This document provides guidance on facilitating effective synchronous online sessions. It discusses using webcams, establishing ground rules, and determining the purpose of the session. It also covers resolving tensions between synchronous and asynchronous approaches, designing for interactivity, and skills of the live online presenter. Interactive strategies suggested include using polls, sharing screens, and breaking into groups. The document emphasizes balancing presentation with interactivity.

1. Effective Facilitation in
Synchronous Environments
(Session 2 of 2)
Michael Coghlan
NewLearning
28/3/13

2. Using the Drawing Tools
activity courtesy of LearningTimes

3. TODAY’S AGENDA
• Whiteboard Activities
• Synch v asynch: resolving the tension
• More on Designing for interactivity

4. USE OF WEBCAMS
• Use your webcam (or at least show a picture)
briefly at the start of the session as part of the
introduction
• Have students do the same if they have them ,
if they want to, and if bandwidth allows
• I recommend you then turn off webcams to
conserve bandwidth, but it is a personal
choice.

5. Establish ‘Modus Operandi’ (Ground
Rules) for the session
• Questions/Comments: any time?
Throughout session? At the end? In text
chat? Via voice? Using
the hands-up tool?
• How will you handle the
text chat? Will you use a co-
moderator?

6. META:

7. PURPOSE?
• a presentation tool?
• a collaboration/
interaction tool?

8. HOW MIGHT YOU USE WEB
CONFERENCING
/VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS?

9. What kinds of synchronous activities can you
use in virtual classrooms?
TEACHING OTHER
• ‘straight lecture’ • Office hours
• Guest lecturers • Peer support
• Oral presentations • Social: student -
• Group work student
• One on one (eg
pronunciation)

10. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Attend online
conferences, seminars, workshops
• Meetings (much more cost effective than
teleconferencing)

11. SWOT ANALYSIS

12. ADVANTAGES/
DISADVANTAGES?

13. POETRY SLAM
activity courtesy of LearningTimes

14. ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS?

15. WHITEBOARD
OR
TEXT CHAT?

16. WHITEBOARD AS WORD CLOUD

17. LABELS – DRAG AND DROP
shaft
pulley
cog
chain
tank
nut
beam

18. SYNCHRONOUS ASYNCHRONOUS

19. COMMUNICATION AXIS
Reflective; Structured;
monologue expository
Asynch
Minimalist; rapid
Spontaneous;
(evolving)
dialogue
Synch
Oral Written

20. COMMUNICATION AXIS
Most classroom communications take place here
New – have been enabled by technology (only happen online)

21. Tension: Synch v Asynch
Terry Anderson, Toward a Theory of Online
Learning:
“….the major motivation for enrollment in distance education is not
physical access, but rather, temporal freedom to move through a
course of studies at a pace of the student’s choice.”
Participation in (synchronous events) “almost inevitably places
constraints on this independence.”
“ The demands of a learning-centered context might at times force us
to modify prescriptive participation in (synchronous events), even
though we might have evidence that such participation will further
advance knowledge creation and attention.”

22. RESOLVING THE TENSION BETWEEN ASYNCHRONOUS AND
SYNCHRONOUS APPROACHES
• Don’t make synch sessions compulsory; use synch for
those who want/need them
• Stagger the timing of synch sessions eg Monday afternoon
in week 1, Thursday morning in week 2, etc
• Consider night sessions
• Run the same session twice in any given week
• Record and archive the sessions for viewing later
• Use in conjunction with asynchronous activity (eg
forums, wikis, blogs, Facebook)
• FLIPPED CLASSROOM – record short videos (15 mins or
less) to be viewed before class (may be best done using
screen capure software like Camtasia, Screenr, etc)

23. DESIGNING FOR
INTERACTION
examples of this in the
2 sessions so far?

24. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity
• Ask students where/who they are
• ‘Fill them out’ as real people
• Share some information about yourself
• Don’t underestimate the value of small talk
• show a map so people can mark where they
are

25. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity
• Use a webcam (or at least show a picture)
• Have students use webcams if they have them

26. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity:
• Ask questions – esp open questions
• Global (to the group) and individual
• Encourage questions and comments
• Exploit the whiteboard:
– Brainstorming
– Group work
– Inserting images (have students prepare some)
– For fun (especially before session, during breaks)

27. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity:
• Ask for feedback regularly via
– Voice
– Text chat
– Whiteboard
– Poll
– Emoticons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edublogger/7566567130/

28. Run a Progress Check
• We could use emoticons…..
• Or do a quick poll:
How is everyone feeling about the session so
far?
A. Satisfied
B. Very Satisfied
C. Neutral
D. Dissatisfied

29. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity:
• Hold group
discussions
• Question: Do these
examples of
interactivity seem
practical in your
teaching situation?

30. GROUP WORK

31. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity:
• Enable all channels of communication (when
appropriate)
• Encourage student to student communication
– especially text chat

32. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity
• Exploit polling/quiz tool (short
answer, multiple choice)
• New polls/quizzes can be created on the fly
• Share the results
• Use results as starting point for discussion

33. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity
• Conduct web tours
• Have students lead web tours

34. Other Strategies to Increase Interactivity
• Share your desktop
• Have students share their desktop
• Let students take control of your mouse!

35. Skills of the Live Online Presenter
• Golden Rule: 6-8 minutes talking at a stretch maximum
• Intersperse presentations with questions, polls, other speakers (from
the floor), whiteboard activity
• Decide how to handle text chat – will you monitor/respond? Or ignore
it? Dip in and out of it?
• Consider working with a producer/co-presenter
• More at michaelcoghlan.net/fll/blog.htm#skills

37. FURTHER RESOURCES
See the wiki at http://synchfacilitation.wikispaces.com/

38. Contact Details
MICHAEL COGHLAN
http://michaelcoghlan.net
e: michaelc@chariot.net.au