A central component of tutorials is that students regularly work on exercises - in many cases weekly exercise sheets - alone or in small groups, then discuss them in the tutorial and receive the corresponding (sample) solutions from the tutor. Depending on the subject and the tutorial, the concrete form of the exercises varies greatly or alternates within the tutorial: Often the exercises are pre-calculated by the tutor on the blackboard and the students compare the solutions with their own, often the students solve selected exercises on the blackboard or in small groups and sometimes the exercises are calculated together in the plenary session. It is important that the tutor can intervene (correct) in case of questions of understanding or mistakes and provide direct support in the difficult processes.

These methods are available for the online tutorial:

Task

Ask the students to submit a commented solution to an exercise. In addition to the individual solution steps, students should briefly describe what they have done and why.

Forum

Students upload their solution as an image file or document to a post in the forum and describe their solution as well as any difficulties or questions they may have had. The fellow students and you as a tutor can comment on this solution and answer questions.

Teaching videos and screencasts

The students record a video in which they comment on their solution. This can be done as described above or, for example, with a smartphone that is securely attached to a well-lit piece of paper on which the solution is worked out while the student comments on their solution.

Web meeting with Zoom

If necessary, a synchronous exchange via a web meeting can also be useful in the context of a tutorial. Tools that are then available are e.g. whiteboard, video/audio chat, screen sharing.

In the tutorial, the tutor demonstrates how certain tasks are calculated, evidence is presented or problems are solved. As they develop and roll up the solution paths, they think aloud, i.e. they give insights into their thinking and decision-making processes and strategies.

Provide solutions

Upload a file of the written solution path: Pre-calculate tasks etc. in writing and explain each of your processing steps in detail and comprehensibly so that students can follow these steps. Make the written solution available as a file in Moodle.

Recording solutions

• Make a recording: Demonstrate in it – much the same as to solving tasks on the blackboard - how you solve a problem for the exercise, e.g:
• Build the solution successively on PowerPoint slides and comment on the solution while recording your exercise video.
• Make a screencast in which you comment on the solution (e.g. photo/scan of your handwritten solution), how you proceeded with the solution. This works with Windows and also with the Mac.
• If you have an iPad or other device with pen input capability, you can simulate a whiteboard writing and record a screencast. Alternatively, you can use your smartphone, tablet or webcam to record how you simulate writing on a well-lit piece of paper.

Instructions and tips on how to start making educational videos and screencasts can be found here.

Link to external material

Maybe there are already videos in which suitable tasks and exercises are solved? Link to them. We have listed hints where you can find suitable materials for your events here.

Enable questions and discussions in forums

A tutorial lives from the exchange with the students and the possibility to discuss the tasks and problems. Therefore, you should also ask your students questions in a forum in Moodle and at the same time offer the possibility to ask questions in the forum. Encourage your students to answer each other's questions.

Conduct a real-time web meeting

For tutorials synchronous exchange via a web meeting on Zoom can also be necessary. On there, tools like whiteboards, video / audio chats and screen sharing are accessible.

Private channels of communication such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime or others are not recommended because of data privacy reasons.

In most cases, weekly task sheets are discussed in the tutorial, for which (usually in advance) solutions should be submitted. There are also possibilities and methods in online teaching for this case:

Submit solutions on exercise sheets

To do this you can use the Task function in Moodle, which also allows you to set a deadline for submission of your work. Submissions can consist of one or more files and/or comments in a text box. Submitted work can be corrected and feedback added in Moodle, and even annotations directly into PDF submissions are possible. By the way, not only a typed solution is possible as a submission, but also a photo or scan of a handwritten solution.

Self-tests

An alternative is (self-)testing in Moodle. In the test activity, many different task types are available, some of which also allow automated assessment.