Running a Synchronous session for students can be a daunting task. Planning can go along way in making a session run smoothly. Prior to the session draft a timeline for the session. Have all presentation materials available for the session. If a presentation is inappropriate you may want to share an illustration that shows the intended learning objectives. In your timeline your be sure to provide opportunities for students to engage with you and each other. Use the outline to guide your session. Using the chat and screen share feature can quickly share content. Links to Google Drive items are easy to share in the chat box. Consider giving the students a simple task if you need to make any technical transitions, it could be a question in the chat box or a reflection on an assignment. Using groups in your sessions can break things up, consider this in choosing your synchronous session tools.
Above all relax. Being in an online synchronous session is fundamentally not that different than being together in a classroom. Missteps happen and items need to be retaught and students guided.
Synchronous learning simply means that learners are engaged in learning at the same time. In today's world that could mean via traditional classroom methods or in an online environment. While a Synchronous online environment might be new to some, it has capabilities to continue learning when the traditional classroom setting is impossible or not desired.
Asynchronous learning happens on the learners schedule often with deadlines. Self guided modules, vidoes, recorded lectures are all forms of Asynchronous learning.
The university added an easy to use website for COVID-19 Resources. Although it contains many of the resources provided on this blog, thought it should be shared.
Already use and love VoiceThread for your course? These workshops can help you do more with VT!
*** These workshops are sponsored by VoiceThread and not GW or the Instructional Technology Lab(ITL)***
Humanize Your Online Course with VoiceThread March 3 at 7:00pm ET - Register here
Creating engaging online courses is not easy. In many text-heavy courses, students feel isolated and disconnected from their instructors and classmates. VoiceThread bridges the gaps in social presence typically found in online courses. In this workshop, educators will learn how to establish a social presence and connect with their students using VoiceThread to improve course satisfaction and student learning.
VoiceThread and Storytelling
March 10 at 7:00pm ET - Register here
Most cognitive scientists agree that storytelling is a great way to help your message stick in the minds of an audience. Our minds are fine-tuned to remember information shared within a narrative structure, not a broadcast lecture. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use VoiceThread to create engaging stories with their students.
Using VoiceThread for Student Portfolios
March 24 at 7:00pm ET - Register here
If you are interested in learning how to use VoiceThread as a portfolio tool to showcase student work or to provide feedback for their work in progress, we can help. In this workshop, we will showcase a variety of student portfolio examples and collaborate on a shared brainstorm discussion.
About the Workshops
These workshops are completely free. The sessions are led by our instructional designer and online educator George Haines. George will share his expertise to help you get the most from VoiceThread.
One spring afternoon, I heard a knock on my door. It was my 10 year old neighbor wanting to show me the latest gymnastics move she just perfected. As I watched her tumble and fly into the air, I asked her “How did you learn how to do that?” (also thinking if I tried it I would be plenty sore). Her reply, “YouTube”, as she went back to her Ipad that was sitting on the porch steps. It doesn’t take a 10 year old watching a video to know that videos have become a big part of our lives and way of learning. How can we leverage videos for learning in online courses? Why should we?
Videos are an easy choice for many reasons. Visual stimulation grabs student attention and students tend to respond better when text is combined with video. Videos can provide an alternative approach for students who are having difficulty with abstract concepts. The convenience of videos is a plus for many learners, they can view it on a phone, tablet, or computer. Videos give them the ability to quickly start and stop to complete integrated activities or just if life gets in the way. With the development of YouTube and other platforms, there is a growing amount of freely available, high quality videos on a range of topics.
You can record your own videos with the use of phones, tablets and low cost cameras. Free editing software allows you to cut and adjust the video for your specific needs.
Having students respond in video is a powerful way to engage students and build a community of learners. Tools like FlipGrid, Padlet and Voice Thread can make discussions more engaging. Tools like ThingLink, Adobe Spark and other video creation tools allow you to use static pictures to create engaging video content and allows your students to do the same. You can even create animated videos that showcase your content with free applications such as PowToon, Biteable and Animaker.
Need help selecting, finding or creating engaging video content for your course. Schedule a meeting with Lisa, GSEHD’s Instructional Designer. We’ll work on a solution for adding engagement to your course.
Adapted from: “Strengths and Weaknesses of Using Educational Video.” Strengths and Weaknesses of Using Educational Video | Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning, ciel.viu.ca/learning-technologies-innovation/developing-using-media-content/creating-audio-video/strengths-and-weaknesses-using-educational-video
With the cold rains among us it is a good time to curl up with a great video. Using video in your course can increase student engagement. This month's edition of Design for Online will show you how. First learn more about what makes videos so great.
Next, get some tips for selecting the best videos for your courses. Then learn more about the options that can make those videos accessible for all learners Also in this edition, learn more about the trainings being offered to assist you in your online course. In this edition, be a part of the fun! Take a survey to decide what topics will be covered in future editions of Design for Online.
Running a Synchronous session for students can be a daunting task. Planning can go along way in making a session run smoothly. Prior to the session draft a timeline for the session. Have all presentation materials available for the session. If a presentation is inappropriate you may want to share an illustration that shows the intended learning objectives. In your timeline your be sure to provide opportunities for students to engage with you and each other. Use the outline to guide your session. Using the chat and screen share feature can quickly share content. Links to Google Drive items are easy to share in the chat box. Consider giving the students a simple task if you need to make any technical transitions, it could be a question in the chat box or a reflection on an assignment. Using groups in your sessions can break things up, consider this in choosing your synchronous session tools.
