Live Online Sessions: Designing for Interest and Interactivity Janine Lim Associate Dean, Online Higher Education Andrews University janine@andrews.edu | Twitter: outonalim blog.janinelim.com Live online sessions can be a webinar, a videoconference, a class session, and other formats. The live online session is very close to the experience of a face to face class or group interaction. However, there are some key aspects that need to be done well for the best attendee satisfaction and for a quality learning experience. We will explore strategies for generating interest, catching the eye with appealing visuals, and engaging the brain with both human and content interactivity. Boost the quality of your online live sessions by implementing new interactive strategies!

My perspectives… ...Teaching online since 1999 ...videoconferencing since 1998

How many of you are teaching via Zoom?

1. Designing Zoom Learning 2. Generating Interest 3. Catching the Eye 4. Engaging the Brain

What makes for a poor Zoom experience?

Lack of Human Connection Image credit: pixabay

Multitasking and Inattention Image credit: pixabay Multitasking and Inattention

Confusing or Unclear Message Image credit: pixabay

Audience & Delivery Implications Why do your students choose online? Where are your students physically located? How far do they travel to visit campus? What time zones are they in? What kind of Internet connection do they have? Are they working? What are their typical work schedules? What does this mean for teaching and support services?

Delivery Considerations What are some barriers students have to attending live? Why might students want a live class session? What learning outcomes need live interaction?

Asynchronous Online Could be Synchronous Online Presentations by students Consultation/conference Discussion boards Field trips Group activities: read/write/project Simulation / active learning Lecture Multimedia Orientations Presentations / guest speakers Assessments / exams Assignments Case Analysis Clinical Field Application Instructive Feedback Multimedia Discussion Forums Papers, Essays, Reflective Journals, Research Portfolios Simulations Quizzes, Self Assessment Library work Tutorials Note that there’s ways to do the left column asynchronous too

Observation and reflection Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle Concrete Experience (doing / having an experience) Observation and reflection (reviewing / reflecting on the experience) Abstract Conceptualization (concluding / learning from the experience) Active Experimentation (planning / trying out what you have learned) Zoom activity or offline Zoom or offline or asynchronously http://www.ldu.leeds.ac.uk/ldu/sddu_multimedia/kolb/static_version.php Out of class – rich content Zoom class discussion or online discussion forum

Delivery Considerations: Your Turn What learning experiences should be: Asynchronous online? Synchronous / live videoconference? On campus? Some reasons for live: A sense of community Human connection Networking Quality Q & A

1. Designing Zoom Learning 2. Generating Interest 3. Catching the Eye 4. Engaging the Brain

Starting Well “Can you hear me now?” Greets students by name prior to start of class Starts recording before class begins Photo Credit: Jazz Workshop, Creative Commons Licensed Source: Best Practices in Facilitating Synchronous Sessions – USC Marshall School of Business

Scaffolding: Materials & LMS Materials are well organized and ready for easy access and seamless presentation during the session Briefly reviews key learning outcomes in this week’s pre- recorded lectures and assignments without re-lecturing on materials already covered Explain scaffolding Source: Best Practices in Facilitating Synchronous Sessions – USC Marshall School of Business

Engage the Adult Learner Begins class on time with a quick poll, visual prompt, current event, or discussion topic to engage students Prior knowledge Work experience that connects to the content Why this content matters to their work Photo credit: Pxhere Source: Best Practices in Facilitating Synchronous Sessions – USC Marshall School of Business

Human & Cognitive Interactivity Beginning Access prior knowledge, set the stage, activate thinking Middle Use of the pause in lectures (reference); attention for 10 min. etc. Ending Application, next steps, next action

1. Designing Zoom Learning 2. Generating Interest 3. Catching the Eye 4. Engaging the Brain

Catching the Eye: Faces It’s a video medium – as close to f2f as you can get with technology mediated communication

Catching the Eye: Lighting Figure out how to include this – or jump to it –Lighting - https://vimeo.com/179041949

Design Slides for Zoom

Catching the Eye: LearningHub What should your LH site have when you are using mainly Zoom? Zoom widget Headers & contact info Still organize sequentially Zoom setup – use the same link for the whole semester

Catching the Eye: Slide Design Organize presentation around 3-5 main points Research suggests that only organizational,  explanative, and conducive decorative (retrieval cues or evoking positive emotions) visuals promote learning. organizational © Wellbeing Herbs explanative Photo credit: http://pmm.nasa.gov/ Source: Useful online learning: http://cel.uwaterloo.ca/honeycomb/useful.html

Image Sources thenounproject.com www.morguefile.com https://unsplash.com/ https://pixabay.com/ Flickr Creative Commons Google image search, Tools, Usage Rights

1. Designing Zoom Learning 2. Generating Interest 3. Catching the Eye 4. Engaging the Brain

Strategy: Q&A Ask questions to prompt questions: How do you see yourself using what you learned? What else do you need to be able to implement what you learned? Wait. Count to 10. Wait. The importance of wait time Prepping thinking - ask them questions to prompt their questions - how do you see yourself using what you learned, etc. The worst way to get questions: Any questions? Image credit: pixabay

Strategy: Apply & Connect Gives students the opportunity to APPLY key learning points utilizing polling, breakout groups, Q & A, student presentations, and other interactive activities References specific examples of individual homework or discussion forum posts during the week to model exceptional academic performance for the class Source: Best Practices in Facilitating Synchronous Sessions – USC Marshall School of Business

Interaction with Students Makes effort to engage each and every student at least once in discussion Takes time to thoroughly answer students’ questions (For more difficult or student-specific questions, offers to meet after class/during office hours to discuss) 1999 training on teaching via videoconference – keep a list of your student names beside you and tick off as you interact with them Source: Best Practices in Facilitating Synchronous Sessions – USC Marshall School of Business

Strategy: Backchannel Chat Assign a student or a couple students to monitor/moderator the chat Watches for questions; ensures interaction & involvement This is an elementary classroom strategy but works great in a videoconference class Image and Idea Source: http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/04/24/socratic-seminar-and-the-backchannel/

Strategy: More Classroom Jobs Photographer - snap pics and text out to remote students as needed Camera operator – ensure that the speaker is on camera Worship leader Welcome facilitator – roll call & student generated questions to share a few words, phrase or sentence of prior knowledge on the topic Geek squad – Assistance with technology

Strategy: Groups / Pair Share Zoom breakout rooms Mix onsite & remote students in groups (use the hall, corners of the room; be mindful of audio) Pair-share – in classroom turn to your neighbor; remote use the chat room Groups meeting outside of scheduled class time Scaffold the group work with thorough task design and instructions Ask me if you want an example of instructions for a videoconference group

Strategy: Polling Gauge your audience Share diverse views Stimulate thinking Show the results - give a reason to look not just listen Poll Everywhere or built in Zoom Polling

Strategy: Silence It’s not TV. You don’t have to fill every minute. Wait time: Stop and let attendees read a slide Visual silence: Use “b” or “w” in your PowerPoint to go to black or White blank; or stop sharing your screen. Pauses in lectures (WAIT): Jot down a note Think about… Write an example in the chat Janine Bachhel, R., & Thaman, R. G. (2014). Effective use of pause procedure to enhance student engagement and learning. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 8(8), XM01–XM03. http://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/8260.4691

Effective Handouts guided notetaking, activities, or detailed map of information Places to write - that’s places for learning to happen; I’m expecting you’ll get value; giving space to act on it Don’t give out your PPT; give a handout instead Main points, places to write Send ahead of time

Ending the Zoom Class Previews next week’s learning outcomes prior to end of class Ends class on time Stops recording at end of class and before meeting with individual students Photo Credit: Videoconferencegear.com Source: Best Practices in Facilitating Synchronous Sessions – USC Marshall School of Business

What is one thing you are going to do differently in your next Zoom class? More: i.e. raise awareness, transfer content knowledge, mentor, build skills, share pedagogical knowledge… Awareness Practice Sharing Peer Coaching Mentoring Togetherness? Sharing resources? Lesson planning? Transmission of information? Practice team teaching? Brainstorming? Skill development? Study groups etc. – see the pics I took Plus academic credit vs. not…

Questions… Comments… Janine Lim Associate Dean, Online Higher Education Andrews University janine@andrews.edu Twitter: outonalim blog.janinelim.com