Taking part in an online lesson has many similarities with going to class in person. You can see and hear your teacher and other students, you can ask
questions and participate in discussions, and you can look at important content such as slides, images and graphics.
You will need to develop other habits and skills to maximise the benefit you get from your online classes - it’s not enough just to log in. You’ll learn more, and gain the benefits of interacting with your teacher and fellow students if you actively engage and participate.
Get ready
- Be aware of the days and times that your online lessons are scheduled. Check your college email or Teams calendar daily for updates.
- Identify a comfortable and quiet space to study – let people around you know when you are going to be in a lesson and ask them not to disturb you. Using a headset will help make your situation much more suitable and effective.
- Position yourself where you can be seen – sit facing the window and/or have a source of light in front of you. Don’t sit in a dark room.
- Remove anything that might distract you - switch off the television and close any online applications that you won't need. Switch off your phone unless you are using it for the lesson.
- Test your audio and video settings in Teams before the lesson to make sure they are working. You will need to have Teams downloaded onto your device to be able to do this (you can’t do it if you’re using the Teams web app).
Watch the video guide to checking your sound and visuals...
Join in
- Enable your webcam so that you can get involved actively. When speaking, look into the camera on your device and not the faces on the screen – this mirrors making eye contact in real life.
- Answer questions from your teacher and contribute to class discussions
- While other people are talking, use the Teams Chat function to ask questions, contribute ideas or share resources.
- Use the thumbs up button to acknowledge that you understand or have read a message
- @mention individuals when starting a conversation to alert them that there’s something intended for them waiting to be read.
Etiquette
Video Meetings etiquette
- Be logged in and join the lesson as soon as you are prompted to, prior to the scheduled start time.
- Dress appropriately - even when learning from home, we want to make sure we are looking presentable and professional for each other.
- Have a clean, neutral background if you can. Try the blur your background option if available to you - if not, make sure your personal possessions are not prominent in the background. If you use a background image rather than blurring make sure it is appropriate.
- Expect technical glitches to occur (interruptions to connectivity, freezing, choppy audio) and wait for the live feed to correct itself
- Listen to what other people have to say, respect their views, and be encouraging not critical. Never say or write anything that you wouldn't say to someone face-to-face.
- Try not to speak over anyone else - use the Raise Hand function to indicate to your teacher that you would like to contribute to the current discussion, and wait to be called in - and don't forget to lower your hand afterwards!
- Only unmute your microphone when you are speaking to minimise disruptive background noise.
- Be tolerant of other people’s mistakes. We all make them, and working together in an online environment is an extra challenge for everyone.
- Stay present – don’t get distracted and don’t start doing other things during the lesson (especially eating!)
- Remember that online sessions are sometimes recorded. If you act inappropriately the recording is evidence of your behaviour and you may be subject to College disciplinary procedures.
Use of the Chat feature in meetings
- Keep your messages brief and to the point, and take care over spelling and grammar.
- Don’t post anything embarrassing or inappropriate, and avoid bad language.
- Keep your posts relevant to the topic - don't spam the Chat with gifs or unnecessary comments that could prove distracting to others.
- Avoid using CAPITAL LETTERS and text speak.
- Remember that Teams is primarily a learning space so behave as you would in a physical classroom.
Take notes
- Write down the main points that come up in the lesson, so you have a record in your own words to refer back to.
- Be as brief as possible in your note taking - keep your attention on what's happening in the session as much as possible.
- Review your notes within 24 hours - this will aid your comprehension and understanding of what was covered.
- Engage actively with notes, don't just read them - e.g. highlight key words, draw pictures or mind maps, fill in gaps, then get cracking on the things you need to do.
Follow up
- If you still have questions after an online session, contact your teacher to get the information you need.
- Your teacher will most likely have already informed you about the appropriate way to contact them - be it by email, messaging or phone - so do follow their directions about this.
- Always keep in mind that your teacher is there to support you, but they won't know that you need help unless you ask for it.
