ICT tools for Remote Work - (OAU Staff Advisory from INTECU)
- Your email account.
- Have a functional email on a reliable platform – OAU institutional email (hosted by Google), Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoomail are reliable options.
- Never use your email or sensitive credentials on a public devices or public Wifi. E.g. in a cyber-café, or airport browsing booths.
- Make sure your email password is secure by setting up a fairly complicated password and setting up Two-Factor-Authentication. Ask INTECU staff how to get this done.
- If you have multiple emails, use an email application that allows you to receive all mails in one inbox, but allows you to respond with your different identities.
- Your computing device(s).
- Have at least one computing device that only you use.
- Use authentic software on all your devices.
- Schedule weekly software update checks for all devices you use.
- Make sure you use an antivirus that updates it virus signatures regularly. Windows 10, has a native antivirus that comes at NO ADDITIONA FEE, and it is effective, use it.
- Have a personal external earphone. This way you can have private video conferences.
- Make sure the batteries of your mobile devices (laptop, phone, tablet) can last for at least one (1) hour, otherwise replace them urgently.
- Make sure you have and use a backup strategy. You have two options: Cloud backup on Google-Drive/ One-Drive/I-Cloud/DropBox or buy an external Hard-Drive. A 500GB Hard-Drive is usually sufficient.
- Realize that you don’t have to use pirated software. Most often, free versions of Word processing, Spread Sheet and Presentation software are available. https://www.libreoffice.org/, https://www.openoffice.org/ or Google online tools (G-SUITE).
- Your eportal access (Teaching Staff, Non-Teaching College, Faculty Staff, DSA, Security).
- Screen your 1st year students so that they have matriculation numbers.
- Confirm that student’s enrollment status for the courses that you teach.
- Download your student list (tutorial list) for your courses on the University eportal (https://eportal.oauife.edu.ng).
- Define courses, lecturers, upload scores, approve scores, aggregate and process departmental results.
- Announce tests and examinations via your profile.
- Notify Deans, HOD or lecturers of important milestones via the EPORTAL.
- Post student’s approved results to parents or guardians.
- Your Virtual Learning Strategy
- Open a communication channel with your students, preferably through the class representative, informing them about the need to keep in touch.
- Collate all emails of your students (the University Computer Centre or your class rep. can assist with this).
- List and select from possible technologies that you can use to engage your students: - WhatsApp-Audio, WhatsApp-Video, Zoom, Google Classroom, Google Meet, Moodle, etc.
- Plan your online class sizes: - 50 is a great compact group, things start to get complicated from then on. Consider breaking up your class into tutorial groups of manageable sizes.
- Set online class rules. How to ask questions, etc.
- Don’t plan to have long online lectures. Have multiple 40 – 1 hour lectures, interspaced by 5 – 10 minute breaks or interactive sessions.
- Send an email to all class members informing them of the class schedule and rules.
- Start Small, Grow Big!! - Use available tools – MS-Power Point to start and then scale up to LMS.
- Enjoy your class.
- Your E-Learning applications
- Subscribe to at least one Virtual Learning Environment so that you can start engaging your students. Use Google Classroom or Moodle.
- Google Classroom allows you to chat, audio call, video call, screen share, and access to several additional G-SUITE applications.
- Subscribe to at least on Video Conference platform. Teaching is more than giving assignments and tasks, See and talk with your students. Use Zoom, Google Meet or Skype.
- Zoom and Google Meet is commonly used for web conferencing to share video, audio, and content.
- Your special applications
- Checkout updates from the University website –DAILY. Make https://oauife.edu.ng your HOMEPAGE.
- The University email is hosted via G-SUITE on Google Cloud. However, email is just one of the G-SUITE applications that can enhance your productivity. Visit this link to learn more https://gsuite.google.com/.
- Your network connectivity
- Never connect to anonymous (FREE) Wireless Hotspots. It may be a trap to steal your financial or other personal details.
- As much as possible, use Internet Access provided by the University (INTECU) while on campus. As at January, 2020, the capacity of the campus connection is at least 5Mbps (625KBps). This is more than sufficient for FAST web browsing and Internet download.
- Where available, use ENCRYPTED (secure) wireless networks provided by the University (INTECU).
- When connecting from home, the reliability of your DATA connection is dependent on the QUALITY of the SIGNAL from your mobile Internet service provider using your Phone Hotspot, MiFi or Modem.
- On your personal device, one way to measure your DATA “NETWORK” quality is to find out what your phone or modem says when you turn on DATA. Is it E (Edge), 3G, H+ (HSPA+) or 4G (or LTE)? 3G is better than E (Edge), H+ is better than 3G, and 4G (or LTE) is the best for now. All state capitals have 4G, Ile-Ife has 4G in some areas. The number of signal bars is also important.