Online lecture at the MSB - MSB | Münster School of Business

How can you participate in digital courses?

Online courses take place in different formats, for example as audio lecture notes, video recordings or live sessions such as chats and telephone conferences, in which video streaming can also be used. A functioning laptop or desktop computer with internal or external web-cam is required for all these digital formats. A quiet work station where you can work undisturbed is particularly important for synchronous (live) online courses. Teaching at MSB is interactive. In order to participate actively in good sound quality, we recommend using a headset during video sessions. Online teaching depends on a stable Internet connection. Therefore, please check whether your data volume and the speed are sufficient for streaming.

Which programs and tools are used to work online?

Since the summer semester 2020, the number of tools used for digital teaching has multiplied. Most of the teachers use the learning platform ILIAS as the basis, which is where you find your courses of the current semester. On ILIAS, you can download files such as course scripts or video recordings or upload files yourself. ILIAS has a number of other functions which facilitate online teaching. For your own video conferences or project and team works, DVZ provides a selection of tools such as Zoom, MS Teams and Mattermost.

Tips for online learning

FH Münster is a presence university: students and teachers meet to exchange in the lecture halls, seminar rooms, in study groups or in the canteen. Online teaching supports the face-to-face formats in an appropriate manner. It permits flexibility when learning, but alters the contact with teachers and fellow students. Even though one can communicate well in a video chat, sitting together with a learning group at a table in the canteen pondering over a mathematical problem is quite a different matter. A survey during the summer semester 2020 revealed that approximately half of the students felt less motivated in the online semester compared to the normal mode. The following tips may be able to help you:

Develop a structure which gives rhythm to your day. In the process, phases of work and recreation should alternate. You should decide the length of your work phases, but they should not exceed two hours. Set a time at which you commence learning and a time when you finish.
Permit breaks and rewards. Once you have reached an interim goal, grant yourself a turn at Netflix or other things you consider to be rewarding.
Move around in fresh air at least once every day.
Very important: Maintain communication with your fellow students. Get encouragement when you are frustrated and incorporate the social contacts into your daily plan.

Netiquette for online learning

As is the case with presence teaching, the same applies online: We treat each other with respect. Some rules should be observed particularly during live sessions:

Make sure that no interfering sounds are transmitted via the microphone. Only switch on your microphone when you have a vocal contribution.
At MSB, many courses are designed interactively; this also concerns lectures during the first year of studies. Please switch on your camera when your teacher requests it. Interaction thrives on seeing and hearing each other and teachers prefer to speak to a counterpart.
Use the chat function of the programme to pose question to the teacher or for subject-specific statements. Chats to other topics are disruptive and distractive.