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It is harder to create an interactive learning environment on Zoom than it is in face to face teaching. You will need to help it happen. Below are some tips on developing an online classroom, where students can connect with you and each other.
City Lit has a policy of asking students to keep their video on, unless they have a good reason for not doing so. Do encourage students to do this, as it's much harder to form a cohesive online group if people can't be seen.
Asking questions on Zoom
Asking questions on Zoom
It's less easy online for students to respond without talking over each other! The following should help:
Explain how students can indicate they want to answer (e.g. using the 'hands up' sign; physically holding up their hand; holding up a piece of paper with answer etc.)
Ask everyone to write answers in the chat box. Then choose which to share.
Direct questioning - ask a specific student a question to bring in a quieter person (after giving everyone time to think)
Use the 'reactions' button - ask students to do thumbs up or thumbs down, for example
Use the 'short answer' option in Google Classroom (Go to Classwork - Materials - Create)
Use the 'Stream' in Google Classroom as a forum where students can give peer feedback.
Using breakout rooms
Using breakout rooms
Zoom allows you to send your students to small group 'breakout rooms', where they can:
discuss a question
practise language or other learning
complete a task or work out a problem
You can set the time, and can randomly select groups, or assign students to groups.
You can join each group to monitor how they are progressing.
You can use a Google shared document, or a padlet (see below), to collect thoughts from each group.
Exercises and tasks
Exercises and tasks
Exercises and tasks can be set using Google Classroom and/or Zoom. Some good ones for interaction are:
Set a quiz. Google will collect students' answers and you can share the results as pie and bar charts. You can also arrange for the quiz to be self marking if you wish.
Use the poll feature on Zoom - this allows you to set a question, and for the whole class to answer at once. The results appear in the form of a bar chart which everyone can see.
Use flipped learning - set students a task before the class, such as a piece of reading/video so you can use class time to discuss.
Details of how to use Google Classroom for quizzes, assignments etc is here
Presentations, recordings and videos
Presentations, recordings and videos
Students can make presentations to the rest of the group on Zoom. You need to enable screensharing for everyone, so they can display PowerPoints or other documents to their peers.
For practical classes, you can use the 'Spotlight' feature in Zoom. This will enable everyone to see you more clearly.
Students can video or record themselves (e.g. playing a piece or performing). They can share these with you by email, or upload them to YouTube and send you the link.
Using Apps
Using Apps
There are a variety of simple apps that are useful for promoting interaction and checking learning. These are simple to use. You register with the site, create an activity and then send a link to your students so they can join in. You can post the link in the Chat, or the Stream on Google Classroom.
Some popular ones are:
Jamboard - a free Google app that allows you to create (for example) a collective board with post-its written by everyone in the group. Find it when you log on to your City Lit Google page
Kahoot (game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, share and play learning games or trivia quizzes)
Quizlet (website providing learning tools for students, including quizzes, flashcards, games)
Mentimeter (app for creating interactive presentations and word clouds)
Padlet (online “bulletin” board, where students and tutors can collaborate, reflect, share links and pictures)
Wordwall (tool enabling students to drag and drop words into blank spaces within a text)
Coggle It (tool for creating and sharing mind maps and flow charts)
Note.ly (application that allows you to create sticky notes that can be accessed from various devices)
WordPress (tool to make your website, e.g for sharing student's photos/images and ongoing reflection on work)
(Home page of Padlet App)
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