Creating an Amazing Atmosphere
Frequently when faculty blend asynchronous and synchronous work they find it difficult to maintain a strong classroom atmosphere. Following the notion we get from the Jesuits that the classroom is a sacred space, its essential that we create a safe, open and collaborative atmosphere for students to be able to grow. Below are some key strategies to help ensure students feel welcome and safe.
Ease Early Anxiety with a Welcome Announcement
Students have expressed a lot of anxiety over the uncertainty of courses during COVID. They want to be able to look over their Canvas course, see their instructor, and gain a sense of what your general expectations are for the upcoming term. Due to this anxiety we strongly encourage you to publish your course a week early and send out a Welcome Announcement to your students as soon as possible. Be sure to mention any textbooks or other necessary purchases. This will go a long way in easing anxiety and setting up an atmosphere of clear communication.
How: Write a Canvas Announcement Links to an external site. to be sent out to students a week before classes begin.
Introduce Your Whole Person
One of the most important things to do for atmosphere is introduce yourself to your students in a meaningful way. Seattle University’s mission is to “educate the whole person Links to an external site..” That notion comes from the emphasis on Context in the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm which tells us that the real circumstances of our lives including our family, peers, social situations, educational background, economics etc. are all present and crucial context for our learning experiences. Who is your whole person? Consider creating a short video introduction using Canvas Studio that contextualizes the whole of what you bring to the classroom.
How: Create an instructor video introduction using Canvas Studio.
Encourage Deeper Student Introductions
For all the same reasons outlined in the “Instructor Introductions” section, we should give our students the time and space to introduce themselves too. The best practice is to model the type of video you’re looking for when you make your own video introduction and then ask students to do the same. The same attention to context and the whole person should be included in student videos. Students have access to all the same features of Canvas Studio to record their own videos.
How: Create a Canvas Discussion board Links to an external site. for student Introduction videos that includes a link to instructions on how to use Canvas Studio Links to an external site..
Show Them Around
When you arrive to a town you've never been to before, one of the first things you probably do is open a Maps app to help you find your way around. At the start of the quarter, you should spend time either during a live session or through a screen recording showing your students how to navigate your Canvas course. This will help students get the lay of the land and decrease course anxiety. If you are using one of our templates then the process will be fairly simple since the course flow from week to week is generally the same.
How: Make a Canvas Studio screen recording or devote live class time to opening up and showing students the flow of your Canvas course.
Have a Moderator
With most of us experiencing synchronous class time on Zoom, it’s vital that we help each other navigate the unique and often unfamiliar landscape of a virtual classroom. In Zoom it can be difficult for the instructor or student presenters to notice things in chat or when students have their hands up. Looking for a volunteer to monitor chat on your behalf – especially while you’re sharing your screen – can be very useful. Come up with a system that works best for you at the start of the quarter so that students know what to expect.
How: Consider asking for a volunteer to monitor and moderate chat on your behalf.
Considerations for Requiring Webcams
Respecting student privacy is key during these unique and challenging times. While it may be tempting to require students to have video turned on, please consider the unique situation our students are in. Many students have reported increased anxiety and Zoom fatigue related to being on camera all day. Others have reported bandwidth limitations due to congested networks. Financial access to bandwidth and a webcam is another limitation. Still others have privacy concerns with having an entire classroom of peers viewing their household. Some students, due to COVID, also have family obligations or children at home they must attend to.
How: Think deeply about requiring students to have their webcams turned on and have that conversation with your students.