Being an instructor in livestreamed CodeRefinery workshop

Basic setup

In a livestreamed CodeRefinery workshop, we have two types of learners: Active learners attending in Zoom and passive learners watching the stream. Learners from both groups will watch the stream from their own browser and have the possibility to interact with the instructors and ask questions via HackMD (a collaborative note taking tool: Collaborative document mechanics and controls). Active, registered learners will additionally get interactive help in Zoom breakoutrooms during exercise sessions. Learners on stream can either form private groups or do the exercises on their own. Following our team teaching strategy, your are never alone as an instructor. While you are teaching, you can fully focus on the task at hand, your co-instructor will watch the chat and HackMD and relay all important information to you.

I am teaching in a workshop, what do I need to know/do?

  • Attend the instructor onboarding session (Instructor introduction)

  • Make sure you have your tech setup for the course: Instructor technical setup, online

  • Consider joining the learners Zoom to help in breakoutrooms and answer questions in HackMD

  • When your teaching time approaches, join the instructors Zoom.

    • Stay muted and turn your video off until it is your turn to teach

    • Setup your windows that you want to share during teaching

    • When it is your turn to (co-)teach,

      • All co-instructors, turn on your video

      • Unmute yourself only when talking

      • Share only the important portion of your screen in vertical mode

      • If you need a reaction from learners, use HackMD

      • Co-Instructor watches HackMD and relays important information/questions

      • Exercises: clearly state which exercises should be done and at what time the teaching continues

  • After your lesson, consider joining learners Zoom

  • If you can, join after-course-day-hangout with other instructors

  • Give feedback on your teaching experience with CodeRefinery

We have also collected a lot of material around teaching which you are free to read:

Why team teaching?

-> see also Team teaching

  • makes lesson more lively

  • less chance of forgetting something essential

  • one of the instructors can watch for good questions in HackMD and ask/answer them on stream

  • less stressful for the individual

  • easier to include new instructors

  • easier debugging, finding typos etc on stream

  • you are not alone

Why livestream?

A livestream workshop allows us to reach an unlimited number of people, at the cost of not being as interactive as in classroom/zoom room. However, we have had great experiences with the following strategy:

  • HackMD as collaborative note-taking tool allows learners to ask questions anonymously and everyone can answer these questions asynchronously.

  • Learners can register to join Zoom breakout rooms, which are interactive and team leaders can help with any questions during exercise sessions and breaks.

  • Learners can also form private breakout rooms or meet in person and watch the stream and do exercises together.

While the full livestream setup is a bit complicated, you as an instructor do not have to worry about anything but your teaching. We have setup the whole system in a way that only active instructors are shown in stream, which makes video postproduction faster. What makes our setup different from your ‘usual zoom class’ is that our instructors Zoom room that you are in while instructing is completely separate from the learners, while providing interaction possibility via HackMD.