Participation

  • When watching video lectures or participating in live classes, try to stay focused and take notes as you would in an in-person class. It can be harder to stay focused when learning in an online format, so make an extra effort to avoid multitasking and minimize potential distractions. Many people think they can multitask effectively, but research indicates that multitasking actually takes longer and reduces learning.

  • Watch asynchronous videos at normal speed or slower. If 1.15x or 1.25x is an option, you may be able to learn at that pace, but research shows that speeds of 1.5x can reduce your retention and can result in lower test scores. 

  • When you are in a live Zoom session, imagine  yourself in a classroom. Your instructor can see you; so can your fellow students.  Don’t walk around; be aware of your background; don’t do things that would distract yourself or others, although sometimes daily life -- yours or your instructor’s -- will intrude, we know.

  • Follow basic video calling etiquette: 

    • For meetings of more than a few people or when there is background noise, mute your microphone when you are not speaking. Wearing headphones may also help minimize noise and microphone feedback.

    • Participate in the format your instructor specifies and let them know if you are not able to do so. For example, some might use text chats, hand raising functions, or polling in their Zoom “classrooms”, while others might use external programs like Google Docs for simultaneous collaboration. If they have not specified a protocol for asking questions during and outside of scheduled class time, please ask them what method they prefer.

  • Try to set and stick to a routine. Include things like sleep, exercise, and healthy meals which can improve your mood and boost your energy. Try out the research-based practice of interleaving, which means spreading out shorter blocks of study time (30-90 minutes) and switching to a new subject after that time instead of spending multiple hours straight on a single subject. This practice can help you learn more effectively and efficiently.

  • Keep track of deadlines on a calendar or use a project management or to-do list app to stay organized.

  • Find ways to virtualize your existing study groups, office hours, discussions with other students and question-asking practices. Keep in mind that different people may have different technical capabilities, comfort with virtual communication, and time to engage in conversation. Try to be understanding of their situation but upfront about your needs so that you can come to a mutually beneficial solution.

  • While the physical pset boxes may be inaccessible, you can still turn in handwritten assignments on Stellar/LMOD or email files to your instructor. The free Dropbox mobile app lets you quickly scan and save documents using only a smart phone. For documents, this produces far better quality images than photos and also allows students to stitch all pages together into a single file for submission.

  • MIT values and expects inclusive and respectful conduct of all community members, and this is just as important online as it is on campus. Read the full acceptable online conduct page for more information and resources you can use if you encounter inappropriate behavior.