Just finished 3 x 3-hour Zoom lecture/tutorials for @Sydney_Uni Online Journalism students. Some learnings: 1) Online classes are TIRING for students and lecturers. Some of my students had 3 online lectures today. Go for sustained energy throughout, don't overload at the start.
2) It takes students time to switch their microphones on and off. Allow 10-15 seconds if you're asking someone a question. In a classroom they'd know you're talking to them immediately and respond but online takes that little bit more time and patience.
3) At the start of the lecture, I went through the slides to identify points / slides where I'd be asking questions, so they could really focus during those moments. NO ONE can maintain razor-sharp "will there be a test on this later?" attention for 3 hours.
4) I built in two practicals and a couple breaks, to get everyone away from their screens. Some of my students are on lockdown in China, so just getting up, walking around & doing something creative was welcome.
5) Lecture recording has been a thing for some years for these students, so do a great job on the recording and let them use that as a refresher, rather than making them listen for 3 hours.
6) I learned a lot today that I'll bring to class next week. My students learned a lot today about how to ask questions, interact, and give feedback. By July, we will be bloody geniuses at Zoom. Right now, the emphasis is on being kind, and (re)learning how to learn. /ENDS
cc @suellewellyn cos you were asking about this - here 'tis xx
