectures and presentations in their course sessions. There are several programs, some free and some requiring a subscription, that are useful for creating your slideshow presentation. The three most popular are listed here:

Teach in A Digital Age

As some of you are now teaching on Zoom, here are some tips on teaching virtually or remotely. You can also watch a Zoom orientation session for Osher Study Leaders:

Zoom Orientation Workshop (recorded August 15, 2023) 

"Hands On" Using Zoom

For those of you teaching a hands-on class (painting, mahjong) you may want to see how you can use your phone as an additional camera when teaching. 

HyFlex Instruction

Leading (or thinking of leading) a HyFlex course? The Osher staff offers orientation workshops prior to each term, and you can watch a workshop detailing use of the 1 Court Street HyFlex classroom and equipment. We also have a HyFlex classroom manual available for review or download at the link below.

HyFlex Orientation Workshop (recorded August 9, 2023)

Osher at Dartmouth HyFlex Classroom Manual 

Whiteboard

If you teach a class that would benefit from brainstorming, you might want to use a whiteboard. The purpose of a whiteboard is to visualize thoughts, concepts, write down ideas, and many other things. 

Polling

Classroom polling allows instructors to quickly ask a question and instantly receive responses from students during class. Instructors and students can use online/mobile polling with phones (smart and text-only), computers, tablets, and iPads. You will need Osher’s help to set up the poll, but it is an excellent tool for gathering feedback. You can contact the Osher office.

More skills...

Finally, explore more Zoom skills.

Call Osher for HELP! (603) 646-0154

 

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