Real-Time Online

Our advanced video conferencing technology transports students into classrooms created online. In classes throughout our curriculum, you can see students raise their hands to speak to instructors and peers, mark up onscreen class materials, use running text chat to seek clarification or to introduce new threads of thought, and write on a shared whiteboard to inspire collaboration and classmates’ input. A rotating camera maximizes interaction as students see their classmates and instructors during the seminar.

How Students Prepare

Students prepare for discussion seminars by watching recorded lectures and/or by completing various non-lecture assignments as they engage with course web pages. The guiding concept is that these preparatory activities and assignments enable students to use the seminar discussion to deepen their understanding of the course materials. Since every class is recorded and available for playback, students may revisit specific segments (which comes in very handy around exam time).

The Role of Our Instructors

Our instructors are distinguished by their expertise in their academic disciplines; by their passion and skills regarding the teaching of highly talented students in a demanding, interactive online environment; and by the high expectations they have for their students and for themselves. Their innovative pedagogy, developed to make optimal use of all available teaching tools and technologies, turns students’ disparate locations into a virtue and ensures that everyone is fully present and participating in each seminar. Students are seen and heard when Stanford OHS instructors are moderating these dynamic forums for learning.