Synchronous Learning Strategies

C. Candace ChouUniversity of St. Thomas

Oct. 13, 2010

Types of Videoconferencing

• Web conferencing• Web seminars• eLearning• Individuals and small

groups

Web Conferencing

• Project management & collaboration• Conference presentation & participation

Web Seminar• Class lectures• Guest speakers• Remote students participating f2f classroom• Example: http://collaborate.stthomas.edu/p12033025/• http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro/w

ebconferencing/marketingsales.html

eLearning• Pre-recorded lectures• Examples:• https://collaborate.stthomas.edu/p24159363/• How do executives really evaluate distance training

Individuals and Small Groups

• Meet live with students and share each other’s computer screens

• Collaborate through whiteboard• Capture interactivities via chat windows and

video-recording• Share and exchanges files• Computer application demonstrations and

practice

Make It Active• Polling• Chat• White board• Audio (conversation

with participants)• Icons (status indicator)• Breakout rooms• Application sharing

Preparations

• Conference call• Train the trainer• Dress rehearsals

Warm-up Activities

• Give students a quick orientation of the room– Show status– Send chats – Test the microphone – Use the whiteboard

Four Types of Interaction

• Demographic Interactions• Behavior Interactions (what participants have

doen, are doing, or will do)• Attitude Interactions (perception on certain

issues)• Knowledge Interaction (pre-test as lesson

lead-ins to activate prior knowledge or assess entry knowledge)

Check List• Test your audio and video with a partner or on two

computers• Learn how to change status of students (in case you

want them to speak)• Know how to resize and position all pods • Learn how to share documents from desktop and

make them visible to students • Upload PowerPoint to a share pod • When encountering echo, check the following areas:

– Make sure no duplicated names in the attendee list – Run audio setup wizard– Logout and restart the browser– Have speakers hold down the “talk” button to talk

Check List 2

• When seeing multiple names of same person, ask them to quit the browser, not just logout of Adobe Connect, and then login back to the meeting room.

• Record the session for people who missed the session and learn how to retrieve the recording

• Create breakout sessions for small group discussion and assign students to break out rooms

Practice Room

• http://collaborate.stthomas.edu/LHDT

References• Brandon, B. (Ed.). (2008). 144 Tips on synchronous E-

Learning: Strategy+Research. Santa Rosa, CA: eLearning Guild. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.1025 .

• Brandon, B. (Ed.). (2007). The eLearning Guild’s handbook of e-Learning strategy. Santa Rosa, CA: eLearning Guild. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.817

• Clark, R. C., & Kwinn, A. (2007). The new virtual classroom; evidence-based guidelines for synchronous e-learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.