Learning to Love Synchronous Learning (and Teaching)

By Matt Metcalf, Instructor and Historic Preservation Coordinator

Synchronous online courses made a splash about a decade ago when they were used for MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). People around the world would join a renowned professor to talk about abstract topics in everything from science to philosophy!

Since then, colleges across the country have been developing these “live streamed” courses for their students. This includes Bucks! For several years, instructors have been using live streams via Zoom for hybrid course meetings or special projects. Last fall, BCCC offered its first full-semester completely online synchronous course. Now, thanks to the COVID-19, it is here for everyone. Ready or not!

This approach may be new for most instructors, but it is not as intimidating as it may initially feel. And the ability to reach students at a distance with a quasi face-to-face experience, particularly during this emergency, may be exactly what students need to finish the semester successfully. It is not a perfect arrangement, certainly, but this can be a powerful opportunity for innovation in both teaching and learning- if you’re willing to give it a go.

Please be sure to reference the materials shared by Bucks Online for technology specifics (also available through your dean). I am also glad to help anyone who would like an extra hand or someone to brainstorm with (matthew.metcalf@bucks.edu). But if you’re new to this, I wanted to share my Top 12 tips for “newbies” to the synchronous learning environment. Remember: you got this!

Use a computer. While students can connect to the course via their mobile device, you cannot. Teaching synchronously requires utilizing a variety of tools (Powerpoint and/or a web browser and/or a whiteboard in Zoom, etc.) similar to what strong instructors deploy in the face-to-face environment. Keep it simple by choosing a computer you are familiar with and that has up-to-date software (time to ditch Windows 7!).

To see if your computer needs to be updated, type “updates” in the search bar and click the “Check for Updates” option.

To see if your Google Chrome web browser (recommended by Zoom) needs to be updated, look in the upper right corner of the browser window. If you see three vertical dots, you should be good to go! If you see a red arrow, click it to update.

Have a good internet connection. We might fantasize about being able to conduct a course from our grass hut in Bimini, but we are not quite there yet! You need a high-speed connection to make synchronous learning work. Without it, you will be garbled, dropped, or delayed (which will make you look like the star of a poorly-translated foreign film). A typical cable-connection to the internet (e.g. xfinity or Verizon) should be fine. You cannot use LTE; a “hot spot” might be iffy. Make sure no one else in your household or location is using large amounts of data! No streaming movies or uploading large documents while you are teaching.
Log on a bit early. Computers get funky- and even if you “think” everything will be fine with the technology, don’t count on it. Being ahead of the curve rather than behind enables a better user experience for the student- and will make you feel more on top of this new technology. Remember: there is a download the first time you use Zoom on a computer!
Keep your desktop presentable. You may choose to “share your screen”- which means students can see everything you have on your desktop! It’s one thing to have pictures from last summer’s vacation to Aunt Margaret’s house, but you do not want personal information (e.g. your credit card bill) or any student information (e.g. a document labelled “Jane Doe’s Accommodations”) visible.
Open materials/programs prior to the start of class. Streaming can eat up your computer’s speed/efficiency, so having what you need at-the-ready is helpful. BEFORE you open Zoom or TokBird, open any Powerpoints, videos, images, or web sites you plan to use that day. Close any programs and/or browser tabs you will not be using for that session.
Manage background distractions in advance. Do you intend your dog/child/spouse/mailman/Amazon delivery person, etc. to feature prominently in your class that day? If not, you need to arrange your environment to ensure minimal distraction. This might mean sending your spouse and child to the park, closing Fluffy away upstairs, turning off your phone, and/or putting a note on the bell to leave packages at the door. Plan ahead!
Practice ahead of time. There is no shame in firing up the technology and playing with it. Use your Canvas sandbox. Another time to do it: office hours. The college still expects us to maintain regular office hours for students, so why not experiment with the technology while waiting for someone to show up?
Use the tools! Don’t be afraid to experiment with the tools available. Two of my favorites: breakout rooms and annotation.

Breakout Rooms allow students to work together digitally! It’s just like making groups in the classroom. If you set the timer, everyone will return to the main room at the same time! You can also click on each room to visit students and see how/what they are doing. The tool is at the bottom of the page.

Annotate allows you to mark on whatever you are sharing with the class. You can mark on a web page, on a picture, on a Powerpoint, etc. Then you can click clear (garbage can icon) before moving on. (Access through Share Screen at the bottom of the page)

Structure your course appropriately. Though synchronous learning simulates the face-to-face experience, students will have many more distractions than in a traditional classroom. It is also more difficult to hold them accountable. If you plan to lecture as you normally would for a straight 75 (or God forbid 150) minutes, this will be miserable for them- and their knowledge retention will plummet. I would encourage you to change it up every 15-20 minutes: show a brief video clip, have someone else lead the discussion, do a “free writing” exercise to a prompt that stimulates a discussion, etc. Lots of resources can be found here: https://bucks.libguides.com/ArchiveIDeaGuide Perhaps this can be an opportunity to improve or update your teaching techniques?
Ask for feedback. During class, communicate periodically with students about what they see. For example, say directly, “I have pulled up the Powerpoint and you should see a map of Bimini. Is this what you see?” This forces their engagement (sneaky!)
Model best practices. It is important to remember that you are modelling this experience for your students as well. If you are burning a roast in the oven, the neighbors are peering in the windows, the cat won’t leave you alone, or your laundry is piled up within view of the camera, students get the wrong idea about what it means to be “present.”
Moderate expectations. Not everyone will love this experience. So be aware that the reactions will be mixed- and prepare for that. Be assuring. Be accessible. I would also encourage you to be transparent with students. Statements like this might help: “I’m still learning this system myself, so I might be a little slow. If there are issues on your end, will you please let me know?” or “Bear with me while I load this document/presentation in a place I know you can see it.” Or “We’re learning together. Did that breakout room exercise work?” etc.) Synchronous learning can be an effective (if imperfect) way to continue instruction in a format that parallels what students originally signed up for. Remember: they want this to work, too!