CPD Webinar: Co-Creating Expectation
Channel: ALT
Date: 2021-08-02

This webinar is part of our 2021 CPD webinar sessions. Participants will earn an ALT CPD Open Badge which can be used as evidence towards accreditation via one of the pathways in ALT’s CMALT framework. 

Presenter:  Tom Langston and Stuart Sims

Since the start of the pandemic, teaching through web conferencing tools like Zoom has ushered in new challenges around student engagement. Lectures populated by just names or boxes and silent or empty breakout rooms. In-class teaching may feel like the engagement is higher as it is easier to gauge the reaction of the class. But is anyone actually listening? The advent of solely online teaching has arguably only highlighted a problem that was already there.

The aim of this session is to look at how we might tackle engagement, both digital and “analog” going forward. In what ways can we approach discussions with our students proactively rather than reactively? The aim should not be about trying to find out why something has not worked but rather implementing a structure that is relevant to everyone participating in the class.

Using Audience Response Tools to structure co-creative discussion around engagement and expectations is a solution to resolving the problem collaboratively. Structured engagement opportunities create a set of shared expectations and responsibilities for both students and staff. This makes transparent both why we teach in the way we do and what benefits students will gain from engagement. The expectations that should be considered are not just what we as educators think our students should do, but also the students' expectations towards us and each other.

This session will share some practical guidance on how to structure such discussions and how to facilitate a conversation when people may not want to turn on their camera or unmute their microphones.