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USING&BACKCHANNELING&TO&SUPPLEMENT&REAL3TIME&LESSONS&DURING&EMERGENCY&ONLINE&LEARNING&&Euan&Bonner&
Kanda%University%of%International%Studies%&INTRODUCTION&&
In%Japan,% during%the%opening%months% of%the%2020%pandemic,%it%became% clear%to% university%
administration,%that%regular%in>person% lessons%could% not%start%as% usual%at%the% beginning%of%
April.%The%decision%was%made%to%delay%the%commencement%of%the%semester%by%three%weeks%
while% an% emergency% online% learning% system% was% developed% to% enable% both% students% and%teachers%to%participate%in%online%lessons%from%their%own%homes.%The%university%decided%to%use%
the%video%conferencing%software%Zoom%as%the%primary%real>time%lesson%communication%tool.%
As%a%part%of%my%role%in%the%Online%Lesson%Support%Team%for%the%university,%I%identified%the%need%for%backchanneling%to%support%the%real>time%Zoom>based%lessons%to%help%teachers%and%students% better% communicate% during% this% period% of% disruption.% This% paper% describes% the%reasoning%behind%the%selection%of%LINE%OpenChat%for%this%purpose%and%its%use>cases.%%
BACKCHANNELING&&Backchanneling,% also% known% as% audience% response% systems,% are% methods% of% providing%members%of%an%audience%with%a%means%to%communicate%with%the%host%without%interrupting%a%
lesson% or% presentation% (Kay% &% LeSage,% 2009).% Backchanneling% has% mainly% been% used% in%
language% learning% education% to% gather% student% feedback,% check% understanding,% and% for%informal%assessment%during%lessons%(Reinders,%2014).%It%has%also%helped%provide%students%with%a%tool%for%communicating%with%their%teacher%without%the%fear%of%interrupting%the%lesson%and%drawing%the%focus%of%the%class.%During%a%period%of%emergency%online%learning,%it%can%also%play%
a% more% direct% role% by% providing% an% additional% communication% channel% for% students%
experiencing%various%issues%during%a%lesson.%Students%can%contact%their%teacher%and%receive%
assistance% when% their% primary% method% of% communication% in% the% lesson% (e.g.% video%
conferencing%software)%is%compromised.%%
In% practical% terms,% the% most% common% method% for% creating% backchanneling% opportunities%
would%be%to%use%a%smartphone%messaging%application.%This%would%allow%students%to%directly%
communicate% with% the% teacher% outside% of% the% video% conferencing% software% to% check%understanding,%provide%feedback%and%even%receive%technical%support.%%
In%Japan,%the%overwhelming%popularity%of%LINE%(“Number%of%monthly”,%2020)%would%make%it%
the%most%obvious%candidate%for%creating%a%group%chat%room%as%an%online%lesson%backchannel.%
However,%there%is%also%a%need%to%consider%user%privacy%and%confidentiality%when%selecting%a%
suitable%real>time%communication%tool.% Often% messaging%applications% require% the%use%of%a%
single%user%profile,%meaning%that%participation%in%an%online%group%can%also%expose%users%to%harassment%and%unwanted%communication%via%direct%messages%from%other%members.%%

9.	  Using	  Backchanneling	  to	  Supplement	  Real-­‐Time	  Lessons	  During	  Emergency	  Online	  Learning.	  Euan	  Bonner.	  Pages	  41-­‐44.	  Literacies	  &	  Language	  Education:	  Research	  &	  Practice,	  2020	  Special	  Section:	  Teaching	  During	  a	  Pandemic.	  English	  Language	  Institute,	  KUIS.

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Ideally,%the%perfect%solution%for%these%circumstances%would%be%a%messaging%application%that%
has%a%group%chat%functionality%that%not%only%prevented%direct%messaging%of%group%members,%
but%also%required%the%creation%of%new%aliases.%After%some%investigation,%it%was%discovered%that%
LINE%had%such%capabilities.%LINE%OpenChat%is%a%method%of%creating%and%participating%in%LINE%
group% discussions% without% revealing% a% participant’s% LINE% identification.% After% a% period% of%evaluation%and%testing%with%co>workers,%I%decided%to%proceed%with%using%OpenChat%with%both%
my%first%and%second>year%student%classes.%%
FEATURES&&&SETUP&&
The%process%for%setting%up%OpenChat%chat%rooms%was%relatively%simple.%When%I%created%the%rooms%for%class%use,%I%selected% a%name% and%profile% photo% for% the% room%and% deselected% the%option%for%“Allow%search”,%which%sets%the%room%to%only%be%accessible%by%those%with%the%link%(see%Fig.%1).%Links%are%available%as%URLs%or%QR%codes%and%were%shared%with%students%via%email%
and%Google%Classroom.%The%link%directed%students%to%a%simple%signup%page%which%asked%them%
to%create%a%new%pseudonym%and%select%a%profile%picture%(see%Fig.%2).%No%other%information%was%
requested.%%
Fig.%1:%Creating%a%new%OpenChat%room;%Fig.%2:%Setting%up%an%OpenChat%profile%%%For%OpenChat%room%administrators,%there%are%a%variety%of%settings%to%control%the%postable%
content,% including% activating% AI% bots% that% can% monitor% the% room% to% automatically% delete%specific%words,%and%even%provide%computer>generated%translations%between%languages%(see%Fig.%3).%There%is%also%an%anti>phishing%capability%that%automatically%deletes%any%attempt%by%users%to%share%their%true%LINE%identification.%Students%who%did%wish%to%become%direct%LINE%
friends%with%other%students%were%encouraged%to%use%less%public%methods%to%directly%connect%
with%one%another.%%%!

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Fig.%3:%AI%bot%features%available%for%OpenChat%room%administrators%%%
The%setup%process%for%my%classes%went%smoothly,%with%all%students%successfully%joining%their%class’s%OpenChat%room%by%the%commencement%of%the%first%lesson,%after%having%received%the%links%in%the%classroom%syllabus%one%week%beforehand.%%USAGE&SCENARIOS&&
Over% the%course%of%the%first%semester%of% emergency% online% learning,%the%OpenChat% rooms%
were%utilised%in%a%variety%of%ways%to%aid%in%teaching%and%managing%students:%%
Polling&Classes&
The% main% method% used% to%backchannel% with% the% classes%for%feedback%and% comprehension%
checking%was%the%use%of%OpenChat’s%poll%system.%LINE%features%the%ability%to%poll%chat%rooms%
anonymously,%which%allowed%my%students%to%voice%their%opinions%and%provide%honest%answers%
without%revealing%their%identities%to%the%class%or%even%to%me.%This%proved%invaluable%in%getting%students%to%participate%when%they%appeared%much%more%reluctant%to%publicly%participate%in%
the%Zoom%video%sessions.%While%Zoom%also%had%this%feature,%the%creation%of%Zoom%polls%was%
a%much%more%involved%process,%whereas%on%LINE,%it%was%possible%to%create%new%polls%on%the%
spot.%%
Video&Breakout&Sessions&Many%real>time%activities%facilitated%the%use%of%“breakout%sessions”%using%Zoom’s%ability%to%
divide%students%into%smaller%private%video%conferencing%groups%that%were%isolated%from%the%
main%video%conferencing%session.%During%this%time,%the%only%method%of%communication%from%me% was% via% a% small% notification% message% that% would% appear% at% the% top% of% each% student’s%
screen%for%a%few%seconds.%However,%students%were%able%to%switch%applications%from%Zoom%to%other% collaborative%classwork%applications% such%as% Google%Docs%or% Google% Slides.%In% these%
applications,% Zoom% notifications% were% not% displayed,% meaning% students% were% completely%isolated% from% communicating% with% me% unless% I% entered% each% breakout% session% directly.%
OpenChat% enabled% continued% communication% with% the% class,% enabling% me% to% check%understanding%and%provide%additional%information%as%students%worked.%%!

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Video&Conferencing&Technical&Issues&During% the% period% of% emergency% online% learning,% there% were% significant% issues% with% the%internet% connections% of% both% students% and% teachers.% This% resulted% in% occasions% where%
students%were%unable%to%maintain%a%reliable%connection%to%the%real>time%lessons.%However,%using%OpenChat,%my%students%were%able%to%report%connection%issues%to%me%immediately%via%
their%mobile%phone%cell>data.%Similarly,%there%was%a%single%occasion%where%my%own%internet%
connection% became% unstable% and% continuing% the% Zoom% session% became% impossible.%
Fortunately,% via% OpenChat,% I% immediately% informed% my% students% that% I% would% post% the%lesson’s%classwork%on%Google%Classroom%and%asked%them%to%use%the%remaining%class%time%to%work%on%these%activities.%%
Classwork&Reminders&&&Prompts&
In%one%instance,%a%lesson%was%divided%into%a%real>time%video%lecture%and%a%Google%Classroom>
based%classwork%activity.%It%was%noted%shortly%after%the%end%of%the%Zoom%session%that%some%students%did%not%begin%work%on%their%online%documents.%A%message%was%quickly%sent%to%the%
OpenChat%room%reminding%them%that%the%lesson%was%not%over%and%to%work%on%the%classwork%
activities%immediately.%This%proved%to%be%an%effective%method%of%keeping%everyone%on>task%
outside%of%video%conferencing%lessons.%%CONCLUSION&%
While%video%conferencing%software%can%help%to%provide%a%continuation%of%real>time%education%
during%periods%of%emergency%online%learning,%there%still%exists%a%need%for%a%greater%ability%to%check% student% understanding,% gather% feedback% and% provide% informal% assessment% during%these%times.%Backchanneling%between%teachers%and%students%has%the%potential%to%provide%a%means% to% help% address% this% issue.% Using% LINE% OpenChat% as% a% backchanneling% tool%helped%
provide% this% functionality,% while%also% addressing% the% need% for% student% privacy%and% helping%them%separate%their%online%educational%identities%from%their%social%ones.%%%REFERENCES&&Kay,% R.% &% LeSage,% A.% (2009).% Examining% the% benefits% and% challenges% of% using% audience%
response%systems:%A%review%of%the%literature.%Computers%&%Education,%53,%819>827.%%https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131509001134%%
Number% of%monthly%active%LINE%users%in%Japan% from% 1st%quarter%2013% to% 4th% quarter% 2019%(2020).%https://www.statista.com/statistics/560545/number>of>monthly>active>line>appuser%s>japan/%%
Reinders,% H.% (2014).% Backchannelling% in% the% Language% Classroom:% Improving% Student%
Attention%and%Retention%with%Feedback%Technologies.%The%Journal%of%Language%Teaching%and%
Learning,% 4.% 84>91.% % https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323185308_Backchannelling%_in_the_Language_Classroom_Improving_Student_Attention_and_Retention_with_Feedb
ack_Technologies%!