A few weeks ago I developed and facilitated a workshop around facilitating synchronous online learning for the Learning Center at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Initial assessment showed that the main challenges of teaching synchronous online classes are:
- Communicating with each student during the session
- Converting face-to-face activities to online sessions
- Audio or video technical issues
- Using interactive tools
At first glance, these challenges seem to be technical. However, it may be a combination of beliefs and skill gaps. For example, I wonder why instructors need to engage with “each” student in a synchronous online session. Is it a need derived from learning objectives or a perception driven by the fear of losing sight to each student?
In order to address these beliefs and skill gaps, the workshop is designed and delivered to cover these learning outcomes:
- Identify elements that influence synchronous online learning experience
- Recognize the affordances and constraints of synchronous online learning platforms
- List different phases and best practices in a synchronous online session
- Apply multimedia learning principles in the selection and use of tools for interaction and assessment
A Sneak Peek of the Workshop Activity
What are the best practices for synchronous online learning?
It is obvious that best practices in teaching and learning largely depend on the learning objectives and the tool you selected within the platform.
We will go through the first page of Suggestions for Using Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication from the University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education, and work in groups to adapt it based on your synchronous online learning classes.
At the end of this workshop, not only participants learned the technical side of using synchronous online learning tools for content delivery and assessment but also formed a better understanding of relevant strategies to engage and interact with students.