How to know if your students follow you, listen and respond to what happens in an online class? How to make your session more dynamic and effective? Find out the answers here.
The pandemic we are experiencing due to COVID-19 has pushed many teachers to change their face-to-face teaching towards remote teaching emergency with the use of live synchronous sessions . I have two teenagers at home taking online classes and I see them following their synchronous sessions while watching a replay of a professional basketball game, eating breakfast and checking messages on their cell phone. This scene must be something common in many homes. I have worked on online education projects for about ten years and I know that students can have many distractions . In this article, I will share some tips to overcome these challenges and minimize possible risks so that your next live session is effective and smooth.
In the many live sessions I have conducted, I have also experienced students not paying attention, not participating, not commenting, being interrupted, or simply not contributing to the session in any way. And there are many factors involved in successful and effective online teaching: from course design, activities, content, teacher 'teaching presence', teacher-student interaction, student autonomy and including time management. All of this, I have learned through observation, research, trial and error, but most importantly, from student feedback. In my classes, at the end of each grading period, I ask my students to rate, comment and give feedback on all aspects of the course, then I review feedback as well as survey results to “see” my course through the eyes of the students.
“There are many factors involved in successful and effective online teaching: from course design, activities, content, teacher 'teaching presence', teacher-student interaction, student autonomy, and even management weather".
theory (1993) transactional distance According to Moore's , the distance of what we call 'online education' is more than just physical space. It is the psychological distance and also includes perceptions and understandings . This can lead to a communication gap . In this article I will focus on the dialogue aspect of online education, more specifically on the synchronous session as a means of increasing dialogue, that is, the interaction between students and the teacher in order to reduce transactional distance .
To get an idea of how students and teachers feel in a synchronous session, I recommend watching the famous parody created by Tripp and Tyler, called Video Conferencing in Real Life. With this we can get an idea of the technological complications and inconveniences that can occur in a synchronous online session for the class . Sometimes, if bandwidth is low, teachers or students can lose connection, video can be blurry, audio delayed or delayed, and other frustrating technical or logistical complications.
The purpose of a live session is to connect multiple participants and bridge the communication gap between teacher and students. Johnston (2010) mentioned the connection of three presences (cognitive, social and teaching) during class time , whether face-to-face or online. She suggests that the connection between these three presences produces a complete educational experience. The latter is precisely what the teachers try to achieve in their online sessions. However, Moore (1993) warns that there is a psychological and communication space that separates the students and the instructor.
The gap created by synchronous sessions and activities can be bridged by engaging in dialogue to make the connection between student and teacher more personal. We can motivate, engage and encourage students to work on course topics and activities, then based on student responses as well as demonstration of mastery, plan subsequent course activities and assignments.
Recommendations for more effective online sessions:
Before
Communicate expectations
Before the live session, share the agenda with the students. This way they will know what to expect and how to prepare in advance, for example by watching a video or reading an article.
Motivate the interest of students to connect
It's challenging to get all students to connect to synchronous sessions, so make topics interesting and engaging. Norman (2017) recommends putting yourself in your students' shoes and asking yourself, "What new ideas, information, or wisdom will I learn in this session that hasn't already been incorporated into the rest of the online course?"
Prepare visual aids
Remember the technical complications that could occur (lose connection, video, audio, etc.). Make sure you have short explanations, images, shared files, or information for students. If the student can visualize the topic, then they will be more focused and follow the session. The attention of a university student alternates between attention and non-attention times in a face-to-face class. Bunce, Flens, and Neiles (2010) showed that the first inattentive period can occur as early as 30 seconds after starting a conference, then another peak occurs at approximately 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 10 minutes, and so on.
During
starting
Norman suggests starting the session with an informal chat with students as they connect. You can ask them to recommend movies they've seen, or you can also show a slide with a conversation starter, like a meme, joke question, or trivia. Log in a few minutes before the session starts and make small talk online, just like in the face-to-face classroom.
Ask students to turn on their cameras
It's so much easier to make a personal connection when you can see people's faces and they can see yours. If internet bandwidth is an issue, ask students to turn on their cameras at the beginning of the informal chat session so everyone can say hello to each other. They can then turn off their cameras after the casual chat if the bandwidth is low.
Share the schedule
At the beginning of the session, share the agenda (as is done in a productive business meeting). If a student for some reason drops out of the session, when she returns, she will know exactly what topic is being discussed or what activity the class is focusing on.
ask questions often
Frequently asking questions during the session keeps students engaged. It can be by applying polls, asking questions or having students share a simple thumbs up or thumbs down in the chat, to check their understanding. Frequent responses keep students interested, engaged in the session, and combat student passivity. Remember to view the session from the students' point of view. Imagine that you are the student that you follow and participate in the session. What will keep you motivated to pay attention to the session?
Take surveys
In a discussion, ask students to choose the option that is most important to them.
In a debate, ask students to choose a side, agree or disagree.
For a grammar or math question, have students select the correct answer.
Checks understanding and mastery level of a topic. Students can select:
1 = completely confused, 2 = comfortable, or 3 = expert
Apply a pre-session survey on the topic to be discussed. Send out a quick survey a few days before the session to find out what students already know or what they believe. This will help you better prepare the session agenda, materials, and activities.
Exit survey. At the end of the session, ask students to grade the session. This will help you measure the effectiveness of the session and make improvements for future sessions.
monitor the weather
Be concise in the session. Remember that showing a 20 minute video during a session is not an effective session. Have the students watch the video beforehand. Also, remember that the attention span of a 16-year-old student is about 30 minutes, according to the Brain Balance Achievement Center. So, use that time to maximize learning. Let's be honest. A student can pay attention in a traditional classroom much longer than an online session.
Keep an active pace
Remember the 30-minute attention span. Take advantage of this time. Students can easily be distracted by outside influences, so keep the pace going.
After
Run an exit poll
Get student feedback through an exit survey to measure effectiveness and get feedback from students. Use the results to improve future sessions.
With these tips you will be able to plan, organize and carry out your next live session in a more interactive and productive way. Remember that we are together in this contingency with the surprising changes we are experiencing. Let's support each other by sharing our best practices through the Educational Innovation Observatory.
About the author
Mary Meinecke (mary.meinecke@udem.edu) has more than 20 years of experience teaching English as a second foreign language. She is a professor at the University of Monterrey (UDEM) in the Department of Modern Languages. Her interests include online education, neurolinguistics, and educational innovation.
References
Bunce, DM, Flens, EA, and Neiles, KY (2010). How long can students pay attention in class? A Study on Decreasing Students' Attention with Clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87, 1438-1443.
Brain balance achievement centers. (2020). Normal care encompasses expectations by age. Retrieved April 1, 2020 from https://blog.brainbalancecenters.com/normal-attention-span-expectations-by-age
Johnston, J. (2010). University of Kentucky webinar [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue52_6NZeL0 on March 25, 2020.
Moore, M.G. (1993). Transactional distance theory. In D. Keegan (Ed.), Theoretical Principles of Distance Education. New York: Routledge.
Norman, Marie (2017). Synchronous Online Classes: 10 Tips to Engage Students. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/synchronous-online-classes-10-tips-engaging-students/ on March 31, 2020.
Tags live online classes , online learning , synchronous session , communication , learning , online online courses , courses , online education , teaching strategies , teaching
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