Preparing for Synchronous Sessions

Design ideas

Some of the following resources may give you ideas about how you can design engaging activities online.

• The Ideas for Active Online Learning article from Faculty Focus (approx. 2 pages) features a 'synchronous collaboration' section which gives some ideas to support active learning, such as using breakout rooms for collaborative student activities and the chat feature for a fun, simultaneous check of student learning.
• This article, Graduate Degrees through Synchronous Online Learning at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, talks about the design, outcomes, benefits and challenges when teaching graduate programs through mostly synchronous online methods.
• The following video features several instructors talking about how they are using or tips for using Blackboard Collaborate and other synchronous web-conferencing platforms in their online classrooms [4:48 min]:

• This Activity Selection Grid from CindyHuggett.com may give you ideas as to how you could use application tools interactively.