EQUIPPING YOURSELF TO TEACH synchronous online classes can be a daunting undertaking. All those new applications, tools, and technologies. New skills. The great online unknown. Classroom trainers in every walk of life are experiencing the shift to online learning solutions and the need to facilitate in unfamiliar environments.

Even when the applications have been selected and learned, translating traditional classroom skills to the online synchronous classroom challenges even the seasoned instructor. This article explores the common aspects of the synchronous web meeting, or virtual classroom, and provides a brief overview of how traditional classroom facilitation skills can be translated into this environment.

More than ever, the web classroom is a place where you can abuse your power to control learners. Rather than striving to control your class, the challenge is to involve participants, make it impossible for them to tear their eyes and ears from the classroom by effectively using the tools available to you. The components of your web classroom determine how you will engage the learner and evaluate the level of audience understanding.

Although there are many web conferencing and classroom applications available, most of them include common elements. Look at the screen shot below. Place your mouse over certain elements to see descriptions of the elements available.

A typical online classroom 

Here is the screen shot of a typical web meeting or classroom space. Most online classrooms include these basics. They may look differently, but most of them act the same way. Mouse over areas of the image to see explanations of the features.

Certain facilitation truths hold, regardless of the medium or delivery mechanism. In preparing to teach online, ponder on the elements of your best classroom sessions, as a facilitator and a student.

Following is a short, and certainly incomplete, list of some of the skills you'll want to translate to the online learning experience. Some things may be difficult or impossible to replicate in the online classroom experience. However, the intent or purpose need not be lost.

When using online tools to facilitate synchronous classes, keep in mind that the intent isn't to duplicate the exact traditional classroom environment. Rather it is an opportunity to think of new ways to incorporate the technologies available to you. Take advantage of students' access to telephone, e-mail, Internet, word processors, and online demos.

Structure classroom activities and breakout sessions around the white board, chat rooms, and application sharing capabilities. Ask yourself, "When the students leave the class, what do I want them to be able to do? How could we duplicate that experience, skill, or interaction in an online class?"

Click on the links below to see examples of each tool in a new browser window.

• Polling
• Whiteboards
• Application Sharing
  

Check out the following sites for more information about the different web conferencing/ classroom applications available.

• Placeware
• LearnCentrix
• Webex

Rhea Borysiak Fix, Instructional Designer