Multi-person screens magnify this exhausting problem. Gallery view—where all meeting participants appear Brady Bunch-style—challenges the brain’s central vision, forcing it to decode so many people at once that no one comes through meaningfully, not even the speaker.
group video chats become less collaborative and more like siloed panels, in which only two people at a time talk while the rest listen. Because each participant is using one audio stream and is aware of all the other voices, parallel conversations are impossible.
By contrast, the sudden shift to video calls has been a boon for people who have neurological difficulty with in-person exchanges, such as those with autism who can become overwhelmed by multiple people talking.
If you’re feeling self-conscious or overstimulated, Normand recommends you turn off your camera. Save your energy for when you absolutely want to perceive the few non-verbal cues that do come through, such as during the taxing chats with people you don’t know very well, or for when you want the warm fuzzies you get from seeing someone you love. Or if it’s a work meeting that can be done by phone, try walking at the same time.
Discussion at faculty Facebook group regarding the syllabus directions for students’ work in online class:
how many hours of regular student work do you think is appropriate to expect from students for an online course of this nature? The class would normally have 3 hours of in-class instruction.
Higher education in fall 2020: three pandemic scenarios.
As I close up my semester, I’ve had many chats with students as we think about Fall 2020 &beyond. This post by @BryanAlexander pulls together the best glimpse of what “next” may look like for us.https://t.co/Z6AZxXTJ8U
Determine if a breakout room activity will be the most effective use of your live session time given the purposes of the course and the learning styles of the students in your section.
Consider the amount and size of the breakout groups. For most breakout activities, we recommend that you have 2-5 students in each group to ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute. Depending on the number of key concepts and size of your live session, it may make sense to have more than 1 group doing the same activity.
Providing instructions to students is important for a successful breakout session. There are several different instruction delivery methods.
Firstly, we need to resolve the so-called digital divide
Secondly, this will mean that teachers must reconsider all their methodologies and prepare them for this new, blended learning environment.
Thirdly, institutions, both educational and normative, must understand that, in this new context, some ways of teaching no longer make sense.
Online teaching will not consist of turning a handle while students learn on their own. On the contrary: it will require teachers to engage more than ever, who will spend many hours in forums moderating conversations and opening new threads.
