Library:Online Instruction/Best Practices

From UBC Wiki

Be Prepared

Communicate with participants in advance of the session

  • Send participants a welcome email with key information (e.g. URL for room, Wimba Wizard, VPN). Here's an example: Template for Email with Wimba Classroom instructions.doc or send them/post a link. How To Prepare for an Online Class and How To Prepare for an Online RefWorks Class
  • Post inside Vista instructions and an explanation of why Wimba sesssion will be held outside Vista - sample posting.
  • Add Wimba Classroom/Live Classroom tool in Vista course content area. sample tool visible & sample tool hidden

Avoid technical glitches

  • Test the Wimba software beforehand on the computer you plan to use.
  • Ask a colleague to provide technical support to participants while you teach.
  • Use a wired connection.

Make the session interactive

  • Post a page for participants to view while waiting for the session to begin. Feel free to use this page which has instructions for Wimba: http://toby.library.ubc.ca/webpage/webpage.cfm?id=748 (or do something more fun!)
  • Check in with participants on a regular basis.
  • Use polls to engage participants.
  • Allow participants to interact with your shared screen by giving cursor control.

Archive the session

  • An archived session is of value to students who missed the presentation, or for participants who want to review it. Archived session can be posted in Vista to shared area such as a discussion board or outside of vista to a course page
  • Privacy: Vista will capture the full name of the participant; outside Vista, participant can use first name only.
  • If using the break-out rooms (which are not recorded), post a slide or tell viewers who are watching the archive that it will be quiet for a time.