As a group share your favourite synchronous meeting 'horror story'. Describe a meeting from hell. Think of the advice offered by Fogelberg and Tavanyar. What was wrong with the meeting and how might it have been improved? Make sure you post and then reply to at least two of your peers' contributions.
Synchronous meeting horror stories
I was teaching online (synchronous) a small number of students. They had all logged in and taught without involving them, a lecture method. Something came up and i had to excuse myself for a few minutes. I tried to reach out to them and no one was responding! I realized that i was teaching myself! It was wrong to teach for long without confirming the participation of the students. I should have involved the students more by posing questions here and there and even calling them by their names. I should have also chunked my presentation into smaller portions.
In reply to Dr. Morris M. Mwatu
Re: Synchronous meeting horror stories
Dear Dr. Morris,
Thank you for sharing that awkward moment that happened to you when teaching online. Here are some tips to consider:
i) In a relatively small class, you can have a quick rollcall. Keep referring to the
students by name
ii) In encouraging discourse amongst students – do not be the only one talking.
Regards,
Barbara Khavugwi
Thank you for sharing that awkward moment that happened to you when teaching online. Here are some tips to consider:
i) In a relatively small class, you can have a quick rollcall. Keep referring to the
students by name
ii) In encouraging discourse amongst students – do not be the only one talking.
Regards,
Barbara Khavugwi
Perfect and classical example Dr. Mwatu.
It is very disturbing to realize as a lecturer you are talking to yourself because students are not attentive or logged in but left for other activities at the expense of learning. They can also be compelled to turn on the cameras on to ensure they remain in the lecture room as you keep engaging them one student after the other.
It is very disturbing to realize as a lecturer you are talking to yourself because students are not attentive or logged in but left for other activities at the expense of learning. They can also be compelled to turn on the cameras on to ensure they remain in the lecture room as you keep engaging them one student after the other.
Described it very well Dr. I have noticed too that with online teaching, most learners opt out the moment they stop hearing the facilitator! Sometimes you try to engage them by posing questions or calling them by their names but most 'pretend' they have network issues.
Online teaching can be problematic sometimes if the facilitator and students are not well engaged
As a lecturer, i will use the day to day in trying to teach online a group of about 60 students. A link was shared in advance before the start of the lecture. The students logged in on time and the lecture commenced. In the course of the lecture, you could hear 'utensils falling on the floor' - an indicator that they are in the kitchen; at some point 'people laughing in the background' - an indicator the student is in a noisy place. It came to me that some students did not give the lecture the seriousness it deserves hence never minded about their learning environment. As a lecturer, i should have ensured that all the mics (check on the control settings) are muted as students join the lecture and could only unmute when asked to respond or contribute to the topic hence avoid the disruptions experienced. In addition, the students should been instructed that they put video cameras on at the start of the lecture, this would have compelled them to get an appealing and conducive learning environment for the lecture in advance.
In reply to Albert Wanjala Mwongula
Re: Synchronous meeting horror stories
Albert, thank you for clearly bringing to light the 'man made disruption of an online class'. The other way of enhancing concentration in an online class is by use of interactive engagements. This can be done by allocating task to participants that require them share their screens as part of their response.
In reply to Dr Peninah Tanui Melly
Re: Synchronous meeting horror stories
Dear Dr. Peninah,
As indicated, Interactive engagement is very important. Here are more tips to consider in class-management during synchronous sessions:
1. Choose to focus by reducing all distractions (switch off your phone notifications, etc)
2. Encourage active participation in the class. In small classes make sure every single student has spoken during the session. In larger classes always prepare breakout rooms where everyone participates.
3. Lecturer and students should always have a separate notebook to take notes.
4. Be cautious of any sounds that may come from use of gadgets that could interfere with the session. For example the (clicking sound of a desktop computer keyboard, dogs barking in the background, etc
5. Use functions such as the chat, poll, collaborative whiteboard, Q&As to keep the students engaged.
As indicated, Interactive engagement is very important. Here are more tips to consider in class-management during synchronous sessions:
1. Choose to focus by reducing all distractions (switch off your phone notifications, etc)
2. Encourage active participation in the class. In small classes make sure every single student has spoken during the session. In larger classes always prepare breakout rooms where everyone participates.
3. Lecturer and students should always have a separate notebook to take notes.
4. Be cautious of any sounds that may come from use of gadgets that could interfere with the session. For example the (clicking sound of a desktop computer keyboard, dogs barking in the background, etc
5. Use functions such as the chat, poll, collaborative whiteboard, Q&As to keep the students engaged.
In reply to Barbara Khavugwi Makhaya
Re: Synchronous meeting horror stories
Precise and well put on how to manage a class by Barbara
This is quite true Albert and discouraging knowing that you have just muted people who are laughing in the background as you teach
Sure Albert. A kick off session where ground rule are set would have managed the situations. It is however not a new experience, even for the most experienced facilition, once in a while, when unmuted and responding to a question, once phone can ring and cause interferences to the online activities. This is so since we use certain customized ringtones that have certain information that may cause disruptions and divert attention of the participants. It may be offensive to the other participants.
True Kelvin,
Setting guiding rules will allow a condusive learning environment to prevail for the students
Setting guiding rules will allow a condusive learning environment to prevail for the students
One day, was teaching a certain course online. During this session, I was not able to monitor the chat discussion. While reading the chats during the last break session for an interactive engagement, I found out that 10 participants wanted to be guided on how to make a ‘hands up request’. It was too late! This issue might have been improved if there is a 'producer' or back channel manager to monitor the chat discussion that runs in parallel to main presentation.
Yes Dr. its important that one has a "backstage" backup to help you see what you are unable to see and anticipate
Indeed, in such situations, where possible, a backstage manager or producer is important. But learning to multitask is also equally possible as a way of checking on the online presence of the participants.
Dear Team,
Zoom Bombing is one of those awkward moments that can happen to your synchronous session. This is when unfamiliar users show up and hijack the session by saying or showing things that are lewd, obscene, or racist in nature.
How can you deal with this situation:
1. Ensure that you check the settings on the platform you are using so that you as the host have rights to invite participants and can remove participants you deem to be distractive to the group.
2. Enable the virtual waiting room
3. Require meeting ID and password
4. Ensure that you are the punctual arriving some time before the session so that you can invite participants.
5. Students must always to use their real names rather than pseudo names
6. Students and lecturer to use real profile photos rather than avators
7. Depending on the platform, disable any settings that may cause trouble. Settings that allow screen and file sharing should be disabled by default and require your permission.
8. Do not allow removed participants to come back without your consent.
Regards,
Barbara
Zoom Bombing is one of those awkward moments that can happen to your synchronous session. This is when unfamiliar users show up and hijack the session by saying or showing things that are lewd, obscene, or racist in nature.
How can you deal with this situation:
1. Ensure that you check the settings on the platform you are using so that you as the host have rights to invite participants and can remove participants you deem to be distractive to the group.
2. Enable the virtual waiting room
3. Require meeting ID and password
4. Ensure that you are the punctual arriving some time before the session so that you can invite participants.
5. Students must always to use their real names rather than pseudo names
6. Students and lecturer to use real profile photos rather than avators
7. Depending on the platform, disable any settings that may cause trouble. Settings that allow screen and file sharing should be disabled by default and require your permission.
8. Do not allow removed participants to come back without your consent.
Regards,
Barbara
A sad day it was for me, having been active for the first 30 minutes of teaching, with incessants backgrounds noises from participants gadgets, and would frequently mute and unmute the students to have them communicate and respond to questions for interactions. This is because of the failure to set the ground rule of communication during th kick off of the sessions. Eventually, i had muted myself and taught for almost 40 minutes, without noticing, only later to check messages and learn that i had been addressing myself for 40 minutes. It was a very akward moment for me as a facilitator even though it was at the onset of learning how to use the online platform for teaching.
It was sad indeed.
During an online class of mature students, we begun the lesson well after the welcoming remarks, the students had muted their micros as well as turned off their cams, 30minutes of teaching, I asked a question to find out if students were following the discussion, to my surprise no one answered. Checking the chat section I noted comments of not being audible. I should have allowed the mature students to turn on their cams and check my audio before I continued with the lecture.