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Are my students even watching, listening or responding to my online class? How to make your synchronous sessions more dynamic? Find the answers here.
Today, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers have been thrust into online education and synchronous sessions. As I went to check on my teenage sons last week in their online synchronous courses with different teachers, I caught both of them barely listening to them because they were watching a rerun of a professional basketball game, eating breakfast, and checking messages on their cellular telephones. I have been working in online education for about ten years, so I know there can be many distractions. I will address these in this article and give some tips to overcome these challenges or minimize possible risks.
During the many live online sessions that I have conducted, I have experienced the distracted students who are not listening, participating, commenting, or contributing. I have observed that there are many factors involved in successful and effective online teaching. These include the course design, activities, content, the teacher’s “presence,” the interactions between the students and the teacher, student autonomy, and even time management. I have learned through observation, research, trial, and error, and, most importantly, student feedback. At the end of each grading period, I ask the students to assess, comment, and provide feedback on all aspects of the course. I then use their input and surveys to see the class through the students’ eyes to make improvements in the design for future online courses.
“There are many factors involved in successful and effective online teaching. These include the course design, activities, content, the teacher’s “presence,” the interactions between the students and the teacher, student autonomy, and even time management.”
According to Moore’s theory of transactional distance (1993), the distance measurement in online education is more than just physical space. It entails psychological range that includes perceptions and understanding. This can lead to a communication gap. So, this article focuses on the dialogue in online education, specifically, the synchronous session as one means to increase dialogue through the interactions between students and the teacher that reduce the transactional distance.
To have an idea of what students and teachers experience in a synchronous session, watch the famous spoof created by Tripp and Tyler called the Video Conference Call in Real Life. You will see the technological complications and awkwardness that can happen in the online classroom. Sometimes teachers and students get kicked out of a session. Audio and video can become blurry at times if the bandwidth is low, and technical complications and the lack of visual aids can be frustrating. So, here are essential tips and information to make your next synchronous session run smoother and effectively.
The purpose of a live session is to connect various participants and reduce the communication gap between the teacher and the students. Johnston (2010) mentioned connecting three presences (cognitive, social, and teaching) during class time, whether it is face-to-face or online. He further stated that the connection between these three presences yields a complete educational experience. The latter is precisely what teachers attempt to achieve in their online sessions. However, Moore (1993) warns that there is a psychological and communication space that separates the learners and the instructor.
The gap in the synchronous sessions and activities can be closed by engaging in a dialogue. Make the connection between student-teacher more personal. Motivate, interest, and encourage your students to work on course topics and activities and learn as a result. Provide students immediate feedback, clarify confusion, and answer questions. Then, based on the students’ responses and demonstration of mastery, plan future course activities and assignments.
Recommendations for more effective online sessions:
Before:
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Communicate expectations
Before the session, post, send, or share the session’s agenda with the students. The students will then know what to expect and how to prepare beforehand, such as watching a video or reading an article.
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Provoke the students’ curiosity and interest in connecting
It is a challenge to get all of our students to join the sessions, so make the topics insightful and engaging. Norman (2017) recommends putting yourself in your students’ shoes and asking, “What new ideas, information, or wisdom will I learn from this session that is not already incorporated into the online course?”
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Visualize the content (Prepare visual aids)
Remember the technological complications of sometimes losing Wi-Fi or having scratchy audio. Therefore, prepare brief explanations, images, information, and shared files ahead of time for the students. If the student can visualize the topic, then they will be more focused and current during the session. A college student routinely alternates between attention and distraction in a face-to-face class, according to Bunce, Flens, & Neiles (2010). They showed that the first moment of inattention could occur as early as 30 seconds into a lecture. Subsequent spikes occur at approximately 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 10 minutes, and so on.
During:
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Getting started
Norman suggests beginning the session with an informal chat to check on everyone. Consider asking the students to recommend movies they have watched or show a slide with a conversation-starter such as a joke, meme, gif, or trivia question. Arrive a few minutes before the session starts and make small talk online, just like in the face-to-face classroom.
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Ask students to turn on their cameras
It is so much easier to make a personal connection with people if you can see their faces, and they can see yours. If internet bandwidth is an issue, ask the students to turn on their cameras at the beginning of the session for the informal chat so everyone can say hello to each other. Then they can turn off their cameras after the informal chat if the bandwidth is low.
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Share the agenda
Remember the technological complications such as blurry video or audio. At the beginning of the session, share the session plan (as done at the start of productive business meetings). If a student is ejected from the session, when they return, they will know exactly which topic is being discussed or which activity the class is doing.
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Use frequent responses
Frequent responses keep the students active in the session. Apply polls, ask questions, and have students post a thumbs up or thumbs down in the chatbox to indicate their understanding. These help the teacher know if th
e students are keeping up and comprehending. The frequent responses maintain the students’ interest and involvement in the session and combat the students’ passivity. Remember to see the online class from the students’ point of view. Imagine you are the student watching and participating in the session. What would keep you motivated to pay attention?
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Suggestions for polls
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In a discussion, ask students to pick the option that is most important to them.
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In a debate, choose a side to agree or disagree.
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For a question on grammar or math, have students select the correct answer.
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Check for understanding and mastery level of a topic. Students can select from
1 = completely confused, 2 = feeling comfortable, or 3 = expert -
Apply a pre-session survey on the topic to be discussed. Send out a brief survey or poll a few days before to find out the students’ existing knowledge and their beliefs. Doing these things can help you better to prepare the session plan, materials, and activities.
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Exit poll. At the end of the session, ask the students to rate the session to help you to gauge its effectiveness and to make improvements for future online classes.
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Watch your time
Be concise in the session. Remember, showing a 20-minute video during an online class is not a good use of time. Have the students watch the video beforehand. Also, remember that a 16-year-old student’s attention span is roughly 30 minutes, according to the Brain Balance Achievement Center. So, use the time to maximize learning. Let’s face it. A student can pay attention in a traditional classroom much longer than an online session.
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Keep an active pace
Remember the 30-minute attention span. Take advantage of this. Keep in mind that students are easily distracted by outside influences, so keep the pace lively.
After:
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Exit poll
Obtain feedback from the students through an exit poll or survey after the class to gauge its effectiveness and use the results to improve your future sessions.
The information and tips above are to help you plan, organize, and deliver your next session more effectively. I have used all of these to make my online classes more interactive and productive. Hopefully, these tips will help yours run smoother and reduce technological issues. Remember, we are all in this together. Let’s lift each other by sharing our best practices through the Observatory of Educational Innovation.
About the author
Mary Meinecke (mary.meinecke@udem.edu) has over 20 years of experience in teaching English as a Second and Foreign Language. Mary has a master’s in Bilingual Education and also in Higher Education. She has trained bilingual teachers online for over ten years for the U-ERRE and Region 4. Currently, Mary teaches at the Universidad de Monterrey in the Modern Languages Department. Her interests include online education, neurolinguistics, and educational innovation.
References
Bunce, D. M., Flens, E. A., & Neiles, K. Y. (2010). How Long Can Students Pay Attention in Class? A Study of Student Attention Decline Using Clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87, 1438-1443.
Johnston, J. (2010). University of Kentucky webinar [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue52_6NZeL0 on March 25, 2020.
Moore, M. G. (1993). Theory of transactional distance. In D. Keegan (Ed.), Theoretical principles of distance education. New York: Routledge.
Normal attention span expectations by age. (2020). Brain balance achievement centers. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from https://blog.brainbalancecenters.com/normal-attention-span-expectations-by-age
Norman, Marie (2017). Synchronous Online Classes: 10 Tips for Engaging Students. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/synchronous-online-classes-10-tips-engaging-students/ on March 31, 2020.
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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
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