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Synchronous Online Teaching and Learning:Advantages over the Traditional Classroom• Context for claim

• 4th year using hybrid delivery, after 20 years of traditional onsite classroom• Platform progression• Learning curve for all• Still improving and evolving

• Users and technologies

• Terminology• Synchronous• Asynchronous• Hybrid/Blended (online/onsite or all online, but combo of synch./asynch.)

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Default and Supported Resources and Tools• Asynchronous – Primarily Moodle (www.moodle.org)

• Forum (individual and group posting and processing)• Wiki (probably surpassed in most ways by Google Docs)• Quiz feature (also useful for non-graded reflection/processing)• MediaCore (MBA’s web-based video storage and streaming service)

• Synchronous – Zoom (www.zoom.us)

• Polling – Socrative (www.socrative.com)• Free web-based educational tool for student assessment• Used in synchronous environment…or asynchronously

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Advantages of Synchronous Environment

• Discussion (best view of faces; chat feature)• Guest/expert visits (from anywhere in the world)• Polling (many ideas shared at once, from everyone!)• Record/Archive (regular, logistics, in advance…flipped)• Group Annotation (e.g., relative placement on a continuum)• EVERY student has multiple outlets for involvement (chat, polling)• Convenient and cost-saving (location, time, connecting with tutors)

…If every participant connects independently from a computer and keyboard…

…All of this is giving us ideas about improving our onsite teaching methods!

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Advantages of Synchronous Environment

• Discussion (best view of faces; chat feature)• Guest/expert visits (from anywhere in the world)• Polling (many ideas shared at once, from everyone!)• Record/Archive (regular, logistics, in advance…flipped)• Group Annotation (e.g., relative placement on a continuum)• EVERY student has multiple outlets for involvement (chat, polling)• Convenient and cost-saving (location, time, connecting with tutors)

…If every participant connects independently from a computer and keyboard…

…All of this is giving us ideas about improving our onsite teaching methods!

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Disruption of Common Good Leadership (CGL) Thursday, October 30 2014 05:03 PM

Group Names

Does your org. have a systematic way to reach those at the margins, and to receive their wisdom?

If pursuing CGL disrupts the privileged, how do you envision this playing out in your organization, community, or industry?

If pursuing CGL feels like swimming against the current, where/how will that be most felt in your position or

organization?

What are the likely hindrences to CGL, in PREPARATION of self or

others, developing a shared VISION, and/or taking ACTION?

Group A Our organizations don't have strong structures in place to access wisdom from the margins -- unfortunately. However, some interaction happens informally through various outreaches (with charity groups, fundraising etc), although it's not "front line" connection.

We felt like CGL might be seen as less of a threat to "privilege" in the organizations, but rather as a compromise with the bottom line. This is less of a disruption of status quo and more of a risk of compromising sytems and goals that "work". Also, some of the obstacles had to do with established effective systems that were difficult to adjust or update for other goals.In our community, we felt like the views would be mixed -- various parties would support different "bottom lines" and potentially be in conflict.

Potentially by the management who would be held responsible for changeOr, by whoever suggested the changeOr, but front-line employees who deal with customers objecting to changeOr, the "long term" employees who are comfortable with how things are.

Hindrances: upper management not wanting to take action, resistance from established systems/comfortable members, money issues/limitations, time, ability for people to feel comfortable voicing their ideas

Group B

Deeper questions- how are we defining margins?1. Not a very good job. Seem to go to same folks all the time- institutional knowledge. It is encouraged but not formally institutionalized.2. Non profit perspective. Clientele we serve on margins, underserved. Think of margins- outside of genderal parameters. Excluded from access to social service delivery as underserved population. Outside this defined community. For NP that is what we do. We do talk about how to receive wisdom from stakeholder experiences. Awareness in staff/volunteers.

1. Not too much disruption for privileged, but experienced as accomplishment due to being the goal of organization.

Upper level people [management] saying "sit down, shut up...who do you think you are."

Change in behavior. Individual, organization, community, society. Change is hard.

Have to get buy-in. Easier, maybe in nonprofit.

Institutional entrenchment.

Job vs. vocation.

Self-care and balance.

how change happens- critical mass vs. critical yeast.

aware of our own stuffs, ego.

Group C

not particularely; forums and institutional research are options but not formally utilized to engage with those on the margins. Campus as a whole is challenged as individuals find identity and engage with those from other backgrounds.

In our context (we work at EMU) reaching out to those margins doesn't necessarily negate the EMU experience nor target markets---spreading out of resources to affinity or marginal groups may become more commonplace.

Engaging people with traditional/monetary ties to the organization---who see it as a loss of the experience they were a part of/identify EMU with.

fear of change/differences; many different stakeholder groups with polarized viewpoints but equally valid investment/involvement.

Group DNo. (Animal Hospital and JMU) Yes, but could go deeper (EEM). Edwin feels strongly about getting wisdon from the margins.

Where is Robin Hood? Capitalists need a taste of their own "creative distruction." Disruption has to happen. Working in baby steps will ease the pain.

With employees who have the most seniority. Felt most by the top and the bottom, least by middle mgmt.

Acceptance of change. Failure of imagination. Getting buyin.

Group E

no, each of us acknowledge that while our organizations aim to "help" or empower the people at the margin, we do not have structures in place to illicit their wisdom, which might also aid us do a better job. as an oppertunity to seize and a teachable moment.

On the ground, the service providers and the fundraiser.

Funding and community involvemnt in the decision making processes. Getting everyone to agree with the same THEORY OF CHANGE.

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Advantages of Synchronous Environment

• Discussion (best view of faces; chat feature)• Guest/expert visits (from anywhere in the world)• Polling (many ideas shared at once, from everyone!)• Record/Archive (regular, logistics, in advance…flipped)• Group Annotation (e.g., relative placement on a continuum)• EVERY student has multiple outlets for involvement (chat, polling)• Convenient and cost-saving (location, time, connecting with tutors)

…If every participant connects independently from a computer and keyboard…

…All of this is giving us ideas about improving our onsite teaching methods!

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Early Lessons and Learning Curve

• Faculty have tendency at first to try to replicate onsite style to online• There may be a requisite period of adaptation

• Technology tools make a difference• Find products best suited to specific needs (Zoom, Socrative)

• Internet bandwidth makes a difference• DSL connections are workable, but marginal (accommodation)

• Audio is the most vexing and nagging problem to solve• Headsets with boom (noise-cancelling) mics• Mics always in the open position (unmuted)

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Growing pains

• Learning process for everyone• Skepticism acceptance excitement

• Training and orientation• Period of gaining comfort• Shifting paradigms, understanding, methods• Redesigning course content and pedagogy• New technologies shuffle the deck…next round

• Online protocols and best practices• A dynamic contract of connection and engagement

• A lot of new ground to cover initially• Address new and emerging challenges• New technologies shuffle the deck…next round

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Online Protocols and Best Practices

After offering a rationale for why we use a hybrid model (46% online):

• Community• Use in “business”• Resource use• Reduce costs• Reduce emissions• Flexibility (travel)• Flexibility(weather)

Professional demeanor & preparation for the online experience includes these best practices:

1. Before class consider whether there may be competing interests for your internet BANDWIDTH and take steps to ensure strong and reliable signal.

2. Participants should select a QUIET space to connect and work online.3. Participants should be ALONE in the room/space where they are connected.4. Participants should be SITTING comfortably at their COMPUTER (mobile devices should be

used only for emergencies or extraordinary circumstances).5. Participants should consider lighting to ensure well-lit FRONT and no direct BACK-

LIGHTING.6. Participants should arrange their WEBCAM to display their face in the center of their video

feed.7. Eating and drinking is distracting and should be avoided while actively onscreen.

Nourishment could be taken during breaks, viewing video, or during off-screen transitions.8. Participants must use program-provided headsets with noise-cancelling boom microphone.9. Organize materials before class to allow access during class with minimal disturbance of

noise or movement.10. For optimal oral exchange, MICs should normally be in the OPEN position.11. Plan to engage with the professor-instructed activities, avoiding non-relevant distractions.12. Participants are ENCOURAGED to utilize the CHAT feature to augment learning and

communication channels, but this should be kept on topic and sent to ALL PARTICIPANTS.

Participants who do not take the time to ensure that their connection and conditions are optimal degrade the class session for everyone, and the opportunity for an enjoyable and constructive connective experience!

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Considerations in Synchronous Teaching• Building Community

• Water cooler time• Small group breakouts• Social starters at the end of sessions

• More intentional about using a wider variety of methods• Plan class for student engagement activities (passiveactive)• Plan class for mix of activities (15-20 minute segments)• Lecture, discussion, small group breakouts, polling, video, combos, etc.

• Insufficient internet speeds or bandwidth bottlenecks

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Q&A

• Questions?

• Appendix

Zoom Capabilities

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Zoom capabilities

• Maximum of 25 participants in current license structure (50?)• Three possible modes: speaker view, gallery view, share-screen• Gallery View (we’ve found this most helpful for dynamic discussion)

• Everyone sees everyone’s face – halo around active speaker• Raising hands either electronically or physically in video feed• Chat feature gets more students involved and provides an additional channel

• Quieter students are more likely to use chat; everyone has ways to express themselves• Dual-channel discussion, with each informing the other channel (adds extra dimension)• Chat log saved for later review; I use this help guide subsequent coverage/classes

• Allows guest speakers to join from anywhere!

• Zoom sessions can be recorded and archived for re-viewing