Virtual Classroom

• Preparing the students
  • Establish virtual etiquette (how students should respond to each other).
  • Practice before the first official meeting. Chat informally.
  • Encourage brevity; discourage long-winded posts and speeches which slow up conversations.
  • Train students to type what they want to say and keep it on the input line until they are recognized. When they are recognized hit <enter>.
  • Indicate how students can scroll back during discussion to re-read conversations.
  • Explore discussion topics: provide a set of questions and/or topics for consideration before the virtual class so that students will be able to better focus their ideas and increase their willingness to participate.

  
  
  

• Conducting the class
  • Give a sense of order to the class and make it easier to follow the discussion: encourage using virtual etiquette.
  • Introduce the topic
  • Survey: ask a question to which everyone can respond--like taking a vote--and tally the responses. This procedure can engage most of the students into discussion.
  • Provoke: provide information, preferably pre-written, which leads into a question.