Learners' experiences of synchronous online activities: final project report for ELESIG. May 2012

1.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities
Project
report
May
2012
Sarah
Cornelius
Carole
Gordon
University
of
Aberdeen

2.
Please
cite
this
report
as:
Cornelius
S
and
Gordon
C
(2012)
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
project
report.
Written
for
the
ELESIG
small
grants
scheme.
Aberdeen,
University
of
Aberdeen
Contributions and Acknowledgements
Carole
Gordon
acted
as
Principle
Investigator
for
this
project
until
June
2011
when
Sarah
Cornelius
took
over
this
role.
Research
was
conducted
jointly
by
Carole
and
Sarah.
The
support
of
colleagues
on
the
Teaching
Qualification
Further
Education
(TQFE)
–
Chris
Aldred,
Yvonne
Bain,
Margaret
Harris,
Lorna
Johnson
and
Jan
Schyma
-­‐
is
gratefully
acknowledged.
The
design
and
implementation
of
synchronous
online
learning
on
the
TQFE
has
been
a
team
effort,
and
members
of
the
team
have
supported
this
particular
project
in
various
ways,
including
providing
ideas
for
the
original
bid
for
funding
and
acting
as
critical
friends
throughout.
Thanks
are
also
due
to
members
of
the
Centre
for
Learning
and
Teaching
at
the
University
of
Aberdeen,
particularly
Sara
Preston,
Loraine
D’Antin
and
Rhian
Wood,
who
have
supported
the
teams’
work
with
web
conferencing.
Finally,
sincere
thanks
are
due
to
the
participants
who
gave
time
to
the
project
and
provided
frank
and
honest
feedback
on
their
experiences.
Contents
Background
to
project…………………………………………………………………………………………
3
Aims……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5
Project
outputs……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5
Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6
Findings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8
Conclusions
and
recommendations……………………………………………………………………
27
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
29
Appendices………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
30
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
2
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

3. Background to project
Web
conferencing
sessions
became
an
integral
part
of
the
online
version
of
the
Teaching
Qualification
in
Further
Education
(TQFE)
at
the
University
of
Aberdeen
in
2009.
By
the
start
of
this
research
project
in
2011
six
cohorts
of
learners
(over
60
in
total)
had
completed
the
programme
using
a
blended
online
approach.
This
includes
the
use
online
activities
delivered
via
a
virtual
learning
environment,
tutor
led
workshops
in
the
web
conferencing
software
Elluminate
Live!,
and
student-­‐led
collaborative
investigations.
Learners
on
the
programme
were
all
in-­‐service
lecturers
from
Scottish
Further
Education
colleges.
They
were
geographically
dispersed,
represented
a
variety
of
professional
and
vocational
subject
areas,
had
diverse
academic
backgrounds
and
varying
levels
of
IT
confidence
and
expertise.
Following
a
face-­‐to-­‐face
induction
session,
web
conferencing
was
accessed
by
participants
from
their
home
or
work
location
and
used
throughout
the
programme
to
provide
a
variety
of
learning
experiences
including:
 Workshops.
Regular
sessions
involving
up
to
12
learners
included
tutor
led
activities
such
as
icebreakers,
individual
activities,
large
and
small
group
discussions,
short
presentations
and
student-­‐led
activities
such
as
poster
‘presentations’.
They
included
frequent
opportunities
for
interaction
using
audio,
text,
whiteboard
tools,
emoticons
and
polling.
During
workshops
web
conferencing
was
often
combined
with
the
use
of
external
resources
including
web
sites,
YouTube
videos
and
documents.
 Tutorials.
These
were
shorter
sessions
that
focused
on
assignment
tasks
and
included
tutor
led
activities
and
discussions
with
smaller
groups
on
assignment
related
study
skills.
 Open
office
sessions.
Tutors
made
themselves
available
for
consultation
by
individual
learners
during
virtual
office
hours.
These
sessions
addressed
assignment
related
issues
and
file
sharing
was
a
commonly
used
tool.
 Student-­‐led
meetings.
Learners
were
required
to
work
collaboratively
to
investigate
problems
and
issues
relevant
to
their
professional
practice
and
groups
were
encouraged
to
use
web
conferencing
to
facilitate
teamwork
between
geographically
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
3
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

4. dispersed
group
members.
Some
groups
used
web
conferencing
on
a
regular
basis,
to
facilitate
interaction,
whilst
others
found
alternative
ways
of
collaborating.
By
the
end
of
the
online
TQFE
a
learner
will
have
completed
more
than
40
hours
of
study
time
using
web
conferencing.
Thus
they
can
be
regarded
as
experienced
users,
who
have
developed
a
high
level
of
familiarity
and
confidence
with
web
conferencing
software.
Learners
were
regularly
asked
to
provide
feedback
on
their
experiences
of
the
programme
and
the
delivery
approach.
Feedback
from
the
first
cohort
of
online
learners
led
to
changes
to
the
structure
and
presentation
of
sessions
and
activities,
for
example
the
inclusion
of
frequent
short
breaks
during
workshops,
and
revisions
to
the
approach
to
using
icebreaker
activities.
However,
despite
helpful
feedback
from
learners,
tutors
indicated
that
they
were
still
unsure
exactly
what
it
was
like
to
be
a
participant
in
the
virtual
classroom
sessions.
Reflection
on
the
tutoring
experience
led
the
tutoring
team
to
consider
the
‘duality’
of
experience
that
might
be
taking
place
–
the
possibility
that
there
was
a
significant,
but
potentially
invisible,
difference
between
what
the
tutor
thinks
is
taking
place
and
what
the
learner
is
actually
doing
or
feeling.
For
example,
during
an
activity
which
involves
watching
a
short
video
clip
tutors
cannot
see
learners’
actions
or
responses,
so
it
is
almost
impossible
for
them
to
tell
if
learners
are
enjoying
the
film,
annoyed
by
it,
having
technical
problems
or
engaged
in
a
completely
different
activity.
At
the
same
time
tutors
suggested
that
it
was
important
to
be
able
to
appreciate
and
understand
learners’
experiences
to
facilitate
the
development
of
appropriate,
engaging
and
effective
activities
for
their
online
sessions.
Whilst
there
has
been
other
research
into
learners’
and
teachers’
experiences
of
web
conferencing,
much
of
this
has
involved
learners
and/or
teachers
relatively
new
to
the
environment
(for
example
Ng,
2007;
Kear
et
al.,
2012).
The
TQFE
programme
provided
the
opportunity
to
conduct
research
with
more
experienced
and
confident
learners
who
were
able
to
provide
evidence
of
a
wider
range
of
experiences
over
a
full
academic
year
–
a
period
longer
than
that
considered
in
most
other
studies
to
date
(including
McBrien
et
al.,
2009
and
Wang
and
Hsu,
2009).
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
4
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

5. Project aims
The
main
aim
of
this
project
was
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
our
learners’
experiences
in
synchronous
online
classroom
to
help
us,
and
others,
develop
engaging
and
effective
learning
experiences
informed
by
learner
feedback.
A
secondary
aim
was
to
share
some
of
the
activities
and
information
about
learners’
experiences
with
the
wider
HE
and
FE
community,
particularly
those
who
are
using
or
planning
to
use
web
conferencing.
Project outputs
Project
outputs
include:
1. The
learners’
experiences
blog.
Contributions
to
the
blog
were
made
between
February
and
May
2011,
but
the
blog
remains
accessible
at
wtolexperiences.wordpress.com.
2. Recommendations
for
web
conferencing
faciltators
based
on
learners’
experiences.
Appendix
1
contains
the
final
set
of
recommendations
developed
from
the
findings
of
this
project.
These
recommendations
have
been
made
freely
available
via
slideshare
and
the
ELESIG
ning
site,
3. This
project
report
4. Webinar
and
conference
presentations.
An
online
presentation
was
delivered
to
the
JISC
e-­‐learning
conference
in
Novemebr
2011
and
a
recording
of
this
session
is
freely
available
at:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningpedagogy/elpconference11
/Activity%20Week.aspx.
A
paper
was
also
presented
to
the
4th
International
Conference
on
Computer
Supported
Learning
and
received
the
best
conference
paper
award
(see
http://www.csedu.org/PreviousAwards.aspx).
In
addition,
presentations
and
a
poster
(Appendix
1)
drawing
on
the
project
have
been
shared
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
5
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

6. internally
within
the
University
of
Aberdeen.
All
of
these
events
have
provided
the
opportunity
to
share
details
of
some
of
the
synchronous
online
activities
used
on
the
TQFE.
5. Publications.
A
paper
based
on
the
conference
paper
presented
is
in
preparation
and
an
additional
unforeseen
outcome
is
that
the
findings
of
this
research
will
contribute
to
a
book
on
live
online
learning
being
co-­‐authored
by
four
of
the
TQFE
team.
Work
on
this
is
currently
underway
and
publication
expected
in
2013/4.
Methodology
Two
methods
of
obtaining
detailed
accounts
of
learners’
experiences
were
used.
1.
Open
Access
blog
An
open
access
blog
was
set
up
at
wtolexperiences.wordpress.com.
The
blog
was
introduced
at
an
online
‘project
launch’
event
in
February
2011
and
all
TQFE
participants
who
had
completed
the
programme
were
invited
by
email
to
contribute.
They
were
provided
with
instructions
on
how
to
find
the
blog,
how
to
add
comments
and
how
to
receive
RSS
feeds.
Three
tutors
posted
blog
entries
on
various
aspects
of
the
programme
(for
example
ice
breakers,
small
group
work
in
breakout
rooms
and
discussions),
raising
questions
to
prompt
learners
to
reflect
on
and
share
their
experiences
(an
example
is
provided
in
Figure
1).
Eight
‘starter
postings’
were
made
by
tutors
between
February
and
May
2011.
Twenty
one
comments
were
received
from
six
learners,
some
lengthy
and
detailed.
The
blog
was
promoted
on
the
ELESIG
website
to
encourage
contributions
from
other
learners
and
tutors,
however,
all
contributions
received
were
from
TQFE
participants.
Blog
entries
were
reviewed
by
the
two
researchers
to
identify
the
main
emerging
themes
and
issues
for
further
discussion
(see
Appendix
2).
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
6
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

7.
Figure
1:
Screenshots
from
the
wtolexperiences
blog
showing
an
example
message
posted
by
tutors.
Two
comments
were
received
in
response
to
this
posting.
2.
Group
interview
The
emerging
themes
and
questions
(Appendix
2)
were
circulated
to
all
blog
contributors
along
with
an
invitation
to
participate
in
a
semi-­‐structured
group
interview
to
allow
further
exploration
of
issues
raised.
The
group
interview
took
place
at
a
FE
college
in
Central
Scotland
in
May
2011
and
was
attended
by
three
participants
and
the
two
researchers.
A
brief
summary
of
the
blog
postings
was
presented
to
open
the
discussion,
but
participants
were
allowed
to
take
the
conversation
in
any
direction
they
wished
and
raise
additional
topics.
The
interview
provided
rich
detail
of
the
participants’
experiences
and
indicates
areas
of
common
and
diverse
experiences.
The
conversation
was
recorded
and
transcribed
in
full.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
7
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

8.
Analysis
The
blog
postings
and
interview
transcript
were
analysed
iteratively
by
the
two
researchers
to
identify
emerging
themes
and
illustrative
quotations.
Following
independent
analysis,
themes
were
discussed,
sorted
and
classified
to
inform
the
recommendations
and
sub-­‐
recommendations,
each
supported
by
appropriate
quotations
from
learners.
Findings
Analysis
led
to
the
identification
of
nine
themes,
each
with
a
number
of
sub
themes
that
were
re-­‐worded
to
produce
recommendations.
The
final
recommendations
are
presented
in
Appendix
3
and
are
considered
in
turn
below.
For
each
theme
the
recommendation,
a
summary
statement
and
any
sub-­‐recommendations
are
presented,
followed
by
a
narrative
section
which
includes
extracts
from
blog
and
interview
contributions
to
indicate
how
the
evidence
obtained
from
learners
has
contributed
to
the
recommendations
drafted.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
8
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

9. Theme
1:
Preparation
and
initial
guidance
Recommendation:
Prepare
learners
for
learning
in
the
Virtual
Classroom
Learners
should
be
encouraged
to
consider
their
study
location
and
technical
set
up
before
engaging
in
formal
learning
sessions.
Advise
them
to
engage
with
sessions
from
a
location
that
suits
them
–
preferably
somewhere
where
they
will
feel
relaxed
and
where
there
are
minimal
distractions
and
interruptions.
Initial
technological
problems
create
anxieties
for
learners
and
impact
on
their
experiences.
Facilitators
can
help
by
providing
clear
and
precise
information
about
equipment
requirements
and
allocating
time
to
help
with
technological
issues.
Making
the
Virtual
Classroom
easy
to
find
and
access
will
prevent
learners
getting
‘lost’.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Encourage
learners
to
consider
where
they
will
be
when
engaging
with
the
Virtual
Classroom
–
and
be
aware
of
where
your
learners
are
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Allow
time
and
provide
support
to
help
learners
get
set
up
technically
Sub-­‐Recommendation
3:
Make
the
Virtual
Classroom
easy
to
find
Learners
should
be
encouraged
to
consider
their
study
location
and
technical
set
up
before
engaging
in
‘formal’
learning
sessions.
They
should
be
advised
to
engage
with
sessions
from
a
location
that
suits
them
–
preferably
somewhere
where
they
will
feel
relaxed
and
where
there
are
minimal
distractions
and
interruptions.
One
blogger
worked
exclusively
from
home
where
she
was
more
relaxed:
“I
attended
all
my
classes
from
home…[this]
worked
really
well
for
me
since
I
had
no
distractions…
[it]
worked
well
for
evening
[student-­‐led]
meetings
too.
Atmosphere
at
home
was
more
relaxed
than
it
would
have
been
in
the
office
and
a
constant
supply
of
tea
and
biscuits
helped.
My
office
environment
would
have
been
far
too
noisy,
busy
and
cold
to
allow
proper
concentration
and
I
suspect
there
would
have
been
multiple
interruptions.
”
Another
blogger
tried
various
locations,
also
noting
the
importance
of
avoiding
distractions
but
preferring
a
place
where
she
had
control
over
her
technological
set
up,
“[Initially
I]
used
an
empty
office
to
participate
in
the
workshop.
The
environment
was
a
good
one
though
as
I
could
lock
myself
in
and
disconnect
the
phone
-­‐
I
had
no
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
9
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

10. distractions.
[…]
In
the
second
block
I
began
to
participate
in
the
workshops
from
home
with
my
personal
laptop.
This
was
much
better
as
I
don’t
have
to
involve
technicians
when
I
need
anything
updated.”
Other
respondents,
possibly
those
with
less
confidence,
preferred
to
engage
where
support
was
locally
available.
Finding
out
where
learners
are
engaging
from
may
help
a
facilitator
provide
appropriate
support.
Initial
technological
problems
create
anxieties
for
learners
and
impact
on
their
experiences.
One
interviewee
recounted
her
experiences
of
the
first
workshop
when
she
couldn’t
get
connected
“I
was
frantic…it
was
awful.”
Audio
problems
have
a
significant
impact
on
learners,
as
one
interviewee
explained:
“[there]
was
whistling,
it
sounded
like
the
aliens
were
landing
…
it
was
horrendous.”
One
interviewee
felt
she
spoke
for
other
students,
and
would
have
appreciated
specific
advice
about
which
headset
to
use
to
prevent
audio
problems
“I
don’t
think
I
would
be
alone
in
being
faced
with
a
range
of
possible
[headsets]
you
could
buy.
Which
is
the
best
for
this
task?
I
got
to
the
point
where
it
didn’t
really
matter
what
it
cost
because
I
needed
to
hear
what
was
going
on,
but
it
was
about
product
knowledge”.
Additional
help
to
develop
protocols
for
microphone
use
to
prevent
audio
problems
are
also
considered
under
Recommendation
2.
Facilitators
can
help
ensure
successful
initial
experiences
by
providing
clear
and
precise
information
about
equipment
requirements
and
allocating
time
to
help
with
technological
issues.
Despite
valuing
induction
time
in
a
face
to
face
context,
respondents
suggested
that
time
for
testing
and
set
up
from
their
study
location
would
also
be
useful:
“I
was
also
confident
after
taking
part
in
the
[induction
day]
activities
involving
ICT
and
accessing
the
University’s
on-­‐line
community.
However,
this
was
in
stark
contrast
to
accessing
them
from
home/work.
It
might
be
more
useful
to
try
these
tasks
from
the
PC
you
will
be
using
to
take
part.”
Making
the
Virtual
Classroom
easy
to
find
and
access
will
prevent
learners
getting
‘lost’.
Interviewees
reported
going
into
the
‘wrong
room’
where
there
were
several
options
available
and
suggested
that
ensuring
that
all
sessions
took
place
in
the
same
space
would
be
helpful.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
10
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

11. Theme
2:
Etiquette
and
protocols
Recommendation:
Establish
commonly
accepted
etiquette
with
learners
for
working
online,
and
adopt
a
set
of
protocols
to
facilitate
communication
Learning
online
via
web
conferencing
calls
for
a
certain
shared
etiquette
to
be
observed
by
all
participants,
and
for
protocols
to
be
in
place
to
handle
group
interaction.
Early
establishment
of
orderly
group
communication
by
means
of
a
‘hands
up’
tool
helps
to
settle
the
group
into
the
fairness
of
a
queuing
system
during
group
discussion.
Use
tools
such
as
emoticons
or
ticks
and
crosses
to
get
instant
snapshot
feedback.
When
the
group
is
very
small,
or
in
breakout
rooms,
there
is
less
need
for
formal
etiquette,
such
as
indicating
a
wish
to
speak
or
remembering
to
turn
off
microphones,
and
you
should
be
aware
of
when
and
how
to
adapt
your
own
practice
in
these
instances.
Be
prepared
for
silences
and
develop
strategies
to
respond
to
them.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Use
web
conferencing
tools
such
as
‘hands
up’
to
control
microphone
use
and
to
impose
order
on
group
communication
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Establish
group
use
of
tools
such
as
emoticons
Sub-­‐Recommendation
3:
Be
prepared
to
change
protocol
if
the
group
is
very
small,
or
in
breakout
rooms
Sub-­‐Recommendation
4:
Establish
your
own
protocol
for
handing
silences
online
Web
conferencing
calls
for
a
certain
shared
etiquette
to
be
observed
by
all
learners,
and
for
protocols
to
be
in
place
to
handle
group
interaction.
When
a
whole
group
is
present,
using
the
‘hands
up’
tool
to
indicate
a
wish
to
contribute
is
a
useful
way
to
manage
the
group,
and
it
works
well,
displaying
a
queue
of
speakers.
When
the
tutor
indicates
whose
turn
it
is
to
speak,
then
that
learner
should
turn
on
their
microphone,
make
their
contribution,
and
turn
off
their
microphone
when
finished
speaking.
Too
many
microphones
on
at
once
frequently
produces
an
unpleasant
echo
effect.
An
interviewee
commented
that
“it
would
be
frustrating
if
there
were
no
protocols
for
people
to
contribute...
There
has
to
be
some
kind
of
control
over
group
discussions
and
it
is
no
different
online
as
it
would
be
in
a
real
classroom
situation
–
it
would
be
chaotic
if
everyone
just
shouted
out
when
they
wanted.”
Another
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
11
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

12. learner
recorded
on
the
blog
“My
group
quickly
settled
into
the
‘hands
up
to
speak’
mode
and
I
was
not
aware
of
any
issues
from
the
group
regarding
this.
The
tutor
was
usually
on
the
ball
in
terms
of
facilitating
the
discussion
and
ensuring
everyone
got
their
chance
to
talk.”
Similarly,
it
is
good
etiquette
for
the
tutor
to
be
aware
of
which
microphones
are
on
or
off
and
to
politely
request
turn-­‐off
if
a
learner
has
left
one
on
inadvertently.
Online
etiquette
should
also
utilise
the
emoticon
tools:
these
are
useful
to
check
“whether
everyone
is
‘on
track.”
Etiquette
may
differ
however
if
the
group
is
very
small,
or
in
breakout
rooms.
A
tutor
commented
“In
the
main
groups
or
in
a
slightly
larger
group
you
needed
the
hands
up,
a
protocol
just
to
keep
it
from
being
chaotic.
In
the
smaller
groups
you
could
dispense
with
that,
so
if
there
were
three
or
four
of
you,
you
could
all
just
keep
your
microphones
switched
on,
you
could
all
just
pitch
in.”
There
is
also
an
issue
around
the
tolerance
of
silent
spaces,
and
here
it
may
be
different
from
face-­‐to-­‐face
interaction.
One
learner
said
“I
found
it
difficult
when
a
question
was
asked
and
there
was
just
silence”,
while
another
added
“Yes,
dead
silence,
you
start
thinking
‘should
I
say
something?’.”
A
tutor
responded,
“and
that’s
somehow
different
from
face
to
face.
If
you
ask
a
question
in
a
face
to
face
group,
you
can
sort
of
tolerate
a
wee
silence
and
you
just
wait
for
a
response
and
you
know
how
to
handle
that.
Or
you
say
something
else
and
that
produces
a
response.
Online
it
is
difficult
to
know
how
long
to
maintain
that
silence.”
Allied
to
this
is
the
learner
experience
not
only
of
the
fact
of
a
silence,
but
also
the
weighing
of
their
own
contribution
history,
and
deciding
about
whether
to
break
the
silence.
One
learner
stated,
“Yes,
and
sometimes
I
have
to
physically
stop
myself
because
I
think,
‘you’ve
answered
every
question
so
far’,”
while
another
added,
“I’m
also
aware
that
I
talk
a
lot
and
I
don’t
want
to
take
over.”
The
first
learner
again
-­‐
“I’ve
actually
had
to
physically
stop
myself
on
a
few
occasions...
you
don’t
have
the
non-­‐verbal
cues
you
have
in
normal
face
to
face.”
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
12
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

13. Theme
3:
Icebreakers
Recommendation:
Use
icebreakers
to
welcome
learners
to
the
online
session
and
to
familiarise
them
with
the
web
conferencing
tools
they
will
need
to
use.
The
use
of
icebreakers
at
the
start
of
an
online
session
can
be
used
to
help
learners
‘settle
in’
to
the
session,
encourage
participation,
and
to
familiarise
them
with
web
conferencing
tools
they
will
use
later.
The
level
of
challenge
in
icebreakers
should
be
low
to
moderate,
so
as
to
be
non-­‐threatening.
Be
aware
that
learner
opinion
on
the
use
of
icebreakers
may
be
polarised,
in
accordance
with
learner
preferences
and
learning
styles.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Provide
icebreaker
activities
to
welcome
learners
to
the
online
session
and
to
encourage
participation
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Provide
icebreaker
activities
to
familiarise
learners
with
web
conferencing
tools
Sub-­‐Recommendation
3:
Use
icebreakers
that
are
fun
and
interesting,
with
a
level
of
challenge
that
is
non-­‐threatening
Sub-­‐Recommendation
4:
Know
why
you
are
using
icebreakers
The
use
of
icebreakers
at
the
start
of
an
online
session
helps
learners
‘settle
in’
and
encourages
participation.
One
blogger
wrote
that
“having
simple
fun
activities
as
icebreakers
puts
people
at
ease
and
is
a
good
warm
up
for
the
workshop”,
and
that
they
were
useful
in
“getting
everyone
to
participate
and
work
as
a
team.”
A
number
of
learners
posted
blog
messages
saying
that
they
liked
the
icebreakers.
One
interviewee
said,
“I
thought
it
sort
of
put
you
at
ease...
you
are
kind
of
on
edge
and
you
are
hoping
everything
is
going
to
work
properly
and
to
just
take
that
time
instead
of
going
straight
into
‘this
is
what
we’re
doing
and
do
this
now’
–
it
just
gave
a
wee
time
to
settle
in.”
One
tutor
commented
on
the
beneficial
use
of
icebreakers
online,
“compared
with
the
face
to
face
workshops
where
I
don’t
think
there
was
so
much
need
for
them.”
Apart
from
the
social
welcoming
function
of
icebreakers,
they
can
also
be
used
to
introduce
learners
to
web
conferencing
tools
they
will
use
later.
A
tutor
commented
on
this
double
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
13
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

14. function
when
she
said,
“you
were
getting
into
your
space
for
learning,
to
switch
off
from
whatever
you
were
doing,
settle
down,
try
out
the
tools
that
we
are
going
to
use
today,
because
there
might
be
a
new
one
and
this
is
an
opportunity
to
do
that.”
Similarly,
an
interviewee
stated
“I
think
when
we
were
doing
tasks
like
that,
...
for
instance
doing
the
crossword
or
drawing
the
picture,
they
were
very,
very
useful
for
getting
used
to
the
tools.”
Icebreakers
should
be
fun,
interesting,
and
it
is
important
that
as
a
welcoming
activity
they
should
be
non-­‐threatening,
which
means
that
their
challenge
should
be
low
to
moderate.
While
learners
may
use
them
to
familiarise
themselves
with
the
tools,
getting
it
wrong
and
making
mistakes
should
be
allowable,
and
there
should
be
no
concept
of
failing.
One
blogger
expressed
this
well
from
the
learner’s
perspective
–
“I
felt
comfortable
with
the
icebreaker,
as
it
wasn’t
a
pass
or
fail
thing
but
a
chance
to
experiment
and
familiarise
myself
with
the
Elluminate
tools.”
However,
it
is
important
to
recognise
that
learners
are
not
alike,
and
the
use
of
icebreakers
can
result
in
some
polarised
opinions
expressed
by
learners.
“The
ice
breakers
were
a
little
childish
and
a
waste
of
time”
wrote
one
blogger,
while
another
wrote
“I
didn’t
mind
the
drawing
practice
at
the
induction
day,
however
[icebreakers]
irritated
me
big
style
on
a
weekly
basis
...[They]
were
wasting
10
minutes
of
valuable
time
every
week.”
One
tutor
wondered
if
icebreakers
should
be
explicitly
justified
to
learners,
but
an
interviewee
did
not
agree
that
this
was
necessary
–
“I
think
[what
was
provided]
was
enough
explanation,
I
don’t
think
you
should
have
to
justify....”
Perhaps
what
is
important
here
is
awareness
on
the
part
of
the
facilitator
that
differences
exist
in
terms
of
learner
preferences
and
learning
styles,
and
to
always
know
their
purpose
in
providing
an
icebreaker
activity.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
14
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

15. Theme
4:
Breakout
rooms
Recommendation:
Use
breakout
rooms
for
small
group
activities
Choosing
interesting
or
relevant
names
for
breakout
rooms
can
build
motivation
from
the
start
of
an
online
session.
Optimising
the
numbers
in
breakout
rooms
means
that
learners
can
discuss
and
communicate
with
others
easily
–
three
or
four
per
room
was
felt
to
be
ideal.
Move
between
the
breakout
rooms
when
it
is
felt
that
you
may
be
asked
supplementary
questions
or
for
clarification.
You
can
do
so
fairly
unobtrusively,
although
at
times
you
may
want
to
give
learners
their
private
space
for
discussion.
Tools
such
as
the
timer
can
greatly
aid
time
management
in
breakout
rooms
and
allow
learners
autonomy
in
their
moving
backwards
and
forwards
between
main
and
breakout
rooms.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Choose
names
for
breakout
rooms
that
allow
for
helpful
learner
anticipation
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Select
optimum
numbers
for
breakout
rooms
and
allow
learners
to
move
in
and
out
of
rooms
as
appropriate
Sub-­‐Recommendation
3:
Facilitate
group
work
in
breakout
rooms
by
moving
between
the
rooms
judiciously
Sub-­‐Recommendation
4:
Use
the
breakout
rooms
as
a
safe
space
for
small
numbers
of
learners
to
communicate
and
discuss
Sub-­‐Recommendation
5:
Use
tools
such
as
the
timer
to
support
group
work
Breakout
rooms
can
be
an
enormously
helpful
way
of
varying
an
online
session.
The
use
of
breakout
rooms
was
generally
very
well
received.
A
blogger
was
of
the
opinion
that
“break
out
rooms
worked
well
and
were
easy
to
move
in
and
out
of.”
Right
from
the
start
of
the
session,
if
you
allocate
breakout
room
names
that
are
interesting,
or
relevant
to
the
group
tasks,
learners
will
notice
the
names
on
log-­‐in,
and
then
already
there
is
some
interest
and
perhaps
intrigue
as
to
how
the
rooms
will
be
used
and
what
will
be
required
of
learners.
One
blogger
said,
“Overall
I
think
the
breakout
rooms
are
an
excellent
tool…when
we
log
on
initially,
we
get
a
small
idea
of
what
is
to
come
by
seeing
the
breakout
rooms
and
what
they
are
called
–
builds
the
anticipation.”
An
interviewee
added,
“I
do
look
at
the
breakout
rooms
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
15
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

16. and
see
what
they
are
named
and
what
they
are,
and
if
it’s
something
like
‘red’
‘blue’
and
‘gold’,
I
wonder
what
that
is.”
Learners
were
of
the
opinion
that
an
optimum
number
for
each
breakout
room
is
three
or
four.
Facilitators
have
choices
about
how
to
allocate
learners
to
breakout
rooms.
This
may
be
done
on
the
basis
of
interest
groups,
ability
level,
or
some
other
factor,
or
it
may
be
done
randomly
-­‐
the
software
should
allow
you
to
do
this.
One
blogger
said,
“I
don’t
mind
how
we
divide
up
to
go
into
a
room
–
whether
we
are
asked
to
go
to
a
particular
room
specifically
or
it
is
chosen
randomly.
Saying
that,
I
hope
you
never
use
the
‘team
captains
taking
turns
to
choose
who
they
want
in
a
group’
as
happened
in
school
as
that
would
dredge
up
memories
of
gym
class!”
Moving
between
rooms
worked
reasonably
well,
and
it
is
probably
best
to
provide
learners
a
sense
of
autonomy
by
allowing
them
to
take
themselves
to
their
respective
rooms,
and
back
again,
rather
than
you
as
tutor
moving
them
(or
as
the
jargon
has
it,
‘dragging’
them).
One
blogger
explained
a
technical
issue
about
seeing
learner
names
move
about
rapidly
on
the
screen
during
this
kind
of
movement
to
breakout
rooms,
and
she
had
her
own
strategy
–
“It
is
fairly
easy
to
get
into
the
breakout
rooms
although
I
do
find
that
when
everyone
jumps
into
a
room,
my
name
on
the
list
moves
too
rapidly
for
me
to
quickly
drag
so
I
sometimes
wait
until
the
rush
is
over
and
then
drag
my
name
into
the
room.”
Care
needs
to
be
taken
to
ensure
that
there
are
at
least
two
people
in
any
breakout
room.
A
blogger
had
an
unfortunate
experience
–
“The
breakout
rooms
work
well
when
there
are
a
good
number
of
students.
I
remember
being
in
a
breakout
room
and
no-­‐one
else
being
there…feels
lonely.”
One
issue
for
the
tutor
in
using
breakout
rooms
is
whether
or
not
to
‘visit’
the
rooms,
to
be
available
in
the
smaller
groups
if
required.
It
could
be
held
that
learners’
privacy
should
be
respected,
and
breakout
rooms
are
their
own
space
to
discuss
with
each
other
unobserved
and
uninterrupted.
One
tutor
raised
this
question
with
interviewees
–
“I
just
wondered
about
how
you
felt
the
way
we
were
facilitating
when
you
were
in
breakout
rooms.
Certainly
with
my
groups,
sometimes
I
would
pop
in
and
sometimes
I
wouldn’t
–
you’ve
said
in
the
blog
that
you
did
notice
if
we
popped
in
–
I
was
never
sure
if
anyone
had
noticed
me
or
not.”
Interviewees
seemed
to
have
been
generally
unaware
of
the
tutor’s
presence
–
“I
didn’t
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
16
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

17. notice
unless
someone
said
something.”
Others
did
notice,
and
saw
it
as
a
neutral
activity,
“I
found
I
was
aware
of
tutors
entering
but
didn’t
feel
the
need
to
interrupt
the
flow
of
discussion
to
acknowledge
their
presence,”
or,
“I
do
tend
to
notice
when
the
tutor
pops
in
and
don’t
mind
at
all.”
Moreover,
the
presence
of
tutors
in
a
breakout
room
can
be
seen
by
learners
as
an
opportunity
to
clarify
or
ask
supplementary
questions.
Bloggers
said,
“sometimes
it
can
be
easier
to
ask
a
question
when
in
a
breakout
room”,
“we
did
on
occasions
request
the
tutor
to
come
in”,
and
“it
gives
an
opportunity
to
ask
questions
when
the
tutor
‘pops
in’
if
anyone
is
nervous
about
that
kind
of
thing.”
All
in
all,
breakout
rooms
provide
a
safe
and
confidential
space
for
small
groups
to
discuss
ideas.
A
blogger
put
it,
“They
are
great
when
used
to
collaborate
and
then
return
with
feedback
for
the
group.”
The
use
of
the
timer
tool
can
be
extremely
useful
in
conjunction
with
breakout
rooms.
Bloggers
said,
“Timers
were
a
very
good
tool
for
ensuring
we
kept
to
time”,
and,
“It
was
easy
to
get
into
and
out
of
the
rooms
and
with
the
timer
on
you
could
still
see
when
you
were
expected
to
be
back
in
the
main
room.”
This
gives
learners
the
responsibility
for
time
management,
and
to
return
themselves
to
the
main
room
at
the
appropriate
time;
otherwise,
the
tutor
has
to
go
round
the
rooms
and
possibly
cajole
people
to
return.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
17
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

18. Theme
5:
Diversity
Recommendation:
Provide
a
variety
of
activities
to
meet
different
learning
preferences
Learners
will
display
wide
differences
in
how
they
think
and
learn,
and
it
is
in
our
interests
as
tutors
to
have
an
awareness
of
this
and
to
deliberately
vary
the
activities
we
provide
online.
It
is
not
possible
to
please
everyone
all
of
the
time,
but
respect
for
learners’
differences
will
enable
us
to
select
for
variation
and
also
to
be
sensitive
to
the
variety
of
responses
and
unintended
consequences
of
our
facilitation.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Do
all
you
can
to
accommodate
different
thinking
and
learning
styles
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Respect
learners’
privacy,
in
terms
of
what
we
ask
of
them
One
tutor
reflected
on
the
variety
of
learning
preferences
in
a
group,
and
spoke
of
the
difficulty
in
accommodating
these
differences
–
“It’s
interesting
isn’t
it
the
diversity
of
thinking
styles
in
any
group...
you’ve
got
divergent
thinkers
and
convergent
thinkers...
we’ve
got
people
who
are
happy
to
discuss
and
to
look
at
ideas
and
to
spend
time
talking
about
ideas
in
a
more
divergent
way.
And
other
people
that
want
to
be
focused,
to
know
what
they’ve
got
to
do
to
pass
[the
course]
and
they
find
it
infuriating
if
it’s
too
waffly
and
too
discursive.
So
trying
to
accommodate
these
different
types
of
thinking
styles
is
difficult.”
An
interviewee
replied
by
saying
that
“I…like
to
go
off
at
a
tangent.
To
me
it’s
not
waffling,
but
that’s
just
the
way
my
mind
works.
It
is
sort
of
creative
like
that.”
This
learner
clearly
valued
the
opportunity
to
be
divergent
and
creative.
As
a
facilitator,
one
of
the
types
of
activities
you
can
use
to
maintain
variation
is
the
integration
of
external
sources,
provided
via
a
link
to
an
Internet
site,
or
other
source.
Be
aware
however
that
you
cannot
please
everyone
all
the
time.
One
blogger
spoke
about
being
“neither
up
nor
down”
about
using
external
resources:
“From
the
practical
point
of
view,
I
would
have
preferred
to
review
them
before
coming
to
class.
I
felt
at
times
there
was
not
enough
time
to
digest
them
or
reflect
on
the
questions
posed
before
being
asked
to
respond,
and
being
first
alphabetically,
I
was
more
often
than
not
the
first
one
asked.
My
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
18
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

19. answers
would
have
been
a
bit
more
coherent
and
structured
if
I
had
more
time.”
Expressing
an
alternative
view,
another
blogger
wrote,
“I
like
the
surprise
of
using
external
resources
during
the
session...
sometimes
an
unprepared
response
to
an
activity
can
be
more
interesting
(and
nerve
wracking
at
first).
If
I
was
asked
to
review
something
beforehand
and
it
was
repeated
in
the
session
(for
example
a
YouTube
clip),
I
could
see
myself
losing
interest
as
I
would
already
have
seen
it
and
I
dislike
repeating
an
activity.”
Another
aspect
of
tutor
sensitivity
to
learners’
preferences
concerns
what
we
call
here
‘personal
privacy
and
feelings’.
At
least
two
bloggers
spoke
of
a
dislike
for
being
“put
on
the
spot”
with
questions
from
the
tutor
in
an
online
session,
in
one
case
saying
that
“my
mind
goes
blank!”,
while
the
other
experienced
embarrassment
and
momentary
lack
of
articulation
–
“I
must
have
sounded
like
the
King’s
Speech”,
making
reference
to
the
film
of
the
same
name.
Facilitators
should
also
be
aware
that
what
may
seem
a
question
requesting
innocuous
information,
possibly
as
part
of
an
icebreaker
activity,
can
impose
on
the
privacy
of
a
learner
in
an
unintended
way.
One
blogger
expressed
it
like
this,
“I
didn’t
like
giving
out
personal
information
in
a
public
forum,
for
example
what
I
did
in
my
holidays”,
and
as
a
result,
“I
felt
under
pressure
to
join
in
and
if
anything
[this]
turned
me
off
in
terms
of
participation.”
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
19
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

20. Theme
6:
Relationships
Recommendation:
Foster
student-­‐tutor
and
student-­‐student
relationships
throughout
the
course
Relationships
of
various
kinds
-­‐
learner
to
learner
and
between
learner
and
tutor
-­‐
are
vital
for
a
good
online
group
experience,
and
the
learner
identity
as
part
of
the
group
should
be
fostered
from
the
start.
Mutual
peer
support
should
be
encouraged.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Provide
opportunities
for
the
development
of
relationships
between
learners
if
participants
are
not
already
known
to
one
another
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Encourage
mutual
support
and
problem-­‐solving
Sub-­‐recommendation
3:
Don’t
get
so
caught
up
with
technology
that
you
forget
your
relationship
with
your
learners
Online
relationships
are
vital
to
the
success
of
a
web
conferencing
course.
Right
from
the
beginning
of
a
course,
it
is
important
to
facilitate
the
formation
of
a
community.
This
can
be
achieved
in
various
ways,
including
if
possible
a
one-­‐off
face-­‐to-­‐face
event.
In
commenting
on
this,
one
blogger
said,
“I
thought
the
induction
session
was
both
useful
and
necessary,
as
it
gave
me
a
chance
to
see
in
person
the
people
with
whom
I
would
be
chatting
to
for
a
year
or
more.”
One
blogger
who
already
knew
a
number
of
course
participants
still
saw
a
benefit
in
initial
relationship
building
–
“The
main
benefit
[of
the
induction]
was
ice
breaking
with
the
tutor
who
would
be
working
with
us
so
I
could
ask
any
questions
I
had.”
If
such
a
face-­‐to-­‐face
introductory
event
is
possible,
take
a
group
photograph,
or
else
compile
a
collage
from
submitted
photos.
Some
learners
pinned
their
class
photo
above
their
computer
as
a
reminder
of
their
identity
as
a
group,
and
a
blogger
said,
“I
needed
the
class
photograph
to
refer
to
now
and
again
to
help
put
a
face
to
a
name
and
a
voice.”
Mutual
support
and
problem-­‐solving
between
learners
should
be
encouraged.
Apart
from
course
content
designed
to
do
this,
some
quite
informal
peer
support
can
help
to
build
relationships
and
be
beneficial
to
the
group.
Varying
IT
skills
may
provide
an
opportunity
for
the
more
skilled
members
to
help
those
who
are
less
skilled.
A
tutor
commented
to
an
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
20
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

21. interviewee
who
had
been
particularly
helpful
on
a
number
of
occasions,
“not
everybody
was
quite
au
fait
with
the
IT
and
quite
often
you
came
in
and
helped
out
with
questions”,
and
received
the
response,
“I
know,
I
can’t
resist
myself
sometimes!
”
As
a
tutor,
it
is
vitally
important
to
remember
the
pre-­‐eminence
of
relationships.
Particularly
when
new
to
the
online
web
conferencing
environment,
it
is
all
too
possible
to
focus
on
the
technology,
while
forgetting
about
the
tutor
relationship
with
learners
–
“oh
gosh,
you
know,
what
about
my
relationship
with
my
students
in
there?”
There
is
a
lot
for
the
tutor
to
manage
and
to
monitor,
while
bearing
in
mind
the
learners
and
their
experiences
in
the
group,
and
their
feelings
as
part
of
the
group.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
21
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

22. Theme
7:
Minimalists
Recommendation:
Consider
ways
to
identify
and
manage
those
who
participate
minimally
In
any
online
course,
those
who
fail
to
participate
or
who
participate
minimally
are
problematic
not
only
for
the
tutor,
but
also
for
their
peers
and
for
the
success
of
the
course
as
a
whole.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Be
aware
that
those
who
participate
minimally
have
a
negative
effect
on
their
peers,
and
consider
ways
to
manage
this
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Consider
that
your
provision
of
learning
aids
such
as
blogs
or
discussion
groups
may
not
meet
the
learning
needs
of
all
students
Inevitably
in
any
group
of
learners
there
will
be
some
whose
participation
levels
fall
at
the
low
end
of
the
scale.
We
call
them
‘minimalists’.
A
variety
of
behaviours
can
come
into
this
category,
from
those
who
do
not
attend
events
arranged
for
them,
to
those
who
attend
but
do
not
participate
well.
Online,
this
can
cause
difficulties
for
the
group
as
a
whole.
One
interviewee
labelled
such
non-­‐participation
“annoying”,
while
another
explained,
“In
our
group
there
were
some
people,
like
me,
who
were
quite
happy
to
talk
all
the
time,
but
there
were
others
who
weren’t
and
that
was
very,
very
obvious,
they
didn’t
seem
to
want
to
participate.”
One
interviewee
pointed
out
that
in
a
face-­‐to-­‐face
situation,
there
is
more
opportunity
for
the
tutor
to
see
what
is
happening,
and
to
intervene.
Online
it
is
not
so
easy.
Identification
may
be
more
difficult,
and
sensitivity
is
required
to
handle
the
minimalist,
not
having
complete
understanding
of
reasons
for
it.
In
collaborative
work
online,
it
can
become
even
more
problematic
when
one
in
the
group
fails
to
participate
or
is
less
committed
or
does
not
make
the
same
amount
of
effort
as
others.
Interviewees
spoke
of
the
“stress”
of
this
situation,
which
they
were
perhaps
reluctant
to
share
with
the
tutor
–
“It
creates
a
level
of
stress
that
possibly
you
guys
[tutors]
aren’t
aware
of.”
One
interviewee
regarded
coping
with
a
minimalist
peer
in
their
group
as
being
the
most
stressful
part
of
the
whole
programme.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
22
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

23. Another
aspect
of
the
minimalist
issue
is
where
the
tutor
provides
learning
activities
such
as
blogs
or
discussion
groups
as
part
of
the
course
design,
but
still
some
learners
fail
to
contribute.
It
may
be
that
such
activities
do
not
in
fact
aid
learning
for
some
people.
However,
in
a
group
situation,
it
will
be
observed
that
some
learners
fail
to
participate,
and
this
engenders
feelings
in
the
others
–
“I
was
quite
disappointed
with
the
amount
of
people
who
did
actually
input
to
the
blog.”
One
interviewee
felt
that
it
was
too
easy
to
opt
out,
another
was
more
willing
to
make
allowances,
saying
that
time
pressure
of
other
aspects
of
work
was
a
factor,
while
yet
another
interviewee
spoke
of
initial
enthusiasm
in
using
the
blog
provided,
and
then
becoming
discouraged
by
the
lack
of
peer
response
–
“I
have
to
confess
then
I
fell
away
from
it
because
I
wasn’t
getting
responses.”
This
de-­‐motivation
can
be
detrimental
to
the
group
as
a
whole,
and
to
the
success
of
the
online
course,
and
should
be
closely
monitored
by
the
tutor.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
23
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

24. Theme
8:
Use
of
Media
Recommendation:
Choose
how
to
use
the
media
at
your
disposal
to
suit
the
situation
–
video,
audio
and
chat
can
be
used
separately
or
in
combination
In
web
conferencing
you
may
have
the
choice
of
video,
audio
and
chat
facilities.
It
is
worth
considering
the
pros
and
cons
of
the
various
media
in
the
overall
design
of
the
course
and
in
its
day-­‐to-­‐day
operation
in
order
to
react
to
circumstances
such
as
microphone
problems,
which
may
disadvantage
some
of
the
group.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Consider
whether
video
or
audio
is
really
necessary
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Consider
using
the
chat
facility
as
a
means
of
equality
of
opportunity
when
there
are
microphone
problems
Sub-­‐recommendation
3:
Be
aware
that
text
can
be
misconstrued,
and
use
emoticons
or
other
devices
to
minimise
this
Web
conferencing
facilities
include
a
number
of
media,
and
part
of
the
planning
exercise
for
the
tutor
should
be
which
media
are
suitable
in
general,
or
in
particular
circumstances
during
course
delivery.
While
it
may
be
tempting
to
assume
that
‘all
singing,
all
dancing’
facilities
should
be
used,
in
practice
this
might
not
be
the
best
choice.
Use
of
video,
for
example,
may
be
impractical
if
the
group
size
is
fairly
large,
and
also
quite
distracting
to
have
multiple
video
images
on
the
screen
as
well
as
everything
else.
One
interviewee
certainly
did
not
feel
disadvantaged
in
being
restricted
to
audio,
and
said,
“I’m
not
sure
we
missed
too
much
not
being
in
the
same
room
as
one
another,
you
can
pick
up
meaning
from
tone
of
voice
rather
than
facial
expressions.”
Some
learners
actively
do
not
wish
to
have
video
switched
on,
and
one
said,
“it’s
just
as
well
you
couldn’t
see
my
face
some
days!
Don’t
ever
do
video
conferencing!”
Even
the
audio
facility,
which
might
be
considered
the
‘bread-­‐and-­‐butter’
of
web
conferencing,
might
on
occasions
be
forsaken
in
favour
of
using
the
chat
facility
only.
Describing
one
occasion
when
some
microphones
were
not
working,
an
interviewee
remarked,
“we
used
the
text
box
and
the
whiteboard
in
addition
[to
audio]
and
in
my
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
24
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

25. opinion
this
was
just
as
good
as
a
face
to
face
discussion.
This
meant
feedback/opinion
could
be
given
while
someone
was
talking
without
actually
interrupting
them
and
there
was
no
domineering
person
trying
to
take
over
the
conversation.”
Inevitably,
technical
problems
occur
from
time
to
time,
and
it
is
not
uncommon
for
a
learner
to
have
an
issue
with
their
microphone
not
working
properly.
Suggesting
to
that
particular
learner
that
they
use
the
chat
tool
to
type
their
responses
or
questions
into
the
text
box
is
possible,
although
interviewees
pointed
out
that
this
does
disadvantage
that
learner,
perhaps
partly
because
of
the
time
taken
to
type
as
opposed
to
speaking,
and
also
because
other
learners
do
not
necessarily
notice
what
is
typed
in
the
text
box.
This
may
be
helped
by
the
tutor
drawing
attention
to
the
fact
that
some
dialogue
is
taking
place
via
chat,
or
even
reading
out
the
text
for
the
benefit
of
the
whole
group.
One
possibility
to
minimise
any
disadvantage
is
to
suggest
that
the
whole
group
use
chat
rather
than
their
microphones,
even
as
an
occasional
feature.
It
is
always
important
for
the
tutor
to
be
aware
that
the
nature
of
chat
or
text
means
that
it
is
open
to
misinterpretation.
One
interviewee
spoke
of
such
a
misunderstanding
when
someone
took
what
they
had
written
in
the
wrong
way,
and
suggested
something
that
might
help
–
“You
know
how
you
felt
when
you
typed
it,
but
the
person
who
reads
it
doesn’t
always.
So
the
smiley
faces
are
a
good
way
of
telling
people
whether
you
are
tongue
in
cheek
or
whether
you
are
serious.”
For
this
person,
the
additional
information
supplied
via
emoticons
can
help
to
supply
the
missing
part
of
the
communication,
for
example
whether
information
is
intended
to
be
humorous.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
25
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

26. Theme
9:
Tutoring
Recommendation:
Reassure,
encourage,
keep
things
simple
Missing
some
of
the
feedback
cues
of
the
face-­‐to-­‐face
environment,
learners
seek
and
need
regular
reassurance
and
encouragement
online.
For
the
tutor,
keeping
things
clear
and
within
the
learners’
comfort
zone,
should
be
balanced
with
the
need
to
be
creative
and
spontaneous
in
trying
something
new.
Sub-­‐recommendation
1:
Remember
that
learners
need
regular
reassurance
and
encouragement
Sub-­‐recommendation
2:
Maintain
procedural
simplicity,
don’t
overcomplicate
things
Learners
in
the
online
environment
need
regular
“encouragement
and
reassurance”
as
a
check
that
they
are
on
the
right
track,
especially
when
new
tools,
new
activities,
or
some
other
new
feature
is
being
introduced.
Unlike
the
face-­‐to-­‐face
environment,
many
of
the
feedback
cues
learners
look
for
are
missing,
leading
to
a
greater
need
for
tutor
feedback
that
is
clear
and
constructive.
Procedurally,
it
is
important
that
the
tutor
gives
a
clear
lead
in
terms
of
“organising
us
and
explaining
what
we
[are]
going
to
do.”
One
interviewee
spoke
of
simplicity
as
being
a
key
feature
of
online
tutoring,
and
went
on
to
say,
“I
think
people
are
often
intimidated
by
what
the
task
is”,
and
went
on
to
make
a
case
for
keeping
the
procedure
simple
and
straightforward.
Potentially
there
is
some
tension
here,
as
one
tutor
spoke
of
her
developing
expertise
and
familiarity
with
the
environment
as
a
springboard
for
spontaneity
and
creativity
–
“our
skills
as
facilitators
have
developed
a
bit
so
we’re
a
bit
more
able
to
suddenly
think
‘oh
let’s
have
a
poll,
or
let’s
do
this
in
the
chat’
whereas
to
start
with
we
felt
we
had
to
stick
very
much
to
the
plan.”
Obviously
there
is
a
balance
here
that
should
be
struck
between
trying
out
new
ideas,
on
the
one
hand,
and
maintaining
comfort
for
the
learners.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
26
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

27. Discussion and Conclusions
This
study
aimed
to
gain
an
insight
into
learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities.
Despite
attracting
only
a
small
number
of
participants,
the
research
approach
enabled
rich
and
detailed
accounts
of
experiences
to
be
obtained,
and
these
have
been
used
to
develop
recommendations
for
facilitators.
Some
of
the
recommendations
and
experiences
reported
reflect
ideas
presented
in
other
‘good
practice’
guides
and
texts
about
synchronous
online
facilitation.
For
instance
Anderson
et
al.
(2006),
Chatterton
(2010),
Sampson
and
Shepherd
(2010)
and
Shepherd
et
al.
(2011)
all
emphasise
the
need
for
careful
planning
and
the
inclusion
of
variety
in
sessions
and
these
ideas
are
echoed
here.
Some
of
the
reported
experiences,
for
example
comments
on
the
use
of
text
and
video
reflect
theoretical
ideas
that
have
been
applied
to
web
conferencing,
such
as
the
challenge
of
cognitive
load
in
a
complex
multi-­‐media
environment
(Kear
et
al.,
2012).
Other
experiences
suggest
the
need
for
facilitators
to
pay
attention
to
generally
accepted
principles
of
effective
teaching
and
learning,
including
the
building
of
appropriate
relationships
and
the
development
of
learner
independence
and
autonomy.
However,
other
themes
emerging
from
this
study
were
unexpected
and
add
to
existing
guidance.
For
example,
there
is
limited
information
in
current
guidelines
about
the
effect
of
tutors’
actions
when
using
breakout
rooms.
Similarly
the
impact
of
minimalist
learners
is
not
considered
in
other
sources,
other
than
though
suggestions,
such
as
that
heard
in
a
training
session,
to
‘randomly
pick
on
individuals’
which,
our
research
suggests,
might
be
an
uncomfortable
approach
for
adult
learners.
Clearly
these
recommendations
are
made
based
on
the
experiences
of
a
very
small
number
of
learners,
albeit
a
group
who
have
considerable
experience
gained
over
the
duration
of
a
whole
programme
of
study.
Although
some
divergent
views
were
expressed
within
the
small
sample
(for
example
on
the
use
of
icebreakers)
it
is
still
possible
that
the
data
obtained
does
not
reflect
the
experiences
of
all
TQFE
participants,
and
the
recommendations
may
not
be
generalisable
to
other
contexts.
The
proposed
guidelines
need
to
be
adapted
to
suit
different
learner
groups
or
different
web
conferencing
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
27
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

28. applications
(for
example,
one-­‐to-­‐one
teaching,
internationally
distributed
learner
groups,
or
guest
expert
led
sessions).
That
said,
we
feel
that
they
provide
a
useful
starting
point
for
discussion
of
effective
facilitation
strategies,
and
they
are
grounded
in
the
evidence
and
stories
provided
by
experienced
participants.
The
aim
to
share
some
of
the
activities
and
resources
produced
by
the
TQFE
team
has
not
been
so
effectively
met
by
this
project
to
date.
The
original
vision
was
that
the
open
access
blog
would
be
a
venue
for
tutors
to
share
activities
and
experiences,
but
there
was
a
lack
of
external
involvement
despite
announcements
made
via
the
ELESIG
ning
site
and
twitter.
Perhaps
further
efforts
to
promote
the
blog
and
encourage
contributions
could
have
been
made,
however,
anecdotal
evidence
suggests
that
many
facilitators
are
still
at
an
early
stage
of
practice
with
web
conferencing,
and
it
may
be
that
for
many
it
is
too
soon
for
them
to
have
the
confidence
to
share
their
success
stories
and
challenges
with
the
technology.
At
the
same
time,
dissemination
of
the
findings
has
provided
the
opportunity
to
present
some
of
the
strategies
and
activities
used,
and
this
has
encouraged
discussion
amongst
facilitators
about
effective
approaches.
Future
dissemination
of
this
project
and
other
work
on
facilitators’
and
learners’
experiences
of
web
conferencing
may
contribute
further
towards
this
aim.
For
the
researchers,
and
the
TQFE
team,
this
project
report
is
not
an
end
to
the
research.
The
desire
to
develop
best
practice
in
synchronous
online
facilitation,
in
a
manner
that
is
sensitive
to
and
appropriate
for
learners’
needs
continues
and
we
will
be
pursuing
further
work
in
this
area.
We
are
grateful
for
the
ELESIG
funding
which
has
allowed
us
to
reflect
on
our
own
practice,
begin
systematic
investigations
and,
we
hope,
provided
an
insight
into
learners’
experiences
which
will
be
helpful
for
other
facilitators.
Learners’
experiences
of
synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
28
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012

29. References
Anderson,
L.,
Fyvie,
B.,
Koritko,
B.,
McCarthy,
K.,
Murrillo
Paz,
S.,
Rizzuto,
M.,
Tremblay,
R.
&
Sawyers,
U.
(2006).
Best
practices
in
synchronous
conferencing
moderation.
International
Review
of
Research
in
Open
and
Distance
Learning,
7(1),
1-­‐6.
Chatterton,
P.
(2010).
Designing
for
participant
engagement
with
Elluminate
Live.
Retrieved
May
17,
2012
from:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/elluminateguidance
Kear,
K.,
Chetwynd,
F.,
Williams,
J.
and
Donelan,
H.
(2012).
Web
conferencing
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synchronous
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tutorials:
perspectives
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953-­‐963.
McBrien,
J.
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P.
and
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R.
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online
classroom
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student
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in
online
learning.
International
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Distance
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K.
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pedagogical
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Open
and
Distance
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8(1),
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Sampson,
B.,
Shepherd,
C.
(2010).
How
to
run
a
virtual
classroom
session.
ALT
Webinar
recording.
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November
20,
2011
from:
http://repository.alt.ac.uk/view/divisions/classroom/
Shepherd,
C.,
Green,
P.
and
Sampson,
B.
(2011).
Live
online
learning:
a
facilitator’s
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Onlignment
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November
20,
2011
from
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learning-­‐a-­‐facilitators-­‐guide/
Wang,
S.-­‐K.
and
Hsu,
H.-­‐Y.
(2008).
Use
of
the
webinar
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from
student-­‐trainers’
perspective.
Journal
of
Interactive
Online
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7(3),
175-­‐194.
Learners’
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synchronous
online
activities:
a
project
report
29
University
of
Aberdeen
May
2012