As we now traverse a second year of online teaching and learning, we can look on both technological and pedagogical developments from extended adventures in the digital realm. This brief article draws on a number of the author’s research projects in the arena, and provides three overarching considerations for educators in updating or upgrading their virtual classroom.

1. Don’t overlook the basics

It may be tempting to embrace a seemingly quick solution in a USB microphone or ring lighting, while the basics are quite easily overlooked. Above all, one needs to consider internet connectivity both for the educator as well as the student: an ethernet cable provides for connection reliability, while other cases a repeater may be a solution to boost Wi-Fi connectivity.

Pedagogically, one has to consider the level to which students are asked to turn on their cameras. We generally encourage and even require this, but in larger classes this may result in students with weaker internet bandwidth having connectivity issues. This reality – especially when students do not have access to campus Wi-Fi during lockdowns – leads us to our second consideration.

2. Pedagogy matters as much as technology

As we develop our teaching strategies, it becomes apparent that we need to reinvent teaching for the new platform and not just transplant our old lesson plans. Connectivity issues become less prevalent in small groups, and one can decide whether to restructure classes entirely, or use breakout groups more often than one might do in a regular classroom. A major factor for successful distance education is preserving a level of engagement not only of educator and students, but of students and their peers. This can even be enhanced with the use of social media options – for example, to replace live concerts as part of the music performance degree, one option was Facebook’s short-lived Watch Party, which allowed for a virtual concert of short video clips. Not only did students participate in curating the programme, but they were also able to engage in discussions while the concert was in session, both with the instructor as well as with each other. In a June 2020 Watch Party, there were 111 comments for a viewing session of around 40 minutes (see excerpts in Illustration 1). Engagement, including the value of informal learning, is a major consideration of successful online education.

Additionally, it is far too easy to have a Screen Share on throughout a session, which decreases the likelihood of engagement. It is important to create some variety, and software like ManyCam and OBS can provide some options. The bottom line remains that engagement is necessary, and in most cases, that also involves redesigning slides with less text, an issue that predates the pandemic.

3. Technology has three kinds of beneficiaries

Consider technological upgrades to be in three categories: those beneficial to the receiver, those that help the presenter, and those with advantages for both parties.

Some upgrades help your students even though you do not sense the immediate impact, most notably better microphones. Here it is important to get good advice on what to obtain: the differences between dynamic and condenser microphones, USB and XLR microphones – more than we can get into in this article.

Other upgrades help both parties, most notably a high-definition camera, whether a FHD webcam, an external camera, or even your mobile phone. It may be a surprise to some how much “Zoom fatigue” comes from self-monitoring (you watch yourself as well in a Zoom meeting), and how a better resolution video feed and a large secondary monitor can help.

Finally, there are upgrades just for yourself: while gaming chairs are popular, they do not make much impact during classes as you tend to sit upright – a more impactful upgrade may be the option to stand, whether in a ‘sitting-standing table’, or specialised laptop stands that allow for secure height adjustment with minimal risk to the equipment. 

Associate Professor Dr Andrew Brian Filmer
School of Arts
@email

This paper draws upon research previously published in the Australia and New Zealand Viola Society Journal, and current collaborative research projects.