Designing Virtual Classes

Designing Virtual Classes

and "face to face -> virtual”

What’s is designing virtual classes about?

Some questions to ask yourself

What perspective should you take?

Webcams (Yes, a section just on webcams!)

Using your tools (Except for webcams.)

Converting to virtual

Some questions to ask yourself:

What are the goals and objectives of your class?

Do the lectures and activities directly translate to a virtual class?

Will your participants be on camera? Will they be on a teleconference or VoIP? Do they have the right equipment?

Virtual Classroom

try this perspective before you begin conversion

Think of your typical classroom...

And try to think of what the participant will be seeing and experiencing if it were virtual...

Yes, try to keep that in mind because the virtual class is really not that different from a face to face class. You are just using different tools for instruction.

So, I should think of the virtual classroom as my face to face class, but

just in another location?

For example…

Webcamsfor your participants

Webcamsfor your participants

In a face to face class, when we are listening to a presenter, we are seeing them, and they are engaging us.

So if there is engagement...

Who are you focusing on?

Why do we need to be distracted by everyone else?

Why do we need to be distracted by everyone else?

Sometimes animals and other distractions

appear on participants webcams.

The facilitator should be providing enough engagement that webcams are not necessary to have on, at least not for the entire duration of class.

More focus on the facilitator.

Less issues with bandwidth.

There are other outlets for questions, like chat.

The benefits of going webcam-less:

When a participant asks a question

In breakout rooms for activities like role playing (suggested only for smaller classes*).

In the main room focusing on small groups of people.

Suggestions on when to use webcams:

* Smaller classes can be anywhere from 4-20+ people. That’s just an estimate, 20 might be too many (depending on tech specifics).

The facilitator should be on camera when they are facilitating.

Toolswe use to enhance learning

What are some tools? Chat

Polls/Surveys

Emoticons

Whiteboard and Drawing

Breakout rooms (this might not be considered a tool, but in this case it will be)

Additional Pods (maps, games)

Tools can help...

Or tools can hurt...

You just need the right tools, the right amount, at the right time.

You just need the right tools, the right amount, at the right time.

Kind of like in baking!

Analysisreinventing your class

You should analyze your face

to face class schedule.

Certain activities may need to be restructured for virtual.

“Do not create your class around engaging activities, but incorporate those activities into your learning.”

It’s all about organizing what you have.

Make sure you have a well thought out and extremely detailed extremely detailed schedule.

Make sure you have a well thought out and extremely detailed extremely detailed schedule.

ALOT

Your virtual schedule might

look a little like a screenplay.

What you want to detail out: Schedule with timing for each activity

Polls (questions and answers)

Breakout rooms with number of participants per room (even participant names, if you want specific people in certain rooms)

When to use videos, slide-decks, and any types of pods

Breaks for participants

So…you have a new perspective, you analyzed your schedule, you

integrated activities, and finalized your new

schedule.

Now what?

Next up,

pulling it all together.

with producers, facilitators, and test sessions.

Questions?

Melissa Milloway, MSIT.

mmilloway87@gmail.com