We continue our conversation with David Richardson on how to create connection online. In today’s “Expert Talk” episode David provides valuable tips for online teachers and trainers that deal with transferring our personality online, in a synchronous classroom. He suggests:
- not reading from notes
- creating personal connection at the beginning of each class…..
Watch this 4 min video to learn more!
- positioning your video cam right below your face
- putting reminders for yourself on your computer
- learning from the TV anchormen
- being relaxed
- maintaining eye contact
- changing your pitch regularly
- stop conveying purely factual information
LAST THING:
As you know, David and I spent a lot of time making this post for you. Please share it on Twitter, Facebook or any other social network.
Also, share YOUR strategies for connecting with your students and trainees online in the comments below.
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Enjoyed this presentation, it highlights the importance of a “student centred approach” to teaching and learning.
From my experience on both sides of the fence (as an online student and now as a professor teaching online) Linda is absolutely correct— the human voice online goes a long way in creating community.
I would also add that group activities do as well. My entire pedagogy revolves around group work. The best group work tends to be those projects with no real consequences (grades). It encourages risk taking, play, participation etc. many of my students have returned to tell me that they got to really know and form a relationship with fellow students that they had had class with in the past but never really interacted with. This is terribly important in building community online and in the classroom.
Some examples for online group activity:
1) short dyadic essay writing assignments 2)note taking pairs and 3)Short critical team debates.
The class bonding that takes place carries over into the discussion threads and critiques.
TJ, what a great comment. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom with us
Creating good contact is one important way to make the connection. Distance learning is a real step up from the past. Instead of having to sit physically in a designated location, which eventually consumed a lot of time. Now people can just log on with a click of a button and be there. I find that blogging, and message boards are also good tools to use for these types of functions, in order to get the message to and from everybody in the group.
Thank you so much, Tamara. I absolutely agree that creating rapport with your students online is #1 goal!
! Fantastic! Shared.
thanks, Paz!