One of the challenges facing many levels of education is the ability to provide opportunities for student engagement. The processes of information delivery are still evident in many situations, especially in situations with lectures and increasing class sizes. The basic structure of the backchannel is a behind the scenes discussion of the presentation by attendees and remote participants who are interested in a topic or speaker. Conference goers have become used to the "backchannel" but in many classrooms teachers may be unaware that a backchannel exists. Students routinely text and message each other, this is often limited to off-topic and social discussion The use of proprietary and web-based backchannel solutions can begin to engage students more productively in the lecture process and to tap into how well the lecture is addressing student’s learning needs. The Centre for eLearning has recently deployed Hotseat at Curtin. Hotseat, developed by Purdue University, integrates a suite of tools including a web application, Facebook and Twitter that can be accessed via computers, laptops, smart phones and other mobile devices like iPod Touch, iPad, and tablets. Presenters/teachers can set focus questions, assign Twitter #hashtags and control the anonymity of posts in order to draw students more fully into active participation in the lecture. Participants will have the opportunity to have the approach explained, to trial a microblogging application live in the session and to discuss the approach, Hotseat, and alternative tools. We hope to make this an active, practically engaged session – to that end we ask that you bring along a wifi or 3G enabled device – smart phone, tablet, iPod Touch, iPad, ultra notebook, or laptop computer if you have one available (we will have ways to include you regardless). Ideally you'll have access to a web browser – you can use Facebook if you wish, and/or Twitter. You'll need to have an account with either Facebook, Google, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo or Yahoo Mail in order to connect to our system. If you also have a Twitter account you'll be able to experience an alternative mode of interaction. It sounds very technical but in reality this is a very simple technology from a user perspective – scaffolding and guidance are included in the design of the session. Objectives 1. Introduce the concept of microblogging to improve student engagement in lectures and large classes; 2. Consider the experiences and results of implementing the process across campus; 3. Practically trial the Curtin Hotseat solution; 4. Discuss issues arising from the practical exploration of the process.

1. Reclaiming the Backchannel as a
Learning Channel
ACEC 2012
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2. Presenter:
Kim Flintoff - K.Flintoff@curtin.edu.au - @kimbowa
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3. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
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4. • Helps audience focus
• Audience gets more content
• Questions get answered
• Participation increases
• Innovation arises
• Physical location is extended
• Connections build
http://pistachioconsulting.com/twitter-presentations/
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5. • Concerns arise with using Twitter (and similar tools) as you can
inadvertently invite the entire world into your discussion;
• Students routinely text and message each other about lectures
during lectures, sadly this is often limited to a critique of the lecturer;
• We need to engage students more productively in the lecture
process and to tap into how well the lecture is addressing student’s
learning needs;
• Anonymity can assist engagement – watch a drama student with
mask transform;
• Accountability is still desirable
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6. What features in a viable solution?
• allows lecturers to post questions and discussion points
during a lecture;
• gives students an active voice and opportunities to
contribute to the lecture by posting questions, comments
and insights;
• can be used to assess the level of interest in particular
posts, and to poll the group on key understandings, and
identify points for further discussion.
• generates some artifact that can be used for analytics and
ongoing refinement;
• is simple to use for teacher and student;
• is dynamic and flexible – real-time;
• platform independent.
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7. Other optionsin other contexts; the educational purpose is
All these are used
similar across all of them but the degree of engagement varies
tremendously. Costs vary as do the requirements for hardware,
access and management.
• Twitter (Web/App/Email)
http://www.twitter.com
• Facebook (Web/App)
http://www.facebook.com
• Votapedia (SMS/Web Interface)
http://www.urvoting.com
• ResponseWare
(Web/App)*http://www.turningtechnologies.com/studentresponsesystems/mobiledistancelearning/high
eredresponseware/
• Keepad Interactive (Specialised Device)*
http://www.keepad.com/
• TopHat Monocle (Web/App)
http://www.tophatmonocle.com/
* Turning Technologies products

9. External Logins are possible

10. Go to http://hotseat.curtin.edu.au
Roadshow Question 1
#ACEC2012KF1
What are the limitations of lectures with
regards to student engagement?
140 characters or less
(You can post from Twitter by including the
#hashtag above – or use the Facebook app)

11. HOTSEAT Promotional Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6TUhcGf6s

12. Go to http://hotseat.curtin.edu.au
Roadshow Question 2
#ACEC2012KF2
Having seen this brief overview of the
microblogging approach - what benefits can
you identify for your lectures?
After answering in 140 characters or less –
vote on answers that are most relevant to

13. HOTSEAT Student Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8UR4xrjWME

14. Go to http://hotseat.curtin.edu.au
Roadshow Question 3
#ACEC2012KF3
What are your thoughts about these student
perceptions of how the tool impacts on their
learning?

15. Key benefits
• Engages students in blended learning
• Can assist in bridging cohorts face-to-face and remote
• Generates accessible artefacts
• Anonymity can be toggled
(provides a measure of accountability for the comments made)
• Provides metrics on usage
(usage data can be used to identify “at risk” students” - tracking student understanding - etc)
• Special equipment not required and online environments are already
known
(student devices can handle it - no need to manage clickers - batteries, stock-taking, etc)
• Helps overcome social inhibitions
(will the mature age student in the front row please put your f***ing hand down and will the people in the
back row please speak up)

18. Other features
• Reports – can run these:
• Topic Usage
• Space Reports
• User Statistics
• Promote Featured Posts
• Email – can send an email to author of any post
• Favourites – allows you to save your favourite posts
• My Thoughts allows you to access all of your own posts

19. "Unlike a regular Twitter account, the
Hotseat discussions are restricted to just
students enrolled in the class and the
instructors leading the course. Students may
post anonymously - 53 percent of the
students in the pilot study chose this option -
but who is actually posting is known to the
instructor. "
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/101013BowenEducause.
html

20. "The research found that in two of the three
classes the students sending messages the
most were those receiving As, the students
sending the second-most number of
messages received Bs and so on, with
students receiving the lowest grades sending
the fewest messages. In the other course
examined, students who received Bs sent
the most messages."
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/101013BowenEducause.
html

21. The research results were presented at the
Educause conference in Anaheim, Calif.,
and published in the latest edition of
Educause Quarterly, and can be read
online at:
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/HotseatOpeningtheBa
ckchannelin/213668

22. Go to http://hotseat.curtin.edu.au
Roadshow Question 4
#ACEC2012KF4
What matters were not adequately covered
in today’s presentation?

23. Curtin Hotseat

24. Go to http://hotseat.curtin.edu.au
login and then update your profile
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