Snapshot

Type of Interaction: Synchronous
Type of Course: Hybrid, Flipped Classroom, Online

One of the biggest challenges with teaching online or hybrid courses is finding a way to recreate in-class discussion and/or collaboration that benefits from real-time interaction in an online format. While discussion forums can help with this, they are not always adequate for creating a sense of immediacy with the class.

This is where online class meetings can play a part, because they allow participants to meet in a virtual space. Online class meetings can address the following:

• Online lectures to cover important points (instructor-led with opportunity for interaction between students and instructor)
• Exam prep/review sessions (instructor-led with question-and-answer);
• Student presentations (student-led, depending on the format of the assignment);
• Student collaboration and group learning (student-initiated and led).

Tips for successful online class meetings:

• Be aware of the time constraints your students may have. In a fully online course, students may expect all components of the course material to be self-paced. Furthermore, today’s students often have work and other commitments that can make synchronous meetings challenging. Here are some strategies that may help with this problem:
• For required course orientation meetings, schedule duplicate meetings at two different times during the week, for example, one on a Tuesday evening and one during the Friday lunch hour, and allow students to sign up for one or the other session.
• Publish the dates and times of required meetings in the course schedule so that students have the information before they sign up for the course.
• Record the meeting and post a link for later viewing. Some instructors require absent students to submit a brief outline of the meeting as evidence that they viewed it.
• If online meetings will occur on a regular basis, schedule them at different days and times during the week and requires students to attend a minimum number of meetings.
• If possible, provide students with a low stakes opportunity early in the course to use the videoconferencing tool – this can minimize technical and other difficulties in more important meetings.
• Students are often reticent about speaking into a microphone during an online meeting. You can help them overcome this by asking each student in turn to practice speaking into their microphone, and by letting them know that you might call on them.
• Students may be tempted to multitask during online meetings. Establish ground rules up front that set expectations for participation and include opportunities for interaction to keep students on their toes. Also explain why the meeting information or activity is important for their success in the course. Asking students to answer questions, post in chat, or respond to a poll can motivate them to stay engaged.