UMOnlineWeb Conferencing Guidelines

Preparation

  • Practice with the web conferencing tool before formally using it (Anderson et al. 2006; Wang Hsu 2008).
  • Test the system prior to the session to make sure there are no technical difficulties (Wang and Hsu 2008).
  • Have a backup plan for the session if the technology fails (Anderson et al. 2006; Wang and Hsu 2008).
  • Provide sufficient time for students to get acquainted with the web conferencing system (Clark 2005). Schedule practice sessions (Bonk and Park 2007) and provide a list of keyboard shortcuts (Mueller, Johlic and Keohane 2013).
  • Inform all participants that accessibility accommodations can be arranged (Mueller, Johlic and Keohane 2013).
  • Clarify technology requirements (Bonk and Park 2007; Wang and Hsu 2008).
  • Consistently provide accessible materials before the meeting (Vrankel and Koppelman 2008).
  • Be flexible in scheduling synchronous sessions (Bonk and Park 2007).
  • Plan for interactivity (Tremblay 2006; Wang and Hsu 2008) and prepare for how all participants, including students with disabilities, will be able to ask questions, collaborate, etc. (Mueller, Johlic and Keohane 2013).
  • Consider using Inquiry-Based activities (Kohorst and Cox 2007).

Delivery I

  • Use a lesson plan to provide direction, but be flexible (Anderson et al., 2006).
  • Plan to intersperse activities frequently (5-10 minutes) to avoid lecturing and maintain a lively pace (Clark 2005).
  • Create a positive and friendly atmosphere (Bonk and Park 2007).
  • Remind participants to announce their name before speaking (Mueller, Johlic and Keohane 2013).
  • Capture the learner’s attention at the start (Nash n.d., cited in Faires and Runnels 2007).
  • Explain expectations of the web conferencing session (Bonk and Park 2007).
  • Continue to explain what will happen next in the session (Koppelman and Vranken 2008)
  • Avoid heavy cognitive loads (teaching hands-on skills and conducting complicated activities (Wang and Hsu 2008).
  • Limit group size to the requirements of the task (Bonk and Park 2007; Koppelman and Vranken 2008; Wang and Hsu 2008).

Delivery II

  • Utilize break-out rooms for personalized attention (Clark 2005; Wang and Hsu 2008). “The break-out room is most successful when small groups work on a relatively structured assignment within a given timeframe” (Anderson et al. 2006).
  • Scaffold students’ discussions (Bonk and Park 2007) and give regular feedback (Wang and Hsu 2008).
  • Have an assistant (Clark 2005).
  • Limit the length of the session: 60 to 90 minutes (Clark 2005).
  • Visualize content with visuals; avoid excessive text on the screen (Clark 2005).
  • Describe the visuals or read any text that appears on the screen for students with visual disabilities who cannot see the screen (Mueller, Johlic and Keohane 2013).
  • Incorporate participation through polling, text chat and use of the white board where appropriate (Clark 2005).

Follow-Up

  • Make recordings available (Sabin and Higgs 2007; Koppelman and Vranken 2008).
  • Review session recordings with a colleague or instructional designer in order to determine the effectiveness of the teaching/learning strategies employed.
  • If a participant requires captions or if the recording is going to be shown more than once and incorporated into a larger teaching context, contact Disability Services for Students or Accessible Technology Services in IT to have the recording captioned.

REFERENCES

Anderson, L., Fyvie, B., Koritko, B., McCarthy, K., Paz, S. M., Rizzuto, M., Tremblay, R. and Sawyers, U. (2006). Best Practices in Synchronous Conferencing Moderation. Technical Evaluation Report.International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(1). Retrieved from:

Bonk, C., & Park, H. (2007). Is Online Life a Breeze? A Case Study for Promoting Synchronous Learning

in a Blended Graduate Course. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(3)Retrieved October 31, 2017, from

Clark, R C (2005). Multimedia learning in e-courses In: Mayer, R E ed. The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 589–616.

Koppelman, H., & Vranken, H. (2008). Experiences with a synchronous virtual classroom in distance education. In ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (Vol. 40, pp. 194–198). ACM.

Kohorst, K. and Cox,J. R. (2007) Virtual office hours using a tablet pc: E-lluminating biochemistry in an online environment, Biochem. Mol. Biol. Educ. 35, 193–197.

Mueller, M., Johlic, M. & Keohane, S. (2013). Overcoming accessibility challenges of web conferencing [CSUN 2013 PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

Tremblay, R. (2006). “Best practices” and collaborative software in online teaching. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(1), doi:

Wang, S.-K., & Hsu, H.-Y. (2008). Use of the webinar tool (Elluminate) to support training: The effects of webinar-learning implementation from student-trainers’ perspective. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 7(3), 175–194.