Participating in online classes can be difficult. Creating new patterns for students to participate will help you avoid interruptions and increase opportunities.

One predictable pattern that has increased participation in my classes has been to share a Google Doc and include a simple table with a column for names and a column for answers.

Giving students a simple, predictable opportunity for students to participate in classes will get you started. After a while you can start to adapt the format to include new and interesting ways of participating. The basic foundation is a shared Doc and a blank space with their name on it.

To share a doc it is best to share directly to your students gmail addresses. This way you avoid all the anonymous animals that appear when students join via link with their default browser, which may not be Chrome. Collect the lists of your students and share the link by copying their emails and sending them the file. Be sure to set their permissions to Editor.