Much of our teaching in the health sciences is done in small groups, whether as tutorials, discussion groups, or in labs. In this section, you can find resources to develop online activities for small groups, software suggestions to support this, and some ideas around how to deliver labs in an online environment (these are located on the 'activities' page, from the drop down menu under 'converting your small group'). Broadly, there are a variety of ways to structure your small group tutorial, these include group projects, online meetings, and asynchronous discussions.
Remember to also explore the 'activities' tab under this topic, which provides some ideas for supporting small group learning in the online environment.
Group Projects
Group projects may be affected by Covid-19, as students may not be able to meet in person. However, they can be moved online as well. In reconsidering any group projects you have assigned, Carnagie Mellon University outlines some best practices for the online environment:
- Create interdependence
- Devote time specifically to teamwork skills
- Build in individual accountability
You can read more about how they do this at https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/design.html
Synchronous Meetings
Online meetings for group tutorials allow for real time discussion, but they need to be planned differently that in class meetings. Norman (2017) has the following tips for synchronous meetings:
Before (such as through an email or announcement) or at the start of the webinar, share with students the objective and what learners should take away from the session. A small pre-work element such as a survey help students engage and provide motivation to find ways to accommodate a session.
Less can be more. If you're concerned about finding time in your own schedule for a virtual class, aim to hold one at the start of your online course, again at the mid-point, and in the last few weeks.
Act as a consultant during the session by inviting learners to showcase what they know and where they have gaps in their understanding. Ask students to share drafts-in-progress or problems they're working through. Involve the group in problem-solving: "What is the next best step?"
Encourage webcams and let students know they're expected. Turn on your webcam and practice eye contact through the camera. This will encourage students to do the same, maximizing the immediacy and sense of connection. Marie Norman suggests "If bandwidth issues arise from too many video feeds, you can also elect to turn them off later."
Accept that technology will fail. Screens will freeze. Users will drop unexpectedly. Some elements are outside your control. As with other forms of face-to-face communication, people are generally forgiving of technical glitches. A back-up dial-in number, alternate meeting platform, or even re-scheduling for another day/time are options for when technology is not cooperating.
Have fun! Virtual sessions introduce the spontaneity of a face-to-face meeting. Strive to be personable through ice-breakers and other forms of pauses to check in with participants.
After the virtual class meeting, be sure to ask students what they think. Students feedback helps you adjust the sessions to feel like they are "our" class meetings instead of professor presentations.
One final benefit. Participation in synchronous meetings, even if it means a student watches the recording, appears to have a halo effect on the rest of the week. When online learners return to asynchronous forms of interactions, they do so with a clearer sense of the presence of others in the course which supports sustained engagement.
Discussion Groups
Finally, online discussion threads can be an effective way for students to interact, as well as an opportunity for faculty to assess learning and students' grasp of concepts. One key recommendation is to break the class into smaller groups for discussions, rather than have the whole class contribute to a single thread.
The University of Waterloo has developed a guide for creating online discussions:
and tips for faculty using them:
Norman, M. (2017, June 26). Synchronous Online Classes: 10 Tips for Engaging Students. Retrieved from Faculty Focus [Magna Publications]: https//www.facultyfocus.com/