🧵Ok, so I'm a big fan of asynchronous online learning, but if you really want to use live sessions as a part of your online course, here are five things I think can help you create a consistent and enjoyable learning experience. 1/
1. Take a moment to zoom out on your course. From this bird's eye perspective, think about which learning goals can be *best* achieved through sync interaction. Be honest & resist the temptation to answer "all". Conversely, think of what parts of your course could be async. 2/
2. An efective live sessions has clear objectives. It can be a regular checkin/ community building, a feedback session or a deeper exploration of a complex topic. Something that benefits from immediacy. Communicate this to students clearly, incl. any required preparation time 3/
3. Now zoom in and start planning the session. Think of a clear structure but also provide a degree of flexibility (unstructured time). Think about the duration and sequencing of the activities & try to ensure a degree of variety. Provide activity templates when possible. 4/
4. Moderation plas a great role. Using parallel interaction channels (audio/ chat) can be enriching but also very demanding. A co-moderator focusing on chat can help a lot. Think about co-opting students for this role, it can be a great skill training. 5/
5. Make sure you take time before the session to familiarise yourself with the platform you'll be using. Even if you're a long-time user, do log in early and ask students to do that too, just to ensure no time is wasted. Always have a plan B in case technology is failing. 6/
Let's try to use sync interaction to its strengths, to scaffold students' learning and create a community learning space. Let's be respectful of everyone's time and inclusive in the tools we use. Sync & async should *not* be in opposition but part of a learning continuum. end/
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Here's a quick "Learning Design Essentials" guide. It builds on threads I've written in the past months and because content on twitter can be so elusive, I thought it's worth trying to capture it in one place. Thanks to all of you who contributed & will contribute :)
1. This is about designing *asynchronous* online learning by using a storyboarding approach. Think about the narrative of your course and find ways to express it through a sequence of engaging learning activities.
2. Here are some thoughts about planning *synchronous* sessions. It's all about scaffolding students' learning by using the benefit of immediacy and creating community learning spaces.
Let's talk about time ⏰
Time is a crucial element in planning teaching and learning. So why are we so bad at estimating it? 1/
Teaching and learning have a different temporal dimension online. As the time units that guide our f2f course planning have become irrelevant, we're struggling to estimate how long certain tasks will take in the online environment, both for us & for our students. 2/
Because we operate in a new learning space, we run two risks: 1) to spend too little time both for planning & teaching, leaving students with little guidance & support 2) to spend too much time, over-design the course, overwhelming students with a myriad of resources & tasks
3/
Teaching online is about *communication* at least as much as it is about content, tools or methods. While we're busy designing online courses, we tend to take communication for granted. But unlike f2f, online we need to deliberately plan our communication strategy. Some ideas. 1/
Our communication channels with students are essential in an online course. In fact they can be seen as the glue that gives the learning experience meaning & coherence. Find your voice, be as authentic as possible and open to dialogue. Knowing your students will help. 2/
Decide what channels you want to use (if you can offer a variety of methods, do it!) and make it clear early on to your students. Try to provide information in various formats and in different spaces, it will help you reach out to more of your students. 3/
With learning being most often visually represented as an activity that takes place when learners & teachers are simultaneously in one space (f2f or online), it's no wonder a mental model of synchrounous teaching as the norm is being built. But it does not have to be this way. 1/
Learning also happens when we're not around. Learning happens individually & collectively, formally & informally. Technology allows us to let go of space and time constraints, but are we mentally ready to let go of the idea we as teachers can (and should) control learning? 2/
There is still an entrenched belief that asynchronous learning is not as valuable as synchronous learning. In the absence of visual cues, presence & participation are more difficult to gauge. But async learning is all about active listening, reflecting & engaging flexibly. 3/
Are you planning to design asynchronous learning activities for your courses this fall? It's all about story, structure, sequence and schedule. Add clarity & consistency to that, and you might be onto a winner. Here are some tips on how to approach this. 1/
1. First of all let go of the idea that students are not learning when you don't see them or when you're not around. Instead, challenge yourself to create activities you *know* will keep them engaged regardless of space & time. Remember who your students are & be creative. 2/
2. Start by creating a storyboard for your session (you can do it for entire course but the more granular the better). Think of it like writing the script for a play or a movie: imagine the "bigger picture" first and then craft each separate scene. 3/