Classroom Management in Video Facilitated, Synchronous Courses

Mise en Place

Organize your presentation file(s), websites, or other digital resources that you plan to share via the share screen feature or as links in the chat.

• Close out all unnecessary applications, websites, and/or other programs that might impact your ability to maneuver seamlessly between the items you need to share on your computer.
  
• Navigate to the websites you will use as live examples during your class session to make sure they load and have them at the ready so you do not need to search or struggle to locate them during your presentation/class session.

• Closing excess software applications or other bandwidth/resource intensive programs will also reduce the risk of having low bandwidth or computer processor/memory trouble that can negatively impact your class.

Raising Hands (and Nonverbal Feedback)

Ask students to participate in your sessions by informing them of how they can be acknowledged in Zoom/the video platform of choice using “nonverbal feedback” tools. These are digital icons that express emotions/feelings as well as allow them to raise their hands during class.

Some students are very comfortable physically raising their hands while on screen, however, there are a few things to consider when it comes to how you ask your students to volunteer to participate. Students may keep their video off for various reasons and cannot be seen raising their hand on camera. Also, to be mindful of ableist language and activities, it may not always be possible for an individual to signal us using their hand. Zoom and other video conferencing platforms make it easier for the facilitator/presenter to call on participants using the digital hand raising feature, which signals you via a small icon in the participant window, oftentimes next to the person wishing to speak.

Making it clear how you will call on students can make all the difference between them being willing to participate or not being heard in class. Outline your expectations in your initial synchronous class sessions, perhaps with an accompanying slide on how to use the features you’d like them to implement for being called on.

Find out more about Zoom’s nonverbal feedback tools and how to use them (other video conference platforms may also have similar documentation about how to use their features)

Chat Monitoring

Alleviate the need to monitor the chat by assigning a student to be your chat facilitator.

The chat feature can be cumbersome if you are trying to share a screen/presentation or doing a variety of multitasking activities while in a video conferencing platform.  You can assign a different student for each class session or week. Be clear about your expectations for how you’d like the chat facilitator to get your attention when reading back the questions. Do you want them to ask them as they come up or would you prefer to build in natural breaks in between your session to allow time for questions?

Breakout Rooms

Give clear instructions before students leave for Breakout Rooms and provide links to activities in the chat before they leave the main room.

Breakout Rooms are a wonderful way to break-up your course session and to give students the space to learn and construct their own knowledge by asking them higher order thinking questions.

Before your class session:

• Create a document with the expectations, instructions, and any discussion prompts or important information/questions you might want them to address while they are in their Breakout Rooms. You can even include a list of potential roles that you want them to take on (e.g. note taker, question asker, etc.).
• Add this document to your Canvas course so students can access it there during the live course session.

During class:

• Just before moving into Breakout Rooms, explain what you would like students to do when they go to the breakout rooms.
• Tell them how much time they will have in their groups.
• Provide the link to the document you have posted in your Canvas course which includes the instructions you gave them verbally.
• Ask them to click the link to the document before you open the Breakout Rooms.

See our WesternOnline Breakout Room page with more tips!