Searching for "teaching and learning"

student engagement in higher ed

Improved Student Engagement in Higher Education’s Next Normal

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/3/improved-student-engagement-in-higher-educations-next-normal

We define student engagement as a constructivist approach to teaching and learning: less “sage on the stage” and more learning by doing.

Digital collaborative technologies embrace three important student engagement objectives: connecting students with the content, with the instructor, and with one another, within and across groups. Formulating, sharing, and getting feedback on responses benefits all students by increasing the exchange of ideas and approaches to the given prompt, helping students develop critical thinking skills through thoughtful peer review and analysis, and engaging them with timely feedback from expert instructors. Retaining these “blended learning” practices and additional affordances post-pandemic is worthwhile as we move to the next normal.

The five teaching enhancements/adaptations discussed above—collaborative technologies for sense-making, student experts in learning and technology, back channels, digital breakout rooms, and supplemental recording.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
more on student engagement in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=student+engagement

SCSU Fulbright students

Spring 2021 series of presentations by Fulbright Students at SCSU:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  • February, 17, 4PM

Souleymane Kassoum

Title:
Bilingual Education in Niger

Outline:
French language has been officially used in Niger since colonial rule as the only language for instruction. This monolingual instruction on the detriment of National languages negatively impacts the teaching and learning quality in public schools due to the linguistic barrier students in public school are facing. The purpose of this discussion is to shed light on the learning crisis caused by French monolingual instruction which could be solved by the introduction of national languages as languages of instruction in elementary education and French as the language of subject. The challenges of a successful implementation and generalization of French-National language education (bilingual education) are also pointed out and the discussion ends with some recommendations for applicable situations in the United States, e.g. schooling of Native American students.

Tiana Aprianti
Title:
Indonesia Education Equality and Equity

Outline:
Indonesia as an archipelago country experiences difficulties in regard to equality in education due to its geography. Lack of infrastructure leaves numerous areas isolated. Such isolation results in poor education quality to the students in remote areas. This poor quality ranges from the school infrastructure to education technology. Furthermore, the low-quality teachers also have been a concern. 94.8% of teachers in remote areas do not have a Bachelor’s degree, a legacy from the past when the teacher profession was not held in high esteem. Aging teachers and having the society respect the teaching profession, like in the United States, are issues debated in the country.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++

March 24, 4PM
Ksenia Maksimova
Title:
Students at Russian vs. American Colleges and Universities. Exploring the Process of Learning and Collaboration through a Cultural len
Outline:
Please join a discussion on interaction and collaboration among students from educational systems in two different countries, the U.S. and Russia. A comparison of the specifics of Russian and American mentalities, cultures, and styles of communication, will focus on Russian and American students’ collaboration styles. The discussion will present the facilitator’s own experience and perspective to engage attendants to share their feelings and impressions.

Link to Zoom recording:
https://minnstate.zoom.us/rec/play/SSbCnB49_5_UqBRBddfFiHTYzBH_-LpOU5FUR1CqhBku5MS_kdVnDUrQdMeZ3FdCkitJOuyy3emXwAee.ccWA8V-HUKpvy8lU?_x_zm_rhtaid=961&_x_zm_rtaid=sQpouEaZTuC50jhcJSSuyg.1616618414703.63cb97b97456ee2a61b76a01b451b117&autoplay=true&continueMode=true&startTime=1616619797000

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  • April 21, 4PM
    Aminata Phoray-Musa

Title:
Sierra Leone’s School System: Does the school culture represent the culture of the people

Outline:
Please join a discussion about the educational system and culture of a West African country, Sierra Leone. The discussion will seek a comparison of the country’s culture and school structure and values compared to the ones in the United States.

Metaverse for XR COP

Discussion on low-end AR (Metaverse)

  1. What is AR (how is it different from VR or MR)
    https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2019/03/25/peter-rubin-future-presence/
    p. 225
    “augmented reality: Bringing artificial objects into the real world-these can be as simple as a ” heads-up display,” like a speedometer project it onto your car’s windshield, or as complex as seen to be virtual creature woke across your real world leaving room, casting a realistic shadow on the floor”
    https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2018/11/07/can-xr-help-students-learn/
    p. 12
    Augmented reality provides an “overlay” of some type over the real world through
    the use of a headset or even a smartphone.
    There is no necessary distinction between AR and VR; indeed, much research
    on the subject is based on a conception of a “virtuality continuum” from entirely
    real to entirely virtual, where AR lies somewhere between those ends of the
    spectrum. Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino, “A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays,

Augmented Reality

 

 

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2018/10/17/vr-ar-learning-materials/

Augmented reality superimposes a digital layer on the world around us, often activated by scanning a trigger image or via GPS (think Pokemon Go!). Virtual reality takes users away from the real world, fully immersing students in a digital experience that replaces reality. Mixed reality takes augmented a step further by allowing the digital and real worlds to interact and the digital components to change based on the user’s environment.

  1. Low-end and hi-end AR
    1. Hi-end: Hololens, Google Glass, Apple Glass
      1. Unity-driven content
    2. Low-end: Metaverse
  2. What is Metaverse
        1. Metaverse studio
          https://studio.gometa.io/discover/me
        2. Metaverse app
          1. iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/metaverse-experience-browser/id1159155137
          2. Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gometa.metaverse&hl=en&gl=US
        3. Gamifying Library orientation using Metaverse:
          https://mtvrs.io/GenerousJubilantEeve
          (the gateway to the Library orientation project)
          Metaverse experience through the user’s phone:

    1. Student projects using Metaverse
      https://im690group.weebly.com/
      https://mtvrs.io/PreviousImpracticalNandu
    2. Behind the scene, or how does it work
      https://studio.gometa.io/discover/me/a0cc4490-85fb-41d8-849b-bf52ac3ecb70
      YouTube materials:
      https://youtu.be/jLRR6fKtfwY
      https://youtu.be/MLeZo7X5rnA
      https://youtu.be/g9kY41OcR0Y
  3. Discussion
    1. Low-end vs hi-end AR
      1. advantages
      2. disadvantages
    2. gamify learning content with Metaverse
      https://youtu.be/2lUrs3mJSHg
    3. Discuss the following statement:
      low-end AR (Metaverse), like low-end VR (360 degrees) has strong potential to introduce students, faculty and staff to immersive teaching and learning
  4. Alternatives
    1. Merge Cube: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/10/21/how-to-create-merge-cube/
    2. Aero, GamAR: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/12/04/augmented-reality-tools/

++++++++++++++++
more on Metavere in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=metaverse

Provost CTL

9 Reasons Why Your Next Provost Should Be a CTL Director

Rethinking the recruitment pool.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/9-reasons-why-your-next-provost-should-be-ctl-director

No. 1: Teaching and Learning Is What Colleges and Universities Do

No. 2: Institutional Resilience and Instructional Continuity

No. 3: The Alignment of Institutional Structures to Learning Science

No. 4: The Integrated CTL Model and Institutional Leadership

No. 5: The Prioritization of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

No. 6: Relationships With Faculty Colleagues

No. 7: Experience Leading Institutional Change Initiatives

No. 8: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

No. 9: The Strategic Shift to Blended and Online Learning

iLearn2020

YouTube Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSXLJGhI2D8&feature=youtu.be
and the Discord directions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GgI4dfq-iD85yJiyoyPApB33tIkRJRns1cJ8OpHAYno/editiLearn2020

Modest3D Guided Virtual Adventure – iLRN Conference 2020 – Session 1: currently, live session: https://youtu.be/GjxTPOFSGEM

https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu/media/Modest+3D/1_28ejh60g

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: GUIDED VIRTUAL ADVENTURE TOURS
at iLRN 2020: 6th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network
Organized in conjunction with Educators in VR
Technically co-sponsored by the IEEE Education Society
June 21-25, 2020, Online
Conference theme: “Vision 20/20: Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight in XR and Immersive Learning”
Conference website: https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimmersivelrn.org%2Filrn2020&data=02%7C01%7Cpmiltenoff%40STCLOUDSTATE.EDU%7C7a9997a1d6724744f7d708d7f52d9387%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637247448406614239&sdata=Jt%2BFUtP3Vs%2FQi1z9HCk9x8m%2B%2BRjkZ63qrcoZnFiUdaQ%3D&reserved=0
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Wednesday, June 24 • 12:00pm – 1:00pm

 Instruction and Instructional Design

Presentation 1: Inspiring Faculty (+ Students) with Tales of Immersive Tech (Practitioner Presentation #106)

Authors: Nicholas Smerker

Immersive technologies – 360º video, virtual and augmented realities – are being discussed in many corners of higher education. For an instructor who is familiar with the terms, at least in passing, learning more about why they and their students should care can be challenging, at best. In order to create a font of inspiration, the IMEX Lab team within Teaching and Learning with Technology at Penn State devised its Get Inspired web resource. Building on a similar repository for making technology stories at the sister Maker Commons website, the IMEX Lab Get Inspired landing page invites faculty to discover real world examples of how cutting edge XR tools are being used every day. In addition to very approachable video content and a short summary calling out why our team chose the story, there are also instructional designer-developed Assignment Ideas that allow for quick deployment of exercises related to – though not always relying upon – the technologies highlighted in a given Get Inspired story.

Presentation 2: Lessons Learned from Over A Decade of Designing and Teaching Immersive VR in Higher Education Online Courses (Practitioner Presentation #101)

Authors: Eileen Oconnor

This presentation overviews the design and instruction in immersive virtual reality environments created by the author beginning with Second Life and progressing to open source venues. It will highlight the diversity of VR environment developed, the challenges that were overcome, and the accomplishment of students who created their own VR environments for K12, college and corporate settings. The instruction and design materials created to enable this 100% online master’s program accomplishment will be shared; an institute launched in 2018 for emerging technology study will be noted.

Presentation 3: Virtual Reality Student Teaching Experience: A Live, Remote Option for Learning Teaching Skills During Campus Closure and Social Distancing (Practitioner Presentation #110)

Authors: Becky Lane, Christine Havens-Hafer, Catherine Fiore, Brianna Mutsindashyaka and Lauren Suna

Summary: During the Coronavirus pandemic, Ithaca College teacher education majors needed a classroom of students in order to practice teaching and receive feedback, but the campus was closed, and gatherings forbidden. Students were unable to participate in live practice teaching required for their program. We developed a virtual reality pilot project to allow students to experiment in two third-party social VR programs, AltSpaceVR and Rumii. Social VR platforms allow a live, embodied experience that mimics in-person events to give students a more realistic, robust and synchronous teaching practice opportunity. We documented the process and lessons learned to inform, develop and scale next generation efforts.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tuesday, June 23 • 5:00pm – 6:00pm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sunday, June 21 • 8:00am – 9:00am
Escape the (Class)room games in OpenSim or Second Life FULLhttps://ilrn2020.sched.com/event/ceKP/escape-the-classroom-games-in-opensim-or-second-lifePre-registration for this tour is required as places are limited. Joining instructions will be emailed to registrants ahead of the scheduled tour time.The Guided Virtual Adventure tour will take you to EduNation in Second Life to experience an Escape room game. For one hour, a group of participants engage in voice communication and try to solve puzzles, riddles or conundrums and follow clues to eventually escape the space. These scenarios are designed for problem solving and negotiating language and are ideal for language education. They are fun and exciting and the clock ticking adds to game play.Tour guide(s)/leader(s): Philp Heike, let’s talk online sprl, Belgium

Target audience sector: Informal and/or lifelong learning

Supported devices: Desktop/laptop – Windows, Desktop/laptop – Mac

Platform/environment access: Download from a website and install on a desktop/laptop computer
Official website: http://www.secondlife.com

+++++++++++++++++++

Thursday, June 25 • 9:00am – 10:00am

Games and Gamification II

Click here to remove from My Sched.

Presentation 1: Evaluating the impact of multimodal Collaborative Virtual Environments on user’s spatial knowledge and experience of gamified educational tasks (Full Paper #91)

Authors: Ioannis Doumanis and Daphne Economou

>>Access Video Presentation<<

Several research projects in spatial cognition have suggested Virtual Environments (VEs) as an effective way of facilitating mental map development of a physical space. In the study reported in this paper, we evaluated the effectiveness of multimodal real-time interaction in distilling understanding of the VE after completing gamified educational tasks. We also measure the impact of these design elements on the user’s experience of educational tasks. The VE used reassembles an art gallery and it was built using REVERIE (Real and Virtual Engagement In Realistic Immersive Environment) a framework designed to enable multimodal communication on the Web. We compared the impact of REVERIE VG with an educational platform called Edu-Simulation for the same gamified educational tasks. We found that the multimodal VE had no impact on the ability of students to retain a mental model of the virtual space. However, we also found that students thought that it was easier to build a mental map of the virtual space in REVERIE VG. This means that using a multimodal CVE in a gamified educational experience does not benefit spatial performance, but also it does not cause distraction. The paper ends with future work and conclusions and suggestions for improving mental map construction and user experience in multimodal CVEs.

Presentation 2: A case study on student’s perception of the virtual game supported collaborative learning (Full Paper #42)

Authors: Xiuli Huang, Juhou He and Hongyan Wang

>>Access Video Presentation<<

The English education course in China aims to help students establish the English skills to enhance their international competitiveness. However, in traditional English classes, students often lack the linguistic environment to apply the English skills they learned in their textbook. Virtual reality (VR) technology can set up an immersive English language environment and then promote the learners to use English by presenting different collaborative communication tasks. In this paper, spherical video-based virtual reality technology was applied to build a linguistic environment and a collaborative learning strategy was adopted to promote their communication. Additionally, a mixed-methods research approach was used to analyze students’ achievement between a traditional classroom and a virtual reality supported collaborative classroom and their perception towards the two approaches. The experimental results revealed that the virtual reality supported collaborative classroom was able to enhance the students’ achievement. Moreover, by analyzing the interview, students’ attitudes towards the virtual reality supported collaborative class were reported and the use of language learning strategies in virtual reality supported collaborative class was represented. These findings could be valuable references for those who intend to create opportunities for students to collaborate and communicate in the target language in their classroom and then improve their language skills

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, June 25 • 11:00am – 12:00pm

 Games and Gamification III

Click here to remove from My Sched.

Presentation 1: Reducing Cognitive Load through the Worked Example Effect within a Serious Game Environment (Full Paper #19)

Authors: Bernadette Spieler, Naomi Pfaff and Wolfgang Slany

>>Access Video Presentation<<

Novices often struggle to represent problems mentally; the unfamiliar process can exhaust their cognitive resources, creating frustration that deters them from learning. By improving novices’ mental representation of problems, worked examples improve both problem-solving skills and transfer performance. Programming requires both skills. In programming, it is not sufficient to simply understand how Stackoverflow examples work; programmers have to be able to adapt the principles and apply them to their own programs. This paper shows evidence in support of the theory that worked examples are the most efficient mode of instruction for novices. In the present study, 42 students were asked to solve the tutorial The Magic Word, a game especially for girls created with the Catrobat programming environment. While the experimental group was presented with a series of worked examples of code, the control groups were instructed through theoretical text examples. The final task was a transfer question. While the average score was not significantly better in the worked example condition, the fact that participants in this experimental group finished significantly faster than the control group suggests that their overall performance was better than that of their counterparts.

Presentation 2: A literature review of e-government services with gamification elements (Full Paper #56)

Authors: Ruth S. Contreras-Espinosa and Alejandro Blanco-M

>>Access Video Presentation<<

Nowadays several democracies are facing the growing problem of a breach in communication between its citizens and their political representatives, resulting in low citizen’s engagement in the participation of political decision making and on public consultations. Therefore, it is fundamental to generate a constructive relationship between both public administration and the citizens by solving its needs. This document contains a useful literature review of the gamification topic and e-government services. The documents contain a background of those concepts and conduct a selection and analysis of the different applications found. A set of three lines of research gaps are found with a potential impact on future studies.

++++++++++++++++++
Thursday, June 25 • 12:00pm – 1:00pm

 Museums and Libraries

Click here to remove from My Sched.

Presentation 1: Connecting User Experience to Learning in an Evaluation of an Immersive, Interactive, Multimodal Augmented Reality Virtual Diorama in a Natural History Museum & the Importance of Story (Full Paper #51)

Authors: Maria Harrington

>>Access Video Presentation<<

Reported are the findings of user experience and learning outcomes from a July 2019 study of an immersive, interactive, multimodal augmented reality (AR) application, used in the context of a museum. The AR Perpetual Garden App is unique in creating an immersive multisensory experience of data. It allowed scientifically naïve visitors to walk into a virtual diorama constructed as a data visualization of a springtime woodland understory, and interact with multimodal information directly through their senses. The user interface comprised of two different AR data visualization scenarios reinforced with data based ambient bioacoustics, an audio story of the curator’s narrative, and interactive access to plant facts. While actual learning and dwell times were the same between the AR app and the control condition, the AR experience received higher ratings on perceived learning. The AR interface design features of “Story” and “Plant Info” showed significant correlations with actual learning outcomes, while “Ease of Use” and “3D Plants” showed significant correlations with perceived learning. As such, designers and developers of AR apps can generalize these findings to inform future designs.

Presentation 2: The Naturalist’s Workshop: Virtual Reality Interaction with a Natural Science Educational Collection (Short Paper #11)

Authors: Colin Patrick Keenan, Cynthia Lincoln, Adam Rogers, Victoria Gerson, Jack Wingo, Mikhael Vasquez-Kool and Richard L. Blanton

>>Access Video Presentation<<

For experiential educators who utilize or maintain physical collections, The Naturalist’s Workshop is an exemplar virtual reality platform to interact with digitized collections in an intuitive and playful way. The Naturalist’s Workshop is a purpose-developed application for the Oculus Quest standalone virtual reality headset for use by museum visitors on the floor of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences under the supervision of a volunteer attendant. Within the application, museum visitors are seated at a virtual desk. Using their hand controllers and head-mounted display, they explore drawers containing botanical specimens and tools-of-the-trade of a naturalist. While exploring, the participant can receive new information about any specimen by dropping it into a virtual examination tray. 360-degree photography and three-dimensionally scanned specimens are used to allow user-motivated, immersive experience of botanical meta-data such as specimen collection coordinates.

Presentation 3: 360˚ Videos: Entry level Immersive Media for Libraries and Education (Practitioner Presentation #132)

Authors: Diane Michaud

>>Access Video Presentation<<

Within the continuum of XR Technologies, 360˚ videos are relatively easy to produce and need only an inexpensive mobile VR viewer to provide a sense of immersion. 360˚ videos present an opportunity to reveal “behind the scenes” spaces that are normally inaccessible to users of academic libraries. This can promote engagement with unique special collections and specific library services. In December 2019, with little previous experience, I led the production of a short 360˚video tour, a walk-through of our institution’s archives. This was a first attempt; there are plans to transform it into a more interactive, user-driven exploration. The beta version successfully generated interest, but the enhanced version will also help prepare uninitiated users for the process of examining unique archival documents and artefacts. This presentation will cover the lessons learned, and what we would do differently for our next immersive video production. Additionally, I will propose that the medium of 360˚ video is ideal for many institutions’ current or recent predicament with campuses shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online or immersive 360˚ video can be used for virtual tours of libraries and/or other campus spaces. Virtual tours would retain their value beyond current campus shutdowns as there will always be prospective students and families who cannot easily make a trip to campus. These virtual tours would provide a welcome alternative as they eliminate the financial burden of travel and can be taken at any time.

++++++++++++++++++

Higher ed trends 2020 educause

Higher Education’s 2020 Trend Watch & Top 10 Strategic Technologies

D. Christopher Brooks  Mark McCormack  Ben Shulman Monday, January 27, 2020

https://library.educause.edu/resources/2020/1/higher-educations-2020-trend-watch-and-top-10-strategic-technologies

https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/higher-education-trend-watch-and-top-10-strategic-technologies/2020/introduction

Top 10 Strategic Technologies

    1. Uses of APIs
    2. Institutional support for accessibility technologies
    3. Blended data center (on premises and cloud based)
    4. Incorporation of mobile devices in teaching and learning
    5. Open educational resources

Technologies for improving analysis of student data

    1. Security analytics
    2. Integrated student success planning and advising systems
    3. Mobile apps for enterprise applications
    4. Predictive analytics for student success (institutional level)

At least 35% of institutions are tracking these five technologies in 2020: Support for 5G; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax, AX Wi-Fi); Identity as a Service (IDaaS); Digital microcredentials (including badging); Uses of the Internet of Things for teaching and learning; and Next-generation digital learning environment

++++++++++
more on educause in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=educause

cheating higher ed

https://go.edsurge.com/EdSurge-Live-How-to-Protect-Academic-Integrity-From-a-Cheating-Economy.html

Educators are in an arms race these days against an industry that seeks to profit by helping students cheat. Some websites offer to write papers for students, others sell access to past tests by individual professors, and others will even take entire online courses for students, as a kind of study double.

January 28, 3PM Live: How to Protect Academic Integrity From a ‘Cheating Economy.’ We’ll see you on Tuesday, January 28 at 1pm PT/4pm ET at this Zoom link or with the Meeting ID: 655-009-467.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-01-23-how-the-contract-cheating-industry-has-gotten-more-aggressive-in-recruiting-students

Webinar:

question to Tricia: the aggressiveness of the Websites. radio silence by governments, universities.

is there a data on contract cheating: data from Australia, UK. 7 Mil students worldwide engaged in contsure

punitive vs preventive practices.
students being educated for that matter faculty.
stakeholders: students, faculty (accreditation), parents, administration. what the forces in place to keep in check the administration/
how does the education happen in a world where the grade is the king and the credit is the queen?
If i organize a workshop on cheating noone attends; overworked

not magic bullet. more communication and awareness. teaching and learning issue. in the business of certifying. integrity is essential to the certification program and teaching and learning, otherwise it cannot be graded. lost from the core mission.

clear and better policies: what is the role of the faculty in the process. when teaching and learning is not sufficient and needs to move to allegations.

Instructional designer: online is easier to cheat.

++++++++++

How the ‘Contract Cheating’ Industry Has Gotten More Aggressive in Recruiting Students

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-01-23-how-the-contract-cheating-industry-has-gotten-more-aggressive-in-recruiting-students

++++++++++++

What Colleges Are Doing to Fight the ‘Contract Cheating’ Industry

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-01-30-what-colleges-are-doing-to-fight-the-contract-cheating-industry

+++++++++
more on cheating in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cheating

EdTech Innovation Chase

EdTech Innovation Chase

https://commons.hostos.cuny.edu/achievements/

[BLEND-ONLINE] Online Technology Training for Staff

Carlos Guevara
Director, Office of Educational Technology
Co-Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
Office of Academic Affairs
Hostos Community College, CUNY
p. 718-319-7915
a. 500 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451

+++++++++
more on faculty development in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=faculty+development

synchronous vs asynchronous

My Note: synchronous vs asynchronous; Adobe Connect vs Zoom. Also Flipgrid for asynchronous videochats.

From: EDUCAUSE Listserv <BLEND-ONLINE@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU> on behalf of Celine Greene <celine.greene@JHU.EDU>
Reply-To: EDUCAUSE Listserv <BLEND-ONLINE@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 2:38 PM
To: EDUCAUSE Listserv <BLEND-ONLINE@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU>
Subject: [BLEND-ONLINE] Advice for Synchronous Online Classes Using Zoom Meetings?

Our school is transitioning from using Adobe Connect to using Zoom Meetings for synchronous online class sessions, of which most of our online courses schedule at least a few times each term. So after years of “controlling the user experience” with the Adobe Connect layouts and relying primarily on text chat, we are heading in the direction of screen sharing with the enhanced social and community-building experience of video “taking over” chat. Some people are very excited about this move, given the popularity and ease-of-use of the Zoom platforms. Other people are a little more wary – especially when it comes to large (e.g., 40 to 200+ students) classes.

Please share your thoughts and experiences on what faculty and students should be aware of when using Zoom Meetings (not the webinar) for a synchronous class session. Here’s some of the things I was curious about…

  • Do you have a set of “instructions” or recommendations for students — e.g. so they see the chat as it happens?
  • Are there any best practices in terms of meetings set-up that you recommend for your faculty? (Mute participants upon entry, always show meeting control bar, etc.)
  • Have there been some scenarios that have been fantastic or some that have been horrible for using Zoom?
  • Is there a class size where the number of participants starts negatively impacting the learning opportunity? (i.e., I realize Breakout rooms are an option but also not appropriate for all situations, such as having a guest speaker come in to have an interactive Q & A or having a software demonstration.)
  • Are there any major “fails” you’ve learned from or, alternately, success stories?
  • Are your students required to have Zoom accounts?
  • Do you have a method for tracking attendance?

Thanks for your input!  – celine  Celine Greene  Instructional Technologist  Center for Teaching and Learning, JHSPH http://ctl.jhsph.edu

+++++++++
more on synchronous learning environments
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=synchronous

1 20 21 22 23 24 47