1.2.3

Challenges and Tips

Test yourself

Challenges and Tips

As many people found during the pandemic in the spring of 2020, teaching a synchronous session is arguably more difficult than teaching a face-to-face lesson.

Illustrative background for Multi-taskingIllustrative background for Multi-tasking ?? "content

Multi-tasking

  • Part of the reason is that successful online teaching is intensively cognitively fatiguing because teachers are constantly task switching.
    • Reading the chat box
    • Drawing on the board
    • Monitoring time
    • Thinking about the content
    • Answering student questions
    • Monitoring student engagement
    • Gauging needed explanations
    • Asking student questions
    • Checking student answers
Illustrative background for Online vs. face-to-faceIllustrative background for Online vs. face-to-face ?? "content

Online vs. face-to-face

  • All of this together for hours at a time is draining.
  • But it’s necessary, because students wander far more frequently online than they do in the face-to-face classroom.
  • At least in a face-to-face classroom, teachers can demand that students pretend to pay attention, but online teachers must insist on frequent participation.
    • In addition, face-to-face teachers see students roll their eyes or nap, but online teachers only see text or poll participation.
Illustrative background for Tips & tricks!Illustrative background for Tips & tricks! ?? "content

Tips & tricks!

  • Don’t let students distract the class. Off-topic chatting is the most disliked part of a synchronous class session.
  • Don’t ask students to do anything other than listen and participate. Focusing is hard enough for them without distracting them with other tasks.
  • Expect students to answer frequent (every 3-5 minutes) questions, disrupting their web surfing.
Illustrative background for Tips & tricks! (cont.)Illustrative background for Tips & tricks! (cont.) ?? "content

Tips & tricks! (cont.)

  • Don’t back up and reteach for late students. It’s recorded—they can go back and watch it. Late students should slip quietly in.
  • If the lesson is interrupted (e.g. the videoconferencing software went down), record the lesson by yourself and send students the link for later viewing.
  • Limit text on slides to five words per line and no more than five lines per slide. Keep all slides high-contrast, black and white if possible. Make sure illustrations are easy to read and understand.

Jump to other topics

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium