In early 2020, because of COVID-19, many colleges and schools around the world closed, and many teachers, instructors, and faculty members had to learn how to teach online in a hurry. This book takes a step back, and focuses on helping educators teach effective live online sessions with Zoom. Dan Levy, a faculty member at Harvard University, offers practical pedagogical advice for educators on questions such as:•Why and how to use breakout rooms?•Should you use chat, and if so, how?•How do you build community in a virtual classroom?

The book is based on the author’s own experience teaching in person and online at Harvard University, observations of several colleagues teaching virtually, research-based principles of effective teaching and learning, tips from the readers of the first edition of the book, and, perhaps just as importantly, interviews with dozens of students who have had to adapt to online learning. This second edition, updated for 2021, incorporates more innovative practices from a wider range of instructors and includes teaching approaches that are made possible by updates or new features that Zoom launched after the first edition was published.

Liberating Structures that work really well online

It’s interesting that some of the more complex Liberating Structures are actually easy to use online. For example Ecocycle Planning, Panarchy, and Critical Uncertainties. These ones might even be easier to use online, than in person. This probably is due to the focus on identifying patterns. An online whiteboard makes it very easy to spot patterns and differences. Structures that are quite straightforward, and don’t require any “breakout room magic” also work perfectly fine online.

• Ecocycle Planning & Panarchy. With Ecocycle Planning and Panarchy you explore what it is that you’re keeping in the air (but shouldn’t), and what it is that you aren’t (but should). You can do this for activities, relationships, basically everything you do as a team, organization, or community. Both structures work exceptionally well online. They help you to see the “forest AND the trees”. When using an online whiteboard, it’s easy to zoom in and out and identify patterns across the different Ecocycles. I’d say these structures work even better online, compared to in-person.

What are some other ways that backchannel might function in educational settings? Cliff Atkinson describes some common and uncommon uses of the backchannel in Chapter 3 of his book. Here are my thoughts on how Atkinson’s uses might map over to educational settings:

• Notetaking: Students can take their notes during a class in the backchannel. This provides an electronic (and thus searchable) set of notes for the student. Moreover, students can read and use each other’s notes more easily. You might even select two or three students each day to be official class note-takers, freeing other students up for more engagement in class.
• Sharing Resources: Students can also look online (or, call me crazy, in their textbooks) for information that supplements the lecture or class discussion. It’s easy to share links in the backchannel thanks to all the URL shortening services, and students can be very good at finding useful and relevant information online. And if a resource shared by a student isn’t useful or relevant, it creates an opportunity to discuss with students how to find and evaluate online information resources.

Roll Call. One option for a round robin is to ask your question or give your prompt, then have students volunteer their responses in whatever order they want. This “popcorn” approach is easy to use, but it does tend to result in the same students starting the process every time. An alternative is to play “tag,” asking the first student who responds to call on a second student to respond. That second student responds and then calls on a third student to go next, and so on. This has the advantages of helping everyone learn each other’s names, but some students find it stressful not knowing when it will be their turn and mispronouncing a peer’s name can be awkward. Instead, consider posting an ordered list of students names in the text chat, and having students take turns responding to your question in that order. This will allow you to hear from every student, while giving students time to put together their thoughts. Note that a text chat response might be a better option than voice for some neurodivergent students, students with speech disabilities, or those experiencing background noise.

In general, it is best practice to make all of your meetings as accessible as possible. When you apply accessibility standards from the beginning, you make the meeting easier for anyone to access and participate. Not only does this help meeting attendees with undisclosed disabilities, but you also benefit those with limited language proficiency, those who are accessing the meeting via phone, or anyone with barriers to accessing the meeting.

Following Section 508 standards in advance also ensures that if and when the standards become applicable to your meetings, you are able to avoid costly rework or remediation to retroactively incorporate digital accessibility into your plan.