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What to do

We recommend a mixed approach for workgroups (pre-recorded + live) so that your live portions capitalize on opportunities for student engagement and interaction. We aim for a total of 90-minutes of content time (plus breaks). …

We recommend a mixed approach for workgroups (pre-recorded + live) so that your live portions capitalize on opportunities for student engagement and interaction. We aim for a total of 90-minutes of content time (plus breaks).

  1. Pre-record your instructions and short presentation with Powerpoint (10 minutes). Upload this to Canvas for students to view prior to the seminar. You can also explain what you expect students to do in the breakout rooms and what they should deliver at the end (they can’t see your instructional slides in a breakout room).
  2. Schedule a live Zoom session of 90 minutes in Canvas.
  3. Use the first 10 minutes for introduction and to answer any questions about the instructions.
  4. Use Zoom Breakout Rooms to divide students into subgroups. Use 25 minutes to collaborate and practice key skills (e.g., with the Canvas Collaboration tool). Assign (or have students assign) one group member who will report back on their findings after the breakout room session. Take a mid-point check (10 minutes) as a full group to check-in on progress and questions, followed by a 10-minute break. Then continue with another 25-minute breakout session to continue with in-class work.
  5. Use the final 10 minutes to reflect on the assignment in a plenary interactive setting (e.g., each group presents their findings, or posts a conclusion or question in the chat).
  6. If applicable to your content, use Canvas Discussion Board, Collaborations or Live Chat sessions to facilitate student interaction and collaboration during and in-between workgroups.
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Tools to use

MS 365 Powerpoint - Presentation tool to record your instructions.
Instructions & Download expand section expand section
Check out these instruction videos on how to record and save your presentation and how to upload it on Canvas made by Fam te Poel (UvA TLC). Mac users can only record audio, not video. If you prefer to use video with your presentation we suggest you use Kaltura Capture (see below).
ZOOM with Breakout Rooms - Online communication tool to provide live (sub)group sessions.
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Check out short instruction videos on how to schedule a Zoom session in Canvas, the basics of Zoom and using Zoom polls (made by Fam te Poel, UvA TLC). Full instructions can be found here. And yes, there are even pdfs, on Zoom etiquette for students and how to monitor Zoom attendance.
CANVAS Discussion Board, Collaborations and Live Chat - Online tool to facilitate student interaction in-between classes.
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Online tools to facilitate student interaction in-between classes. Check out the instructions on how to set up Discussions or a Live Chat, how to use Collaborations and more information on Groups and adding a Groupset.
Feedback Fruits - Online presentation tool with interactive quizzes and peer-feedback tool.
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First, check with your ICTO team if your department uses Feedback Fruits. Check out the instruction video and example made by Fam te Poel (UvA TLC). Here are the instructions to use the peer-feedback functionality.
Kaltura - Presentation tool in Canvas to record yourself.
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Check out these instruction videos about quickly creating video content (express capture), pre-recording lectures, (Kaltura capture) and how to embed this content in Canvas, made by Fam te Poel (UvA TLC).
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Why do this

Pre-recording your instructions ensures that you don’t have to spend much time on instruction during the live session in Zoom and, instead, students can spend more time working on an assignment in the breakout rooms, and you have …

Pre-recording your instructions ensures that you don’t have to spend much time on instruction during the live session in Zoom and, instead, students can spend more time working on an assignment in the breakout rooms, and you have more time to provide feedback.

Breakout Rooms can be very effective to engage, practice, discuss, and collaborate in subgroups. As with offline settings, you can visit each group to see how they are doing and to make sure they are still on task. With the Canvas Collaboration tool, students work together in one Google doc per breakout room and you can track their progress. By adding a short assignment to the Breakout Room session for the final plenary reflection, you increase the students’ focus in the breakout rooms.

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Tips

  • Add a personal start of the week (video) message with Kaltura in Canvas in which you announce this week’s workgroup and link it to the previous week. You can also use this to address questions posted by students on Canvas after the last workgroup.
  • Have students introduce themselves on the Canvas Discussion Board. This saves you time during the live Zoom session. You can let them be creative and use their favorite social media (e.g., an instagram or facebook post, a video or a selfie with text).
  • Add a short quiz to a pre-recorded instruction video with Feedback Fruits. For example, to assess students’ understanding of the subject matter or to raise a question. This way you activate your students prior to the workgroup. Plus, you get feedback on what students (mis)understand and provide them with feedback during the workgroup. Alternatively, you can add individual practical assignments prior to the Zoom session, so students can compare, share and discuss their findings in the Breakout Rooms.
  • Assign student roles in the Breakout Rooms and have them take the lead.
  • Have students work on related topics and teach the group about their findings in the final plenary setting. You can add and adjust the details after each short presentation.
  • Add team competition to the Breakout Rooms. Let them work on a topic and find out which team has the best results with a quiz in the final plenary setting.
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Other teaching methods

For medium-sized courses (50 - 100 students) - change course size
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