Set up online synchronous participation

• Instructors can engage with students who would otherwise be absent, reducing the need for additional accommodations. 

• Managing multiple environments simultaneously may create a high cognitive load. 

• Instructors may require additional prep time to ensure the pedagogy, technology, and logistics support the learning of students who are participating synchronously online. 

• Equipment is often not sophisticated enough to produce quality results. External cameras and microphones added to laptops are not designed to capture video/audio from more than a few feet away. In addition, consumer-grade peripherals are not designed for repeated setup/take down. Quality tends to be poor in larger spaces. 

• Students who are unable to attend in-person classes can receive an accommodation. 

• Students who are unable to attend in-person classes can have some interaction with the instructor and peers instead of viewing a class recording or missing the lecture altogether. 

• Students participating synchronously online may have less rich learning experiences than students who are in person: online synchronous participation may not fully support students with achieving the course learning outcomes. 

• Students may encounter connection challenges, as well as technology issues due to either their own or their instructor’s equipment.  

Required

• Every classroom has an ethernet (blue network cable) connection in the classroom. Be sure you can connect an ethernet cable to your laptop. 

Some laptops may require a dongle attachment to allow for ethernet connections. 

• Laptops must have USB connections to easily add external peripherals.

Not all laptops have USB connections; a dongle may be required.  

External camera for laptop 

• Logitech Brio Ultra HD Pro Business Webcam 4k (~$249) 

• Logitech 930e Business Webcam (~$169) 

• Logitech HD C9222 (includes tripod ~$129) 

Basic tripod 

• Amazon Basics Tripod (~$22) 

External microphone for laptop  

• Blue Snowball (~$70)

• Blue Yeti X (~$169)

• Blue Yeti Pro (~$249)

• Plantronics Voyager 5200 (~$100-$120)*

*Bluetooth microphone for instructor only 

External speakers for laptop 

Laptop with room projector/audio connection. See the Classroom AV tool for room instructions. 

Before class

Consider these questions:

• Will the online synchronous participation option be available to all students or only to students who have a valid reason for being absent (e.g., illness)?  

• Will students have to obtain your permission to participate online? 

• If permission is not required, will you ask students to inform you in advance of the scheduled class time if they will be participating online? 

Explain the implementation to students and engage them in establishing ground rules for participation. It is recommended that you let students know in writing (e.g., in your course outline or a myCourses Announcement) what they need to do to participate synchronously online. 

Keep in mind that class size has an impact on the pedagogical strategies and technologies required for implementation. 

Place the camera/microphone to capture yourself and as many students as possible to ensure participation.

A disclaimer that academic activities will be recorded and that students’ voices and first names may be recorded and viewed by other students should be communicated to the class.

Try to get to class early to set up the equipment and address technical issues before your class starts. 

Take a photo of the technology setup (i.e., the cable connections) so that you can refer to it when setting up subsequent classes. 

During class

• Enable recording to the cloud with Zoom as a backup in case internet connection fails. 

• Use a coordinated system to ensure both in-class and online students have opportunities to participate. For example, alternate taking questions/comments from in-person and online students.  

• Repeat questions that in-person students ask so that online students can hear them and remain involved in the class conversation. 

• Consider having students/TA/co-instructor assist in monitoring Zoom for raised hands and moderating questions/comments in the chat. 

• Establish a buddy system where in-person students are paired with online students to share class information.