How to engage students in a dual-delivery class
With university campuses reopening across the world, many students are eagerly returning to face-to-face classes. But what about dual delivery, where online students are joining on-campus learning activities via video? In Episode 43 of the Tales of Teaching Online podcast Dr Jo Elliott talks to Dr Nicole Siller about her strategies to engage both online and on-campus students in a first-year law cohort.
A CloudFirst approach
Nicole explains how she used Zoom to connect online students to the campus class so that both cohorts could work together cohesively. She highlights that her unit underwent a CloudFirst redesign approach, which led her to reconsider what content she was providing students and how she was delivering it. From the scaffolding of content, the mode of delivery, and application for the students, she built a unit structure that would lend itself to dual delivery.
Student expectations
One key aspect of providing a great dual-delivery experience is the students expectations of how the unit will run. It’s important to make sure that students know how the unit will be delivered from the beginning of the trimester. This enables students to prepare in advance and apply key concepts of dual delivery. Nicole explains that by providing clear expectations, you’re preparing students for what will be asked of them in a professional setting by providing them with an authentic experience.
How to engage students
There are many strategies Nicole uses to engage students. She makes sure to acknowledge online students at the beginning of class and always uses their names if they contribute to the session through the chat function. She also ensures that all questions and discussions in the on-campus class are made through a microphone or repeated by herself, so online students can actively participate.
Listen to episode 43 to hear more about Nicole’s strategies, including her recommendations for any other teaching teams that are considering dual delivery.