Be Prepared!

"Emergency preparedness is a team sport." - Eric Whitaker


Teachers work in a private world entered only by themselves and their students. Rarely does anyone else visit this world, and rarely does a teacher enter into the private world of another teacher or classroom. This is true both online and in the physical classroom. But when emergencies happen in the physical classroom, the teacher generally relies on an infrastructure of helpers and resources that can be summoned quickly. Where does the instructor turn when an emergency occurs in the virtual classroom?



Grace Esteban describes the "perfect" disaster recovery tool for MPICT's online classes. She and her colleagues - relative newcomers to Web conferencing - have learned to call Client Services whenever they encounter a glitch they can't figure out. (The "Bobo" clip was created using xtranormal and can be viewed here.)

One strategy that Grace and Dr. Pierre Thiry use is to keep a second computer logged in to the Confer classroom. This is especially useful if it happens to be connected from a different Internet Service Provider. If the first service fails, you're able to log in using the second. In my office, I connect to Confer with a campus connection, a DSL connection, and (when necessary) a broadband wireless connection. I'm always sure I'll be able to get online because I have options.


Marc Knobel discovered the value of Grace's disaster recovery plan on his own. In two years of teaching with Confer, he encountered two disasters. The first was a result of a power failure, for which there was no timely solution and resulted in a cancellation of class. The second came at 7:30 AM as he was preparing to teach his 8:00 AM math class. He fired off an email to Client Services, explaining that he could not login to his class, and within 15 minutes got an answer from Donna that solved the problem. Disaster averted, and the class was none the wiser. As Marc relates, having to be embarrassed by the technology in front of his students would be horrible, and would actually have deterred him from experimenting further with Confer. Without a recovery team, there would be no online classroom.

CCC Confer's Client Services team provides this kind of security to online instructors. They're the First Responders who assess the situation and provide immediate care, the Firemen who put out the fire and rescue trapped victims, and the Long Term Care Providers who follow up emergencies with therapy and instruction so that future problems can be avoided.

Michael McKeever is the kind of techie instructor who likes to push the limits of his computers and networks. When he occasionally pushes too hard, he relies on his students to help one another with disaster recovery.


Michael, who teaches classes with both face-to-face students and online students, asks the f2f students to chat with their online peers to let them know that he's rebooting or recovering from a blue screen. It's nice to know that when the instructor crashes, students are not "thrown out" of the online classroom, but can continue to collaborate while the teacher recovers and returns.

Being ready for disaster allows you to act reasonably and responsibly when things go wrong. At a minimum, keep the Client Services numbers and e-mails handy so that you don't have to face problems alone. Have a backup computer and Internet connection ready, if possible. If you have students with different abilities, give emergency instructions both orally and via text chat so everyone understands and can follow your lead. Don't panic. We can get through this together.

Make Your Classes Accessible: Archive Them

"There's a guy at the record company who's 30, and he says, I would not listen to these songs except in this context. Somehow the recording process, the arrangements, make it more accessible." - Tom Wopat.

Accessibility is the key word for recording your class sessions. Students, like the "guy at the record company" who appreciates the recording process, find it difficult for a number of reasons to a) attend an online class session; b) pay attention to everything that's going on during an online class; or c) learn and assimilate without the opportunity to review and reflect. Fortunately, you have lots of options to record and share your Confer sessions with students.

Archives are easy, as Irene Palacios of Grossmont College demonstrates in this video.
 Once a Confer session has been recorded, it is posted on the CCC Confer website, and the links can, of course, be copied and pasted into your course syllabus, e-mails to students, etc. By clicking on the link, the students can view the entire recording, receive all files or quizzes you sent during the session, and read everything in the chat area that was posted.

One of the obvious advantages to recording your sessions is that it provides access for students who miss class.   You may see this as a two-edged sword: sure, you can accommodate students whose schedules are demanding, but what if this feature actually discourages them from attending your online class? And how do you know they've even bothered to view the archive on their own?

Larry Green at Lake Tahoe Community College uses a tried and proven method for testing student "attendance" at archived sessions: the "secret word."  He embeds a secret word in the archive and requires that students e-mail him the word in order to be credited with having viewed the session. It's also possible to track students' attendance or viewing of archived sessions (especially if you're accessing Confer from a learning management system like Blackboard).

Donna Eyestone is a veteran archiver, and she has learned the hard way to produce archives that are useful.  She no longer begins the recording at the beginning of class, when housekeeping, troubleshooting, greetings, and orienting occur; instead, she clicks the "record" button only once she's actually begun to teach.  She also has learned to build in index marks by changing the screen periodically so that viewers of the archive can jump through the recording to relevant points in the session.

Marc Knobel at Foothill College discovered that archives made it possible to extend his class time.  Although your students have to leave your online session, you may not, which means you can continue to record your session and make it available to students for review later in the week.

You are no longer limited to online, Web-based archives, which may be problematic for students who might prefer to access your recorded lectures via portable media.  The Publish software allows you to capture an archive and store it in a portable format (e.g., Flash, wmv, mpeg, etc.) so that it can be made available to students for... well, for whatever they want.

There's more! Not only can you record your session and publish it to a portable format for students, but you can also have it automatically sent to them.  Podcasting allows students to subscribe to your lectures or class sessions and have them delivered automatically to their browser or inbox. Simple, efficient, and speedy.

We want students to have access to our instruction and learning content. For some of these students, like the 30-year-old record company gentleman, the recording process and post-production options make your sessions more appealing and digestible. It's worth the trouble to learn to archive your class.

First Impressions in the Online Classroom

"First impressions are a constant in society. However, their product, the period that proves or disproves their validity is not; good ones are pleasant and long lasting, bad ones long and difficult to disprove." - Diego Valesquez.

We may not like to admit it, but we're all guilty of judging the book by its cover. The first five minutes with anyone are full of mental judgments, assessments, and categorizing. First impressions often form the basis for all later impressions or interactions. For this reason, it's important for the instructor in the Confer (online) classroom to make a good first impression - before going on to the business of teaching.



Larry Green at Lake Tahoe Community College describes in this video how he handles the first five minutes of his online classes. Instead of waiting until all the students are "seated" and ready to start, he gets students busy with a simple problem so that he can pay attention to entering students and handle "housekeeping" or troubleshooting details without allowing these to become the focus of attention.

 

Marc Knobel actually makes the process of greeting students the first impression of his class, and because he's so patient and friendly with each student, that early activity works especially well as an icebreaker. In fact, it's given him insights into how he might approach the process of teaching in a face-to-face environment with more personal contact with each student.



Irene Palacios of Grossmont College orients students at the beginning of each semester to the Confer classroom, giving them whiteboard privileges and allowing them to become excited about working in this environment and taking advantage of the excitement of a new class to get them motivated to learn more. She confesses that she's even been able to learn new things about using the tools from her students in these sessions.



Donna Eyestone uses music as a mood-setter as students enter the room (both her online classroom and in her face-to-face classroom). She finds that this gets rid of the kind of awkwardness that sometimes results from students entering the classroom in the middle of a conversation. It also allows her to set the volume on her computer so that - when she later uses multimedia clips to demonstrate - her speakers are set properly.

The important thing to remember is that you're trying to create and maintain an environment that is best for students (and yourself) so that instruction and learning can happen. Consciously create an atmosphere where there is an appropriate opportunity for students to discuss ideas, explore the virtual classroom, and interact with you and one another. Most importantly, give them a chance to come away from their first impression feeling that they belong here and are safe in this learning environment. The safer they are at first, the more likely they'll be to open themselves to the risky task of learning new concepts later.

The Webcam and the Online Classroom

"The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own." - Susan Sontag

With CCC Confer's video tool, instructors and students can see one another in real time. Virtually any camera that can be recognized by your computer - from Webcams to sophisticated professional cameras - can be used to project a video image onto the Confer screen. The tool (at present) allows upt to six video images to be displayed in a video window similar to the one at right.

Reasons NOT To Use Video. Just because you can use video online does not mean you should. It takes a lot of bandwidth to transmit video, so if you’re unsure about the connections between you and your audience or students, you may expect some problems with video reception and quality. There are also potential problems with students who – for whatever reason – can’t see your video. I’m not necessarily talking about differently-abled students, but also students whose machines or configurations don’t allow them to see what you’re happily transmitting. Are you prepared to give them a description or “second chance” to “see” what they can’t see? And video is – by its nature – captivating. Our eyes gravitate toward motion, so the camera will capture attention whenever it’s available. That’s a good and a bad thing: it may actually distract your students’ attention from other content you want them to see and understand. To get a good camera picture, you have to pay attention to lighting and whatever else the camera captures.

Jonathan Finkelstein writes, “The virtual classroom interface is already quite complex. When you add an additional visual, be sure that it contributes to learning. When the instructor is explaining visuals on the white board and asking for frequent participant responses… adding an additional visual such as a video image of the instructor or participants is likely to distract limited cognitive resources from the main instructional events.” (Learning in Real Time: Synchronous Teaching and Learning Online)

Richard E. Mayer adds, “People do not necessarily learn more deeply from a multimedia lesson when the speaker’s image is added to the screen.” (“Principles of Multimedia Learning Based on Social Cues.” In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning)

And Jennifer Hofmann cautions, “In my opinion, live video should be used judiciously. Using live video throughout an entire session can distract from the content and provide additional technological challenges. Additionally, by focusing so closely on the trainer’s face, you may reduce the perceived opportunities for participant collaboration.” (Live and Online! Tips, Techniques, and Ready-to-Use Activities for the Virtual Classroom)

So Let's Use It Anyway!

One thing you'll notice from the pictures of these experts is that they're looking at the camera in these pictures. We're naturally attracted to their eyes when we look at them, and it's reassuring and engaging to see them looking back at us. On camera in the Confer classroom, remember that your students will be looking at your image. Are you looking back? If not, what message is your image sending to the class?

You'll also notice that the pictures are well lighted and desgined to capture the faces of these authors. With your Webcam, you may have to make some lighting adjustments to make sure your students can actually see you (rather than a silhouette or shadowy blur) at their end. And pay attention to your background: if you transmit in front of a window with busy traffic, for example, your audience will find it hard to focus on you rather than what's going on behind you.

Question and Answer Period. One of the best uses of the Webcam in the Confer classroom is during the period when your students ask you questions. At this time, you can look directly into the camera and deliver the kind of "body language" and facial expressions that will reinforce your message and answers. If it's possible to have someone else read the chat questions to you so that you don't have to look away from the camera, your undivided attention will be most effective.

Live Events. Another popular use of the video tool is to capture and transmit live events that have both a face-to-face audience and a remote audience. In the example to the left, we were using a handheld digital camera to capture a public hearing, with speakers, their slides, and the audience’s reactions. Becuase this was a public hearing, we added captioning so that viewers with hearing disabilities could participate in the discussion.

Demonstrations of Techniques. "I can show you better than I can tell you," as the old adage goes. Using the camera to let your students see how you do something is an effective - and timely - way to teach a specific technique. Confer instructors use the Webcam to show students how to use brush strokes and mix watercolors, finger guitar frets, speak in sign language, treat a wound, change a diaper, cut hair, fold origami shapes, perform stitches, care for animals and pets, install and adjust audio equipment, dissect organisms, give a speech, prepare food dishes, set a table, and many other things. For this purpose, the camera you use should be one that you can move, focus, and control remotely so that you can ensure that you're projecting an image that helps students understand how you're doing what you're demonstrating.

Guest Speakers. You online (or face-to-face) class can be enhanced if you're able to invite a guest from another area to join you for an online video chat. These distant experts can raise issues, impart real-life experiences, and help you drive home specific lessons by virtue of their expertise and credibility with your students. If you decide to invite someone to visit your online classroom, make sure you do some prep work first. Meet with them online first to ensure that they can log in, perform audio and video checks, and navigate the Confer environment. Discuss timing so that they show up on time and prepared to interact. You may also want to prepare your students so that they will have questions ready for your guest when he or she arrives.

I'm sure you have ideas about how you might (or do) use video in your online classroom. Please feel free to share them!

The Art of Web Conferencing

"I like the computer because it keeps giving you options. What if I do this? You try it, and if you don't like it you undo it. The original can always be resurrected. It raises the idea of working on one painting your whole life, saving it and working on it again and again." - Elliott Green, contemporary American artist.

Robin Rogers Cloud (pictured ) teaches art at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. When I first met Robin, in 2004, she had an idea about teaching online students how to paint by meeting with them online and critiquing their paintings using CCC Confer's tools. I had my doubts about this proposal, but Robin went forward with it and not only proved me wrong; she taught me a valuable lesson: never doubt a skilled instructor's ability to use technology to accomplish the impossible.

Robin invited me to one of her online Office Hour sesssions, in which she posted students' watercolor paintings to the whiteboard and used the drawing tools to show them how each painting might be made better. She drew in new horizons, showed them how the use of light and dark could be made more effective, demonstrated perspective. On a lonely ocean scene (given Saddleback's proximity to beautiful beaches, these were plentiful), she drew a sailboat or two to provide interest to the pictures. She used arrows to point to each picture's "standout" visual point, and led discussions on why that feature captured the viewer's attention. Where contrast was poorly used, she darkened elements of the picture to show how attention could be drawn to parts of the picture simply by adding contrast. As Robin taught and demonstrated, her students - all participating remotely - became excited and enthused about the insights they were gaining. The "oohs" and "ahs" - and "ahas" - could be heard throughout the class session.

Today, Robin uses more than the whiteboard to teach art to her online students. She uses the Webcam to show students how to mix colors, use brush strokes effectively, and compose a picture. By doing this "live" before her students, she is able to field questions from students and improvise according to what they ask or how they respond. The class becomes interactive, and - where visual techniques are most critical - learning can be focused on seeing the proper methods and discovering in real time the principles of artful composition and construction.

The multimedia library tool - which allows an instructor to play movies or multimedia files to students - has also become a staple in Robin's classes. Robin has created a series of digital movies that demonstrate the methods she wants her students to master. In these, she demonstrates a technique and provides a narrative that explains and clarifies the method. These clips allow her to provide lessons or demonstrations any time she finds it appropriate to do so; she simply loads the file into the Multimedia Library and plays them once the file has been loaded. Because this tool plays multimedia files on the viewer's native computer, the class sees the lesson in real time and reacts while the instructor is present and able to add information or edification.

Perhaps I'm most impressed by the innovative use Robin makes of tools anyone can access. She's an artist, so creativity comes with the territory, but her approach is especially original. She uses ordinary hardware - clamp-on lights, foil reflectors, and inexpensive Webcams - to create a home studio suitable for providing the lighting and effects she needs to provide students with online art lessons that impress and inspire. A touch tablet allows her to draw on the whiteboad quickly and effectively, and simple software like Painter and Photoshop enable her to do quick touchups to paintings.

To see Robin in action using CCC Confer, watch this demonstration. I'm sure you'll agree with me that this artist models the effective use of Web conferencing technology. Artists afraid of technology? Nonsense! Artists make this technology beautiful.

Technophilia or Infomania?

"Research recently commissioned by technology experts Hewlett Packard, concluded that 62% of adults are addicted to checking e-mail and text messages. An investigation of over a 1,000 adults, carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London, found that 1 in 2 workers respond to an e-mail or text either immediately or within the hour. 1 in 5 people wouldn’t consider it inappropriate to interrupt a business meeting or social gathering in order to respond to a text message or e-mail.

"Victims of infomania are thought to suffer a significant loss of concentration, their minds in a permanent state of readiness to reply to texts and e-mails which distracts them from other tasks. This may result in an average drop in IQ of 10 points, more than twice the reduction caused by smoking marijuana and the equivalent to losing a night’s sleep. Men are allegedly more susceptible to infomania than women." (Macmillan English Dictionary)

Students in your online classroom may be trying to manage more information than they can handle. They see your visuals, hear your explanation, may be checking out who else is online in the roster, and may have a host of chat messages (public or private) coming at them at the same time. All of this can be a distraction from the important learning task you're intent on having them accomplish. Over time, we all get better at coping with multiple information sources and the stream of data that is constantly available, but your students may not have had time to develop skills in information management.

Bill Mann suggests that mind maps are a useful way to overcome information overload. "A mind map is a visual representation of chunks of information and the relationships between those chunks. Starting with a central topic, idea, or theme, you create a mind map by writing a phrase that identifies the central theme in the center of a piece of paper. Next, you write words or phrases identifying key topics on the page, arranging them around the central theme. Draw lines between the topics and the central theme to show that they are related. You can also connect topics directly to each other." Tony Buzan has a wonderful video clip that illustrates the use of mind maps, along with several books on the subject.

Herbert Simon said, ""In the period ahead of us, more important than advances in computer design will be the advances we can make in our understanding of human information processing...."  You can help your students process the information you provide in your classroom by giving them advice or tips about how to handle all this "stuff." This may be as simple as providing Ross Dowson's "Eight steps to thriving on information overload" or as complex as devoting a class period to sharing and discussing how your students are handling the information they're getting in your class. As David Meyer's research demonstrates, multitasking is going to slow your students down and increase their chances of making mistakes: none of us can actually concentrate on two things at once.

We know this from experience. Let's share our knowledge with students who haven't learned it yet.

Teaching the Texters

"Viewed from the other side of the Atlantic, text messaging by adolescents in the United States seems reminiscent of the early days of desktop publishing. Once we reveled in experiments with point size, font style, and color. The results were often graphic disasters, as we failed to heed the Delphic warning, "Nothing in Excess." Gradually word processing became a workaday tool, and our documents calmed down. In Europe, text messaging (generally known as SMS) first appeared in 1993, giving young people a decade more experience with the medium than their American counterparts. What is still often a toy in America, played on with youthful abandon, has settled into a pedestrian appliance elsewhere, particularly as teens mature into young adults." - Naomi S. Baron, author of Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World in a blog post.

Now that Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have embraced the mobile phone - and Apple has made the mobile phone a true mobile multimedia computing device - we as instructors have to accept the fact that our students are never far from their mobile friends, in or out of class. This video, first uploaded to YouTube in 2007, challenges teachers to incorporate texting assignments in their classrooms to help engage and motivate students. It suggests, for example, that you use class time to ask students to text someone outside of class and find out what they had for breakfast, what the weather is like where they are, and what they last purchased. Bonus points might be added for text messages that come from another country and/or in another language.

Marc Prensky believes we educators must incorporate cell phones into instruction. "Languages, literature, public speaking, writing, storytelling, and history are just a few of the subjects that are highly adaptable to voice-only technology." Texting adds the ability to "conduct pop quizzes or spelling or math tests, to poll students' opinions, to make learners aware of current events for class discussion (e.g., with messages from Cable News Network's Breaking News), and even to tutor students." He goes on: "Can we create programs, or even exams, that we hand out on memory cards for students to slip into their phones? Can homework and exams get marked and annotated automatically?...Can classes and schools (or subjects across those) be set up so that all classmates are permanently connected, and can pedagogies be constructed to take advantage of this?"

The number of text messages transmitted in the United States grew by more than 80 percent over the 12 months ended in June, 2009, to 135.2 billion per month. That number - 80 - is the average number of text messages each of your students sends every day. Along with sending messages, they're reading books, watching and uploading videos, voting on game shows, learning languages, and interacting with tutors. They're learning, in other words. And we're challenged to teach them in a language they understand.

Here's part of the new lingo, in case it shows up in your chat window:
! = I have a comment
10Q = Thank you
121 = One to one
404 = I haven't a clue.
411 = Information
511 = Too much information
::poof:: = I'm gone
AAK = Asleep at keyboard
AFC = Away from computer
AWHFY = Are we having fun yet?
(For more, check this link.)