Giving Teachers the Confidence and Strategies to Shift Online

Celebrating the leaders and experts that are powering education into the future, host JW Marshall sets out to ask the “right questions” in EdTech to understand the changes in policy and technology that will power our universities, tradeschools, and companies – and drive growth in upskilling certifications.

 

Most teachers had little experience with online teaching when the pandemic began. In just a few days, they were expected to translate the classroom to the internet. Voices of eLearning is always seeking to provide teachers tips and insights on how to transition successfully. Today, JW Marshall has an expert to share her knowledge, Courtney Ostaff. Ostaff literally wrote the book on the subject, as she’s the author of The Teaching Online Handbook.

The discussion began with an origin story and Ostaff’s first online teaching role. She was a grad student, not planning to become an educator when her program head received a grant to teach computers online. “My first experience was reading a book online, and I was terrible. But nobody knew anything about teaching online 20 years ago,” she said.

Her skillsets and expertise grew over the years, and when the pandemic hit, a friend told her she should “write a book,” and she did.

“Some thought they’d just turn the camera on and do what they did in the classroom, and it’s not effective,” Ostaff commented.

In discussing the book, Ostaff mentioned she structured it like she does her classes. She also said, “It’s not as much as what you do in that Zoom session as what happens offline.”

To make offline and online work, she uses content modules, which are digital folders, and there’s one for every week for every class for students.

When asked about the best use of live time, she responded, “Answer student questions and present new material in a way they can grasp it and do their assignments.”

The biggest challenge she and most teachers face is keeping student’s attention. “They can tune you out, and there’s not much you can do about it. I try to create an expectation that it’s going to be a positive experience and keep pinging them to keep their attention every few minutes,” she said.

Having a set structure to class is essential for Ostaff so that it becomes a habit. She also talked about relationships with parents and the importance of it. “Assume that parents will see your lessons. Learn to be respectful of family time, which is why I don’t have weekend homework, and trust them.”

Listen to Previous Episodes of Voices of eLearning Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Applied Digital
Workforce, Housing, and Growth: How Applied Digital Is Revitalizing a Rural Town Through AI Infrastructure
July 15, 2025

As AI infrastructure spreads beyond tech hubs and into America’s heartland, companies face a new imperative: not just to build facilities—but to build trust, local partnerships, and long-term value for the communities that host them. In Ellendale, North Dakota, Applied Digital’s Polaris Forge 1 campus has become a case study in what rural revitalization…

Read More
Sepsis
Challenges of Identifying and Reducing Sepsis Mortality – Episode 2
July 15, 2025

Michael Rothman explores the complexities of sepsis identification and management, highlighting the challenges posed by varying definitions and clinical pathways. He discusses the ineffectiveness of current sepsis screening protocols, which often yield high false-positive rates and fail to reduce mortality meaningfully. The episode concludes by questioning the focus on sepsis-specific initiatives and suggesting that more…

Read More
engineering community
The Future of the Engineering Community: Equity, AI, and Real Connection
July 15, 2025

The Engineer Who Builds Communities, Not Just Systems! Angelie Vincent has spent more than two decades in aerospace engineering, but her real legacy might be the communities she’s built along the way. Now an AI Integration Engineer at Boeing, Angelie joins Professional Quotient host Jason Winningham for a wide-ranging conversation on neurodivergent leadership, workplace…

Read More
hvacr
Women in HVACR Are Driving Change Across the Skilled Trades
July 15, 2025

Trade school enrollment climbed 4.9% between fall 2020 and fall 2023, signaling a national shift toward skills-based careers as alternatives to four-year degrees. This modest but meaningful rebound underscores growing interest in trades like HVACR, where demand is high, but representation remains lopsided. For decades, women in the field have been overlooked despite playing…

Read More