Small Group Activities... Online

Small group activities... online?
Institutions of higher education around the world are providing their faculty with resources for online instruction that is active and engaging - read on for ideas, tips, tricks, and recommended practices.

Now that you have the power of Webex Breakout Sessions - what are you going to do with it? The CTL at Boston University has recommendations for adapting your face-to-face activities to either the synchronous OR asynchronous environment.

FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY CTL
A Quick Guide to Converting your Face-to-Face Pedagogical Approaches to the Online Environment
Many of the strategies used for student engagement in face-to-face classes can be modified for use in the online environment, whether synchronous or asynchronous… Some common classroom techniques are outlined below, with suggestions for their modification for online environments. Video - “Translating In-Person Teaching Strategies Online”

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​Here is a sample of some of the activities in this BU article - check this week's blog post for the full chart, as well as resources from other universities.

F2F APPROACH	ADAPTING TO SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE	ADAPTING TO ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE
Brainstorming	​Students may write text simultaneously on a shared whiteboard or prepared PPT slide, using annotation function (Webex) or use the Chat function to write down ideas.	The “live” aspects of brainstorming are more difficult to capture in asynchronous classes, but threads in forums can focus ideas; social media platforms may also highlight focused attention to specific participation
Small group discussion & reporting out	Students work in breakout rooms with video and audio; they may record ideas on whiteboard to share with larger group	Groups can be formed in Canvas, Google or social media such as Slack to focus on topic for timed period (e.g. 1-3 days) and then report back to larger group through whole-class forum through text, audio, or video
Case studies or extended problem-based discussion	Case study can be screen-shared with the students, who may work in small groups (breakout rooms) or as whole class to answer questions. Responses can be made through the chat function, through a whole class google doc, through annotations (depending on size of class – works best in small group), or through video/audio discussion	Pose questions in Discussion Board or social media platform for initial written/voice/video responses and then ask for follow-up responses – either to instructor-posed questions or to peer comments and questions; schedule windows of time for each of these activities; Blackboard groups may also be set up as needed
Think-Pair-Share	Students work in breakout rooms with video/audio enabled; they can record their ideas on breakout room whiteboard, and then share with larger group in a report-out session	Less applicable as an immediate feedback technique in asynchronous setting, though see small group work for ideas for a slow “think-pair-share”; Padlet boards could also be used to highlight pair interaction; Blackboard groups can also be set up
Jigsaw discussion	Students may work in breakout rooms on their assigned part of reading or problem; report back verbally, through whiteboard, google doc, or shared slide set	Use group functions in Blackboard or social media platforms and create whole class space for reporting back (e.g. Discussion Board)
Large group discussion	Students share with whole group using video and audio.  Establish organization for participation:  raise hands visually; raise hands through icons (remind students to remove icon after speaking); or use “Stack” approach in Chat – that is, students can write their name followed by “on Stack” and instructor can follow the order posted to Chat	Students respond to prompts on discussion threads; these can be designed with initial post with follow up post within scheduled timeframes; they can be instructor-student or student-student responses; instructors/TFs should regularly post as well to give feedback, keep discussion focused, and to model posting style and content
1-minute paper or “muddiest point”	Student feedback/questions can be contributed to live shared slides or google docs; added to Chat window; posted to screen-shared PPT or whiteboard through annotating tool; clarify which tools are anonymous and which identify students	Create space (discussion forum or social media channels) for focused feedback; remember to remind students this is not anonymous feedback
Question and answer	Allow time for students to respond; consider writing time before answering question; see also notes for large group discussion	Use quizzes or targeted discussion forums with delayed posting times
Clickers or Polling	Students can respond to simple polling questions. Answers may be displayed as students respond or delayed.	Use surveys for anonymous feedback on specific questions
Student Presentations	Students may share slides through screen-share or provide simple video/audio presentation	Student can post slides with voice-over or simple video/audio presentations to Canvas
Peer review	Students can work in breakout rooms to share drafts and give feedback; or they can complete review outside of class and then use breakout rooms to provide feedback; or they can work through google docs to comment, without live feedback	Peer feedback can be organized through multiple means, including google docs; Canvas groups; Slack; or Padlet
Quick check-ins	Students can use the emoticons for quick feedback on simple questions about pace of class or comprehension of activities. This is not anonymous.	Surveys can give anonymous feedback; social media channels can provide informal feedback through icons and comments

​I hope you enjoy these ideas from Boston University! For more useful teaching & learning resources, keep an eye on the CTLA blog.

OTHER RESOURCES:

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

• How Do I Best Engage Students During Synchronous Class Sessions?

ST. GEORGE'S UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

• Transforming your teaching for online learning: FACILITATING SMALL-GROUP ACTIVITIES

BOSTON COLLEGE CTE

• Teaching an Online Synchronous Session

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY | P3 COLLABORATORY

1. Making Learner-to-Learner Connections: Group Activities Online

STANFORD TEACHING COMMONS

• Synchronous Activity: Small group activities for…breakout rooms 

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY – CENTER FOR TEACHING

• ACTIVE LEARNING CHEAT SHEET – If this looks familiar, it may be because Jen P shared it in Base Camp!

HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING

• Energize Your Online Course with Group Work: A How-To Guide for Making the Most of Digital Breakout Rooms​

K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY PLAYLIST: ONLINE TEACHING ADAPTATIONS:

DON'T FORGET - if you have other questions about Teaching, Learning, and/or Assessment, contact the CTLA!
To submit a request for assistance:
https://ctla.cgc.edu/help.html

HAPPY TUESDAY, EVERYONE!
Mary

REMINDER... this week's LOL (Live Online... Live!) session is this afternoon from 2:30-3:30.
No registration necessary - just use the bit.ly link below to join the Webex meeting:

You've been wishing for months that Webex wold allow you to break students into small groups - well, the Webex Breakout Sessions feature is now available!
Webex link: http://bit.ly/LiveOnlineLive
The Webex room will open 15 minutes prior to start time.