Teaching Online Playbook

TEACHING
ONLINE
PLAYBOOK
O N L I N E T E A C H I N G P L AY B O O K
Contents
Note from the Editors 15 Preparing Before Classes Start 21 The Student Experience
Foreword Resetting Expectations: Adjust Your Rules Technology and Access
of Engagement
Barriers That Students Face Online
6 The Basics The Online Learning Contract
Tech, Tools, and Platforms The Psychological Impact of
The Communication Plan Screen-Only Learning
• Keep It Simple
• Who: The Target Audience
• Learning Management System 23 The Educator Experience
• What: The Desired Outcomes
• Chat Set the Right Tone
• Where: The Communication Media
• The Whiteboard Make It Personal
• When: Timing and Frequency
• Polls Convey Warmth and Presence
• How: Conveying Information Clearly
• Breakout Groups Use Humor to Reduce Tension
Special Considerations for Synchronous
• Student Collaboration in Breakout Rooms
and Asynchronous Course Time Manage Your Time
• Communicating with Students
• Synchronous Get Used to Delayed Feedback
During Breakouts
• Asynchronous
• Master Your Breakout Room Skills
Classroom Culture and Community
Setting Up Your Space
• Creating an Effective Culture Online
• Hardware
• Building a Virtual Community of Students
• Software and Productivity Tools
• Physical Space
2
27 Maintaining Student Engagement Group Work 42 Assessment and Grading

Ask Good Questions • Employ the Right Tools to Organize Assessing Participation
Team Activities
Fight Fatigue • Quantity
• Designing Breakout Groups
Make It Interactive • Quality
• Managing Group Work
• Attendance
Warm Calls or Cold Calls? • Reporting Out
Assignments
Managing Shy or Reticent Students • 7 Helpful Techniques for Better
Breakout Rooms Grading
Leveraging Chat
37 Online Teaching Materials 45 Looking Ahead: Planning for the
31 The First Few Classes: Fine Tuning Next Iteration of Your Course
Participation and Performance Teaching with Cases Online
Watch Student Engagement and Adjust for • Selecting Cases 46 Conclusion
Better Participation • Introducing Cases to Your Students
Consider Publicizing Performance Teaching with Simulations Online
Get Valuable Feedback from Your LMS • Selecting Simulations
32 Discussion and Group Work • Planning
Discussion Boards • Playing
• Structuring Discussions • Debriefing
• How Long Should a Discussion Go?

• Managing Discussion Groups to Engage
All Students
• What Makes a Good Post?
• Using Gamification
3
Note from the Editors
Harvard Business Publishing Education’s Inspiring Minds

publishes articles from leading experts on best practices
for teaching online (among other topics). In the Online
Teaching Playbook, you will find tips and insights from
these experts adapted and compiled into a single resource
to guide educators through the process of creating,
executing, and assessing online courses. Throughout, you
will find links to the original articles for full insights and
wisdom from these experts. As you tackle the challenges
and possibilities of the online classroom, we encourage
you to share your own experiences, questions, and best
practices with us at editorial@hbsp.harvard.edu.
4
Foreword
Online teaching is full of opportunity for both students For educators,

and educators. For students, it opens up access to faculty,
students, and learning materials that might otherwise online teaching
be unavailable. For educators, it offers possibilities for offers possibilities
amplifying and enhancing learning with ever-changing
tools and online capabilities. Rather than attempting to for amplifying and
replicate the face-to-face classroom experience, you will
soon find yourself optimizing online technology, tools,
enhancing learning
and platforms in ways that highlight learning objectives, with ever-changing
drive student engagement, and create a successful online
course. Starting from a blank course page, the process tools and online
of building an online class can look daunting. Be assured
that resources are available—from your colleagues and
capabilities.
administration, from online educator communities, and
from the experience of the experts featured here—to start
you off on the right foot.
5
The Basics
When planning an online course, any outline Tech, Tools, and Platforms
of technology requirements must, of course,
be tied to your expectations for the class: Does Keep It Simple1
the course content lend itself to a synchronous
The best advice for setting up your
course, with live online student participation? Is
online classroom? Keep your technology
it lecture-based and better suited to a recorded,
simple and lean. Use common online
asynchronous experience, with students
tools as much as possible.
interacting via chat whenever they are available?
Will the course combine some elements of both? For instance, educators will often use learning
Is group work required? Where are students management systems (LMSs) mainly as a
located? What technology will they have access mechanism for keeping track of who has access
to? Starting here, you can better evaluate the to the course materials, and then provide
range of possibilities for technology, tools, and most of the content via more widely available
platforms that are available and accessible— tools. (However, be aware that the availability
Keep your technology simple
including chats and discussion boards, video or of these tools may vary in many countries.) and lean. Use common online
audio, whiteboards, polls, and breakout rooms— tools as much as possible.
While you could publish each document on your
to support a content-rich and dynamic course.
LMS, the editing features of most LMSs tend to
be clunky compared to familiar, online shared
tools such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
So instead, once you edit your documents using
these tools, you can then make the files available
through the LMS. Or you could set up a shared
folder (perhaps using a tool such as Dropbox),
6
THE BASICS
which makes it easy to have course folders

on your own hard drive that are automatically TIPS FOR SETTING UP YOUR COURSE IN AN LMS
synched for sharing with students. Some tools
also allow students to comment and even edit 1. First, get to know your LMS. 3. Make the most of LMS features.5
shared documents. Similarly, blogging tools Knowing how to navigate the LMS before the These vary, but some useful features of the
such as WordPress are elegant options and offer course begins will make things much LMS include the following:
client-side tools for easy editing and interaction. smoother throughout the semester; you can
• “To-do list” functionality that will remind
then keep your focus on students and their
Again, there are more tools than ever to students about due dates.
learning rather than technical glitches.3
help you manage the online classroom
• Assignment evaluation processes. You
experience. Just be sure to keep it as simple 2. Make your LMS look professional,
may be hesitant to adapt your own
as possible for students and reduce the inviting, and easy to follow.
process to the system, but in this case,
tech burden on them and yourself. Give your layout a consistent look—or even
many LMSs have good processes for
a creative design—but keep it as simple as
assignment evaluation and feedback. You
possible. Make sure that every unit (e.g., a
Learning Management System may be able to enter text or audio
case) has the same information elements
comments. The LMS may also support
For most students, the first impression of your (e.g., case title, description, assignments,
automatic distribution of evaluations to
course will be in the LMS. This technology is your deadlines) in the same places throughout
students. Be sure to set the system to not
classroom, and you should be as familiar with it the course. Setting up and reusing a
publish anything until you have evaluated
as you would be with the physical environment skeleton framework can simplify this
all the assignments. This saves you
of a traditional classroom. Familiarize yourself process. This makes maintaining
queries from students whose papers you
with the online course platform before students consistency in information much easier.4
have not graded but who have heard
connect to the course: fully explore the layout,
grades were posted. It also allows you to
make changes as appropriate, and test the
recalibrate grades as needed.
tools you will use. Having full command of your
online course platform will improve your self- [LMS TIPS CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE]
confidence as you manage the course, make
class time more efficient and effective, and
improve your ability to troubleshoot issues.2
7
THE BASICS
[TIPS FOR SETTING UP YOUR COURSE IN AN LMS, CONTINUED] Chat9

Most synchronous meeting tools also
• Plagiarism detection. Turn it on by default, 5. Be precise.7
support a chat window for all participants
even if you never look at it, as it disciplines As in any class, you will have students
in addition to audio or video.
the students. who will complain about ambiguities in
assignments, due dates, and expectations. The chat allows you to see what ideas are
• Bulk downloading of assignments. This
But in an online environment, where being exchanged and highlight what areas
allows you to read students’
students’ access to you can be more spark interest or create confusion. Many
assignments offline.
limited, clear communication is synchronous meeting tools also offer you
• Timed publication. Use this feature to essential. For example, use the same an exportable archive of the discussion.
make documents, assignments, and other time zone for all assignments and
From a practical perspective, such side channels
content available at a time you specify. deadlines, and clearly delineate it in your
are likely to exist whether you set up a classroom
You can do a lot of prep early and still post instructions (“14:00 Eastern Time” or
chat or not. If you don’t open a chat in the
the next individual discussion segment (or “2 PM PST”). It’s also helpful to include
course, students will inevitably use other forms
“discussion pasture”) at the right time. link to a time zone conversion tool so
of social media or communication in its place,
there’s no confusion for students.
4. Have one version of the truth—and many but you may not be privy to these conversations.
links to it.6 6. Ask around for LMS tricks and
Of course, the chat window can also be
It is essential to post and update workarounds.8
distracting for both faculty and students, so
information in only one place. That way, if Every LMS has its idiosyncrasies, and
you might consider opening up a chat only
you make changes, you simply need to make colleagues and support staff have likely
periodically during synchronous discussion.
one update in one place and can be assured found workarounds and time-saving
everything is current. This also allows you to techniques. Online forums can also help.
easily post reminders and pointers to
content wherever it may help your students.
8
THE BASICS
The Whiteboard10 Polls11

In a synchronous online session, a “board” will Live typing. This option has the advantage Most LMSs and videoconferencing software
be a portion of the screen under the control of legibility and, depending on your typing have polling functionality. If yours does not,
of the teacher, and perhaps of the entire speed, can be faster than using a traditional use a dedicated polling application—or even a
class. In some videoconferencing systems, board. You can highlight and organize items simple online form or spreadsheet. Polls give
it is just a shared screen; in others, it is a by creating separate documents, just as you an opportunity to take the pulse of the
board simulating a physical whiteboard. you would use separate boards in a physical class on their preparation, opinions, or analysis
classroom. For visual interest, you can while also engaging the group. You can craft
Options for using an online board (shared visual
make use of capitalization, various fonts, many polls ahead of time. Polling can also be
space) during a discussion include the following:
font sizes, text colors, and highlighting in useful before opening a discussion or moving
Pre-produced slides. In some cases, you can most tools. To avoid interfering with your to a new pasture. Be sure to save your polls in
predict many of the issues that will arise and audio, live typing requires a quiet keyboard a format that will make them easy to reuse in
have slides ready for them, in much the same and good isolation for your microphone. subsequent iterations of the course or build on
way you might use hidden slides to anticipate the fly when an unanticipated question arises.
Handwriting. Stylus technologies have
questions in a lecture or presentation. This
advanced sufficiently that you can write well Keep your poll questions brief and be as
obviates the need to write on the board
on many touch screens. This can be the closest clear as possible. Many tools allow you to see
during the session; however, it could make the
analog to a traditional classroom board: you can who gave which response, which facilitates
discussion seem pro forma to students, as if
draw pictures, circle items, make connections, follow-ups. This is particularly helpful when
you had pre-packaged the answers. To avoid
and write freehand. But be sure to test the system your poll has several categories and you
this, one variation would be to prepare slides
you are using for quality and response time. want to further engage with students who
that include only the pasture headers and fill
chose specific responses to each topic.
in details from each discussion as it happens.
9
THE BASICS
Breakout Groups
Peer learning offers more democratic ways to
process information and share knowledge than
Communicating with Students
During Breakouts14
As the instructor,
do hierarchical models of knowledge, in which
you control access to information and choose
As the instructor, you can join a breakout room you can join a
which knowledge to disseminate to students.12
at any time, just as you might visit small groups
in a traditional classroom. You have the same breakout room
Student Collaboration in Breakout Rooms13
options for pedagogy in terms of how you
want to use that ability, but you should check at any time, just
Within each breakout room, beyond
communicating via chat, audio, and video,
in to identify any technical issues, especially
if students are new to breakout rooms. If you as you might visit
students can share software to co-create
digitally, either by displaying the work an
prefer to visit groups while they are working,
breakout rooms let you do that more efficiently, small groups
individual group member is composing for
everybody or giving other group members
so more of your time is actually spent in the
groups rather than moving between them. Most in a traditional
the ability to make changes to it, sequentially
or simultaneously. Any software students
platforms provide group members a way to signal
to the instructor that they would like help. classroom.
use in your courses can be shared in a You can broadcast a message to the breakout
breakout room, from drawing and simple text rooms, which is particularly useful for letting
editing tools to full versions of spreadsheets, teams know when group time is wrapping
word processors, presentation software, up. Keep messages concise, as they may
collaborative diagramming, emulators, and only appear briefly. Implement a countdown
collaborative programming environments. timer in your room if your platform permits
it. If not, consider setting one up in your LMS
or other site and asking students to open it.
Let students know if the chat in the breakout
room is limited to the members of the room.
10
THE BASICS
Master Your Breakout Room Skills15

Managing breakout rooms is not terribly • Launch and run all the tools you will use
complicated (see more tips on using breakout in class. Have a complete list of the tools
rooms in the Group Work section). But the needed (including versions, if applicable)
first step is to get comfortable with—and and be sure these tools are open and
eventually master—key skills before using running on your computer before class.
these rooms in class for the first time. You
Make sure your students practice their skills, too.
should know how to do the following:
They should all know how to do the following:
• Send students from the virtual
• Use the appropriate tools to create, share,
classroom to breakout rooms.
save, and submit the results of their work. This
• Bring students back from breakout may involve tools within the video conferencing
rooms to the central room. platform, software on students’ personal
computers, and external cloud-based software.
• Send a message to all students during Make sure students know how
a breakout. What do the students see? • Share their screens.
For how long? (In some platforms,
to use the appropriate tools to
• Send a help request to the instructor
messages only show briefly.)
from a breakout room.
create, share, save, and submit
• Send instructions to all breakout rooms.
• Identify their group membership for others;
the results of their work.
• Send a message to a specific breakout room. for example, by updating their screen name
to include a group ID and setting
• Visit breakout rooms.
their background image.
• Pre-load room assignments.
• Manage display names.
11
THE BASICS
Setting Up Your Space Hardware

Your own environment and work area can greatly Get a big monitor. Or, even better, two big but you may want to invest in a good external
improve your efficiency and effectiveness.16 monitors. Or three. Use the biggest monitor microphone, especially if you will be talking to
that you have. If you don’t have a large or interviewing someone in the same room. Put
If you’re teaching synchronously, make sure
computer monitor, use your television set. the microphone on a stand or a rubber mat so
you are comfortable before class starts. Decide
You’re going to be able to see yourself and vibrations from the keyboard and desktop are
if you want to sit or stand during the session.
you’re going to be able to see your students isolated. If you do get feedback, you’ll need
Keep multiple colored pens, multiple colored
if they’re sending or streaming video. You will headphones. Your students should also use
Post-it Notes, a teaching plan propped up, and
need to see lots of information and introduce headphones to cut down on feedback.21
a clipboard sitting on a tablet stand. During the
it into the discussion in both synchronous
class, when something occurs to you, you’ll Optimize your visuals. If you are going to use
and asynchronous teaching. Enough screen
be able to jot it down. It might be something video for recording lectures or for hosting an
real estate increases productivity.19
you want to do in 10 minutes, a reminder for online class, get a good camera and optimize
something else, or the name of a student that you Use a good keyboard. If you are doing the lighting as much as possible. There are many
want to call on. Stick the notes on the monitor, anything that involves a microphone, make tutorials online for good lighting advice. Set the
trying to always stay on camera. Having that list sure the keyboard is as quiet as possible. If you camera so you are looking into it (not looking
available is incredibly useful as a reference.17 are using your laptop’s microphone, use an at your own image or the group) and creating
external keyboard to minimize interference.20 direct eye contact. Frequently, this means
If the class is solely asynchronous and
setting the camera in front of the monitor. Many
participation is through a text-based Headset or speakers? Most video conferencing
people on web conferences look detached or
interface, the main things are a really good software now has good-quality audio. Decide
evasive because they are looking not into the
keyboard, lots of monitor space, and a whether you’ll use your speakers or wear a
camera but somewhere else on the screen—
comfortable place to sit or stand and work, headset. Built-in microphones have improved,
generally at the audience or themselves.22
as well as well-chosen software tools.18
12
THE BASICS
Software and Productivity Tools23

Familiarize yourself with your LMS
and video-conferencing software.
Keep your system updated, but not on the
bleeding edge. Don’t do a big system upgrade
Before you start
Add software to manage the video. If you
just before you start teaching, and don’t
introduce new tools to work in combination
the teaching
are using a video camera, there are programs
that, for example, allow you to display yourself
with the LMS or the videoconferencing
system without having tested them first.
session, exit all
in black and white or use other effects. Being
able to “freeze” the picture so you can locate Know how to turn off distractions. We all have unnecessary
some information (or sneak off to freshen up
your coffee) while someone else is speaking
seen presenters getting pop-ups announcing
upcoming activities or emails—sometimes applications and
can be surprisingly useful in a pinch.
Consider using a text expander. This software
things that are quite private. Before you start
the teaching session, exit all unnecessary turn off alarms
allows you to abbreviate certain oft-repeated
words or phrases to speed up your typing (“tc”
applications and turn off alarms for your
email and calendar. Some online teaching and for your email
for “transaction cost,” for instance). Depending
on your system, you may need to install it as a
conferencing tools, such as Zoom, are smart
and will turn those off for you. (And remember and calendar.
to turn off the ringtone on your cell phone!)24
special application or create shortcuts or macros.
13
THE BASICS
Physical Space25
Light the area well. In particular, make sure Sit or stand? Some people are more
you have light from the front toward your face energetic, engaging, and effective when
so you avoid the “haggard raccoon” look, with standing. A motorized desk changes
dark shadows under your eyes from overhead height with a push of a button.
lighting. An office lamp filtered through a
Do what you can to reduce noise. You don’t
sheet of white paper (using an LED light
want hums or background noise interrupting
bulb to avoid a fire hazard) can work well.
your class time. Turn down your heating or
Take another look at your video background. cooling system for a little while if you can.26
Ideally, make the background neutral (for
Let your household know that you’re on the
university professors, the ubiquitous bookshelf
air. Announce that you’re live with students.
is, of course, de rigueur). If you want to get fancy,
This could be as simple as putting up a Post-it
you could add curtains or a screen in sharp
Note or a large sign, but always do it. Make
green behind you and superimpose any image
you like as your background (green screening).
sure you’re not going to be disturbed.27 Make sure you have light from
Avoid sitting squarely in the middle of
Always check your audio and the front toward your face
video before you go live.28 so you avoid the “haggard
the camera frame. Instead, especially when
making videos, sit a little off center, about raccoon” look, with dark
one-third of the way in. This is what many
news anchors do, and the effect makes you shadows under your eyes
look a bit more professional—less like a from overhead lighting.
staring amateur in front of a laptop and more
like a reflective academic in command.
14
Preparing Before Classes Start

Resetting Expectations: Adjust Your Rules of Engagement29
As you assess your technology options, you And because technological limitations are
will also be revising your expectations of inevitable, expect that you won’t be able to
the classroom experience. Teaching online cover as much material per class as you are
can be exhausting, especially the first time used to. For instance, in a live online class,
you do it. There is much more to keep track the pauses that happen after you ask a
of, it is harder to feed off students’ energy, question and wait for replies will slow things
and it is harder to get a read on the room: down. On average, you should expect to
how engaged are students today? cover about 80 to 90 percent of the material
online that you normally cover in person.
In your planning, take a look at your content
and structure to find moments to reduce the
cognitive load for the students and yourself.
Perhaps add some materials that students
really enjoy, even if they don’t precisely fit the
course. What’s boring in a physical classroom
will be even harder to teach online.
15
P R E PA R I N G B E FO R E C L A S S E S S TA RT
The Online Learning Contract The Communication Plan32 Students who are actively participating.
Acknowledge their contributions and perhaps
From the beginning, establish—and perhaps Just as you set expectations for your students’
encourage them to draw out fellow students.
reset—classroom ground rules. Be sure to classroom interactions, you also need to
set aside time for a “class launch” that sets define how you will communicate with the Students who are not active enough.
expectations for this new way of learning. class. And while this plan focuses on your Contacting them early in the course sends a
Clarify, in detail, how students will work together messages, consider whether some aspects of powerful signal that you are paying attention. Be
online. How should they communicate with classroom communications could be handled encouraging and enthusiastic about the value of
each other and how often? You can also ask by a teaching assistant, if you have one, or, in contributing, in addition to reminding recipients
your students what they think and take that into some cases, even by the students themselves. about lost learning opportunities, their obligations
consideration as you establish new norms.30 to classmates, and any grade implications.
As in your in-person classrooms, you should Who: The Target Audience Groups. You may want to communicate with
expect students not to multitask or check groups individually. Use LMS functionality
While many of your messages will go to the
their phones during class. To enforce this in to make this easier or set up a mailing
entire class, contacting individuals (or a set of
an online course, ask students to use video list for each group in your email.
students) can be more effective. Personalizing
and keep their cameras on throughout class.
messages to individual students can have These messages can be written ahead of
Similarly, you still need to establish the minimum an enormous impact, especially early in the time and reused from semester to semester.
(and perhaps maximum) level of effort you semester. Peppering your message with a You can also decide how personalized to
expect from students, and how that has been specific reference about a comment the make the message—perhaps you don’t want
adapted to an online environment. The minimum student made in a discussion and implying students to know they are part of a group
constitutes the time it would take students to whether it is good or bad, and perhaps why, receiving the message. This could be done
read and prepare a case, along with whatever shows that you are paying close attention, by individualizing each message (using mail
involvement and creation of deliverables are helps students adjust their behavior quickly, merge features to simplify the process) or
required for them to receive a passing grade. or reinforces good performance. Among those using the BCC function in your email client.
The scope of your learning objectives and your you may want to contact are the following:
choice of pedagogy will be constrained in part
by the level of expected student preparation.31
16
What: The Desired Outcomes When: Timing and Frequency

Carefully consider what you hope to
accomplish with your message. How would
Consider a plan that includes several versions of
the same message to increase its effectiveness,
Especially in an
you measure its success? Do you want
students to take a specific action? Especially
especially when related to deadlines. Many
of us now rely on software to remind us of
online classroom
in an online classroom environment, the
more explicit you are in your goals, the
things, and it is not unreasonable for students
to want the same from the LMS. For example,
environment, the
more likely the message will be effective. when will the discussion open? A reminder
email a few hours later can be useful to say
more explicit you
Where: The Communication Media that the discussion is open and to encourage
participation. However, be careful not to send
are in your goals,
Whatever media you are going to use to interact
with the class, be sure to notify students in
too many messages—you want the students to
feel that the responsibility for keeping up with the
the more likely
advance. For instance, many students disable
notifications from the LMS to reduce spam. If
course and what is happening is theirs, not yours. the message will
you are going to use the LMS as your primary
means of communication, be sure to let students
How: Conveying Information Clearly be effective.
know so that they will enable the functionality. Faculty often assume communications are
clear and readily understood, but students may
If you are going to use social media, make
misinterpret them, or students may absorb
sure that all students have the appropriate
only one aspect of them. For online classes,
accounts. Then be consistent about it. Don’t
you don’t get the benefit of blank stares that
go to the trouble of creating a Facebook group
tell you something was not understood.
just to post only once during the course.
Consequently, you’ll need to focus on clarity
Be sure to make explicit what’s required of
in your communications, and repetition may
students. And if you are going to communicate
be necessary for student understanding.
via social media, make students’ use of it a
part of the evaluation process, if possible.
17
Special Considerations for Synchronous and Asynchronous Course Time
Synchronous Asynchronous
If your course involves any live online meetings, Make the most of asynchronous learning. Leaning heavily on asynchronous learning
emphasize the importance of this synchronous One of the great benefits of online teaching is does mean you will want hard and clear
learning time. And if you are using the LMS for a the ability for students to engage even when deadlines for certain things (such as discussion
lot of asynchronous work, the times that you do class isn’t in session. In fact, many aspects board participation), but ultimately it can be
require the class to be in attendance together of a course can be done whenever they fit a great tool for you and your students.35
need to be worthwhile. Spending synchronous best in students’ daily schedules. Watching
time on a lecture is wasteful and will frustrate recorded lectures, reading a case, playing
students; instead, use the time together to certain simulations, and even responding to
foster interaction and engage as a group. some discussion questions does not necessarily Watching recorded lectures,
Synchronous learning time could be useful to
have to happen for the entire group at once. reading a case, playing
debrief a particularly exciting simulation or Individual discussion pastures require much certain simulations, and even
to make connections between a few different longer blocks of time than face-to-face teaching
assignments that show a larger learning arc. does, depending on the frequency with which responding to some discussion
Whatever you decide, make sure synchronous students will log in to the system. You also questions does not necessarily
time is worth it for both you and your class and have the opportunity to be more thoughtful
communicate that to them ahead of time.33 about modifying your teaching plan as the class have to happen for the entire
progresses. In an asynchronous course, you can group at once.
reread the case, do research, consult colleagues,
and even sleep on it before taking action in the
discussion. For many, teaching an asynchronous
course can be less stressful than teaching a
real-time, face-to-face one—particularly if you
are more reserved during live discussions.34
18
Classroom Culture and Community
Creating an Effective Culture Online36

Building a great culture for a virtual classroom • Take care to ensure that students don’t feel
is both important and challenging: access like they have less access to you than their
to faculty is more limited, communication peers do. Make sure you’re accessible and
is less personal on screen, and there are available to everyone equally. Engage your
simply fewer opportunities for informal students more than ever and do it fairly. They
interactions among educators and students. need to feel like there’s parity among them.
Here are three steps toward fostering a
• When you run synchronous class time with
more supportive classroom culture:
the entire group, be sure you’re balancing for
• Make sure students always feel like they inclusion and airtime. If you have students
know what’s going on. Communication who tend to dominate the conversation
is extremely important: send more during in-person discussions, they’re
emails or announcements, implement going to dominate virtually as well. Call on
one-on-one conversations, and students who are less inclined to speak up
encourage more discussions. when other students are dominating class Call on students who are less
time. (For online classroom discussion tips,
see the Discussion Boards section.)
inclined to speak up when
other students are dominating
class time.
19
Building a Virtual Community of Students

The more you can build community, the more Establish Clear Community Norms for a Other rules can define preferred times
your students will feel invested in the course Virtual Environment38 and methods of interaction (such as
and the more likely they are to engage in the Set clear, precise, and defined rules of behavior. online forums, chats, video and telephone
work. Plus, by promoting community among Like any community, a good digital community of conversations, or emails) and the
your students, you’ll encourage everyone learning should have a set of rules. Make sure appropriate use of polls and emoticons.
to want everyone else to be better. that everyone knows, understands, and respects
these rules. For example, set expectations
There are also benefits to community building
around when and how people can talk or ask Many of your students may
that go far beyond the classroom. Many of
questions. Declare that when a student is
your students may be missing the connections
speaking, everyone else should keep their be missing the connections of
of being physically on campus or having
informal chats in the halls and over coffee;
microphones off to avoid background noise. being physically on campus or
a positive online community can help.
Have students use the hand-raising function having informal chats in the
Actively Make Time for Community available on most online platforms, which halls and over coffee; a positive
A simple but important step: make sure your allows the moderator to “call on” a participant
students know each other. There are tools to speak. If you are delivering a lecture, you
online community can help.
available in your LMS that foster community can also ask students to post their questions
by allowing you to build profiles where in the chat instead of raising their hands. At
students can describe their background. the end, you can review the posted questions
Also, encourage your students to chat with the class, ask students to comment on
informally just as they would in a physical the questions, or have some students ask the
classroom—during breaks or before class.37 questions others have previously posted (this
is particularly effective for large classes).
20
The Student Experience

As you prepare for your first class, do not overlook how learning has changed
for your students; recognize their challenges in this new environment.
Technology and Access39 Barriers That Students

Do your students have the technology they Face Online40
need to fully participate in virtual learning? While inequities exist everywhere, college
Does every student have access to a device that campuses have at least some equalizing
can perform the functions necessary for online effect when it comes to giving students
learning, and does that device have the basic access to safe spaces and resources, to you
software installed to run classroom sessions? as faculty, and to study and learning spaces.
The physical infrastructure of a campus and
You don’t need to have all the technology
the organization that comes with it serve as
answers, but before students join the class,
stabilizing forces in students’ lives. Without
you do need to be a resource for them. Know
that, preexisting inequities are magnified.
the contact information for your institution’s
IT department and direct students to any Simply noticing a discrepancy in performance
assistance services they may require. Ensuring can impact performance. Students who have
that every student has full access to the experienced school only as physical classrooms
resources they need and can overcome barriers will notice all the ways they are falling short of
at home to participate effectively online is critical their typical performance as they adapt to online
so that no one feels excluded or left behind. learning. This might magnify the stress they feel
about successfully completing the semester.
21
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
The Psychological Impact of TIPS TO HELP STUDENTS

Students who have experienced
Screen-Only Learning41 TRANSITION ONLINE42 school only as physical
Without the benefit of face-to-face contact, classrooms will notice all the
educators and students in online-only • Consider students’ technology.
environments may feel isolated and lonely. If you ways they are falling short of
• Define and communicate the minimum
and your students are accustomed to having
tech setup you’ll require from them. their typical performance as
unplanned and informal “hallway” conversations
before or after class, you may now realize the • Get them outside help using online they adapt to online learning.
importance of those interactions to the overall tutorials or support from the school,
learning experience. Those conversations can if it’s available.
have a direct impact on participation and on
• Hold a practice session, if you can,
students’ sense of connection with you and each
during which you talk about the
other, but they can easily disappear in remote
technology but not any class content.
environments. Consider setting up avenues
to recreate those informal social moments. • Have a communication plan that covers all
elements of corresponding with students.
• Set and foster norms to
help students adapt.
22
The Educator Experience

Like your students, you may need to adapt to online learning—and these
skills take practice.
In synchronous learning, for example, you Set the Right Tone44

have to overcome the distance the camera
Tone has a tremendous impact in an online
introduces between you and your students,
course. As in the traditional classroom, you
and it will require you to be larger than life.
can set a relatively formal, intense tone simply
First, don’t forget to look at the camera. If
by wearing a business suit, or change the
you arrange your setup so that you’re looking
class atmosphere with more relaxed attire.
into the camera by default, that’s going to
A conversational tone can set a warmer
help a lot. And second, sell. Be a shameless
atmosphere and foster a sense of community.
salesperson when you’re teaching a course;
Decide how you want your class to feel. Does
there’s nothing wrong with that. If you don’t
it fit with your style? With your school? This will
sell, then students aren’t going to be fully
help you decide on a number of things: what
engaged. Show your passion. Maybe it’s with
the assignments will look like, how students
hand gestures and vocal intonation. Maybe
will introduce themselves to each other, how
it’s just with the conviction of your words.43
you’re going to build a community, and what it
will be like to participate in that community. Is
your class going to feel like a business meeting,
friends conversing, or something in between?
23
T H E E D U C ATO R E X P E R I E N C E
Because some people need preparation time to feel comfortable and presentable on video,
let them know ahead of time if video is preferred.
There is no right or wrong here, but you want to

make that choice overtly and consciously rather
Make It Personal45 Convey Warmth and Presence46
than having it just evolve. It will also be helpful Virtual settings can feel quite impersonal Typically, when in front of a screen, you tend
to take stock after the first or second class to because of the physical and psychological to look passively—whether you’re sinking
see how things are going so you can adjust distance, so you need to be creative. Some into the couch to watch a favorite TV show, a
accordingly (see The First Few Classes section). educators like to arrive to their online meeting webinar, or a how-to video. But when you’re
early so they can greet people as they pop up facilitating an online meeting, you have to adopt
on the screen and engage in a bit of friendly an engaged, active persona in an environment
small talk before class begins. Encourage that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to that.
students to turn on their video functionality, if
There are a number of little things you can do
possible, to enhance the personal connection.
to create warmth virtually. For starters, make
Because some people need preparation time to
eye contact with your participants by looking
feel comfortable and presentable on video, let
directly into the camera as often as possible.
them know ahead of time if video is preferred.
This can be hard to remember to do, especially
Try to use students’ names when referring to when the image of your participants may be away
them, and invite them to take the floor and from where the camera is on your computer.
participate if they feel comfortable doing so. If you can manually move that image as close
With a chat function that indicates who said what, as possible to the camera, you can better
alongside video images with students’ names, make eye contact and see their response.
personalized facilitation becomes much easier.
24
As you develop your online courses, think about where you can Manage Your Time48
promote a more relaxed environment and plan some lighter Effort for faculty is not linear throughout the
activities for students to enjoy. semester—it requires more time up front than
in the middle or at the end. The effort required
early in the course will vary depending on the
Just like in-person settings, online environments Use Humor to Reduce Tension47 tools used and the online experience both
have their own distinct cultural rules and you and your students have had. If you are
Humor and laughter can ease tensions,
norms, and not all settings are the same. teaching the first case class your students have
promote health, and strengthen human
For example, there are some contexts—say, had, or if you are using cases in a way that is
connections during periods of uncertainty.
an undergraduate class or a meeting with different from what the students are used to,
As you develop your online courses, think
collaborators on a consulting project—where you will need to invest time in helping students
about where you can promote a more relaxed
it would be fun and appropriate to turn the adjust to the process of case discussion.
environment and plan some lighter activities
camera on your dog laying by your feet on
for students to enjoy. Consider using memes or The first step is to document how much time
the floor. It’s a great way to create a sense of
other images to help infuse some humor into you expect to commit to your next course;
warmth and connection. However, you probably
class. For example, memes can communicate then keep an informal log of the time you really
wouldn’t use the same tactic during a virtual
concepts and ideas to students in a humorous spend and what you are doing for the first
keynote talk to a corporate audience or in an
way. It is, however, important to respect several weeks. Once you have the data, look
executive education presentation. In these more
cultural differences, which may be more for potential efficiencies, consider how you are
formal settings, start with a personal story, a
difficult to perceive in digital environments. allocating your time, and decide whether that
poll question, or ask people to write in where
distribution is in line with your goals for the
they’re calling from—all in order to create a
course. You may be surprised by the breakdown
personal vibe that’s still in line with your setting.
of your time. Seemingly small efforts to check
on a discussion forum can add up quickly. Your
time may be well spent, but there might be even
better ways to spend your time on the course.
25
Remind yourself that lectures are generally quite effective online,

even if you receive no confirmation until well after the fact. The effort
Get Used to Delayed Feedback49
required early in
Presenting virtually inevitably means learning to still, by the end, have no idea about how well the course will
become comfortable—or comfortable enough—
with a different mode of receiving feedback.
the message was received. Learn to anticipate
these feelings and remind yourself that lectures vary depending
For example, when delivering a lecture, you
typically receive no real-time feedback about
are generally quite effective online, even if you
receive no confirmation until well after the fact. on the tools used
how you’re doing. No nods of the head, no
laughs from the class, no opportunities to and the online
move around the room and engage with people
in the crowd. In an online setting, you can experience
deliver an entire 30- or 40-minute talk and
both you and
your students
have had.
26
Maintaining Student Engagement

Ask Good Questions50 Fight Fatigue51
It is easy to see how engaged students are Fatigue is a major challenge for educators and
and how they react to discussion questions. students when teaching and learning online.
Unfortunately, it is much more difficult to gauge If you go past an hour, introduce as much
their reactions in an online classroom. Because unpredictability and novelty as you can. If you
of this, it is important that you ask questions— use slides, don’t share them in advance for
whether in a synchronous discussion or on a this reason. Use surprising questions, groups,
class discussion board—that can spark complex and small activities (writing, problem solving,
conversation. Vary the types of questions you videos, or shared documents, for example)
ask and try to make them as immersive as you to break up the monotony. And be sure to
can. Those intentionally provocative questions offer breaks if you go past 90 minutes.
can be useful to instigate lively discussion.
27
M A I N TA I N I N G S T U D E N T E N G AG E M E N T
Make It Interactive52 Warm Calls or Cold Calls?53

No matter what, try to make classes as Handwrite notes or draw on screen using a This will depend on the format of your class, to
interactive as you can. One of your goals blackboard substitute such as a tablet. If you some extent. Whether you are teaching live or
when teaching online is to keep students don’t have a tablet, you can type on a keyboard asynchronously, warm calls work both publicly
from tuning out. Finding ways to engage (a quiet one!) or use voice recognition. and privately. Calling out individual students
students that are also pedagogically can be useful. This can be done in discussions
Open up a chat. Chat windows are a lot to keep
meaningful is essential to online learning. directly, as a cold call during a synchronous
track of, but they are a powerful tool to allow
session (“Jeffrey, what do you think?”). In an
That said, if you’re planning a lecture without students who aren’t speaking to bring up ideas
asynchronous class, calls are warm at best, as
any interactive elements, then you’d be better or follow up on previous points. Be sure you
students have time to think before responding.
off recording the lecture and making the occasionally refer to what is being said in the chat
But these calls can be done either publicly in
course asynchronous. Don’t make students comments so students know you’re incorporating
front of the group or privately via email or other
log in at a set time just to listen to a lecture. their observations into the discussion.
channels. (In asynchronous classes, you might
To make a synchronous class more discussion Use breakout groups. With most online teaching use timer-based tools that require student
based, make it a point to interact with students platforms, you can set groups, push a button, and responses shortly after they receive a prompt.)
at least every 15 minutes. Set time flags to remind then instantly get students into virtual subgroups. Private calls to students can be particularly
yourself to take a break from speaking and ask helpful when drawing out reticent students or
questions or run polls. Use the technology that trying to change a student’s tone in a discussion.
you have available to do some of the following:
Interact with your students
through audio and video.
Share your screen so that the whole
class can view your PowerPoint slides
or other presentation materials.
28
Managing Shy or Reticent Students54 Leveraging Chat

This is a challenge with any course. you’ll • Make participation a significant The chat function enables people to comment in
need to decide how important participation part of the grade, if possible. real time as you’re presenting and can be a useful
is to you, and then let that determination marker of student participation in discussion.
• Use polls, shared documents, brief writing
steer the remedies you implement. All For example, you might say, “Anita just wrote
exercises, or chat to help draw out students’
students must be engaged in the discussion, in a great point about cultural differences in
ideas. Then call on individual students to
including turning on their video camera for group dynamics—and it seems Juan also has
expand their thinking—this doesn’t feel
synchronous sessions and contributing to a similar point to add. Do either of you want to
as high-pressure as a pure cold call.
the conversation. It is central to the success explain to us your points in a bit more detail?”
of the course and, to students’ learning and • Use group work before or during class One big advantage of virtual settings is that they
development. Here are strategies to use: to prime the discussion. You can assign lower the bar for participation; you often get
groups to present the opening part of class, thoughts and insights from people who ordinarily
• Make it clear that online engagement is
for example. Or you can delegate extra might not speak in an in-person environment.
required. Technical camera issues are rarely
responsibility for the class discussion to a
a valid excuse in 2020—students can always
group to ensure you will at least have a small
use their phones to join a videoconference.
subset of students who are well prepared.
• Passionately explain why such engagement
These same techniques also help students
is important: it’s good for the class
from diverse backgrounds who may not
and it’s an important practice for them
be studying in their native language. Many
before they embark on their careers.
students who are reluctant to speak in
• Warm call students regularly—some before physical classrooms find speaking in virtual
the synchronous sessions, some during. ones easier. The same techniques you use
in the physical classroom remain essential,
• Send emails (a mail merge to make it
but pay particular attention to speaking pace
seem more personal) to anyone who
(yours and your students’); many of us speed
didn’t engage in the previous session.
up when we are speaking to a computer.
Express your interest in hearing from those
quiet students in the next session.
29
9 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR STUDENTS ENGAGED55
1. Set high standards for your students. 4. Engage a range of students. Make sure 7. Interject discussion at least every 15
Expect things from them and they will rise that you call on different students. Don’t let minutes. Again, this will wake students up
to the occasion. If you expect that they’re the same voices dominate. and reengage them or bring them back if
not going to do that much, then guess they’ve drifted. Accept the fact that some of
5. Use warm and cold calls. Use warm calls
what? They’re not going to do that much. them are going to drift, as that’s just what
by letting students know ahead of time that
happens with online teaching.
2. Allow for time lag. Internet connections you plan to call on them. You could say,
are not always going to be perfect. When “Joe, I’m going to call on you in a little bit.” 8. Create polls in response to discussion.
you speak, your timing is going to be off a Or email students ahead of time: “Ann, I’m You can create polls ahead of time to use
little bit, so don’t try to accomplish quite as going to ask you to talk about this topic.” during class or write them on the spot if
much in the same amount of time. If you ask You can also cold call students in a live something interesting comes up during the
a question, pause for longer and give session. If cold calling produces more discussion. For instance, if someone raises a
students a chance to hear it because there anxiety in your students than you are point you hadn’t thought of, conduct a
may be a delay. comfortable with, warm calls can still be quick poll to see what the entire class thinks
very effective. about that issue.
3. Keep a class list visible. You can’t rely on
the participant list in your online platform— 6. Consider the chat window. You can open 9. Summarize. You may not do this very much
it will be constantly changing depending on a chat window for certain periods of time to in a traditional classroom, but when online
who logs in, who logs out, and who’s have an intense discussion and get a lot of students’ attention fades, have some way of
speaking. This can be very hard to keep ideas out quickly. summarizing what you’ve been discussing.
track of, so having a separate class list Even better? Have your students do it. Call
handy—even if you need to print it out on on them and say, “Can you tell us what we
paper—will simplify this for you. can learn from the last 20 minutes
of discussion?”
30
The First Few Classes: Fine Tuning

Participation and Performance
Watch Student Engagement and Consider Publicizing Get Valuable Feedback
Adjust for Better Participation56 Performance57 from Your LMS
In an online setting, it can be easy for timid If students are not living up to their obligations Remember that electronic tools leave
or passive students to hide in the back while in the course, publicly posting student electronic traces. Use this to your advantage.58
others take up all the discussion time. There performance can be a powerful motivator. Because your course is online, the LMS will
are many ways to help students speak up in While some faculty (rules differ from country store an impressive log of information: when
an online class aside from cold calling during to country) go so far as to post grades or you post materials, how frequently you give
synchronous discussions. Vary the time of day activity metrics with student names sorted in assignments, which information students
you post topics to the discussion boards so descending order, consider subtler signals, respond to best, which students are interacting
that there are more opportunities for different such as reminding students of their obligations most, how long it takes for discussions to
students to get the conversations rolling. and expressing disappointment to the class start, how long discussions last, and so much
Rotate through your class list who can post if necessary. (That being said, if you give more. Paying attention to these details and
first when a discussion begins. Reach out to students their ranking with their grade— noticing patterns can help you course correct
some of the students individually ahead of time “Your grade was B+, and you ranked number when needed throughout the semester.
and ask them to engage about a particular 14 out of 56 students.”—you cut down on
point. Just like in a traditional classroom, complaints simply because the students grasp
when all of the students are participating that they are being compared to others.)
and engaged, the discussion and learning
experience becomes richer for everyone.
31
Discussion and Group Work

Discussion Boards
Structuring Discussions59
You have a wide range of options when it comes posts and confusion about where to make
to structuring asynchronous discussions. You can new contributions. Even well-intentioned
keep all discussion of one case within a single students who have read the norms about
thread, a series of sequential threads, or multiple where to post can get confused unless the
parallel threads. In most systems, you can allow threads themselves are well labeled. In fact, an
students to start new threads themselves, important role of an online teacher is to make
which can increase students’ ownership of students aware of redundant discussions and
the discussions and reduce your workload. explicitly point them to the appropriate place.
Allowing parallel threads can lead to powerful, Some parallel discussions can allow students
simultaneous, focused discussions and make to focus on their areas of interest, but try
it easier to follow conversations. However, to keep the number to single digits. Move
you need to establish strong norms and be posts into appropriate threads if the system
quite explicit about when it is appropriate to permits this. This can be a powerful way
start a new thread, or the entire forum can of highlighting especially salient points.
quickly become disjointed, with redundant
32
DISCUSSION AND GROUP WORK
How Long Should a Discussion Go?60 • How frequently can you require students • Privately contact students who are
to log in? Depending on the nature of your dominating and ask them not to post in
A discussion can, in principle, last from a few
program, it may not be appropriate or the first several hours of a discussion.
minutes to weeks. Try to keep discussion
feasible for you to require students to log in
of a single case to less than a week to keep • Allow students to read the full online
multiple times a day or even daily. If this is
participants from forgetting the early part of the discussion only after they have created
the case, it becomes difficult to complete
discussion. If students are online synchronously, their first comment. Be cautious when
a case discussion in under a week.
the discussion can be as rapid as in a physical doing this—it can sometimes lead to a
classroom. But often a primary reason for long list of repetitive first responses.
teaching online is to enable asynchronous Managing Discussion Groups to
elements. These factors will vary by program Engage All Students What Makes a Good Post?61
and student composition, not to mention
How do you keep a student from dominating
that some schools that do online teaching Instructors must set norms for what constitutes
discussion groups? What about a student who
have more official discussion requirements a good comment so students know what to
consistently posts answers immediately after
(duration, a maximum and minimum number aspire to. This should include whether the
your question is posted? This can be frustrating
of comments, etc.) you may have to follow. comment is on point, builds on the previous
to students—by the time they log in, many of
comments, and is of an appropriate depth.
When deciding how long to allow a the relevant (and perhaps “easy”) points related
Depending on your teaching style and the goals
discussion to run, consider the following: to the question have already been raised.
of your course, you may place emphasis on
• How many times do you want students Here are some potential remedies to the quality of the writing in the comment.
participating? If you are satisfied with address the overeager student:
Part of this hinges on how much spontaneity
each student contributing only once
• Rotate which students are allowed to post you want. The more formal you expect the
or twice to a discussion, then it can be
in the first window of a discussion. posts to be, the less spontaneous they will be.
reasonable to keep a forum open for only
This can lead to longer lags between posts
a few hours or days. But if you would • Vary the times of day at which
and less engagement among the group. On
prefer to see sustained conversations with new topics are posted.
the other hand, spontaneity can produce
students communicating back and forth,
posts written in stream of consciousness,
you may need a longer time period.
33
which may be less valuable to the discussion post, perhaps relative to other, stronger posts. Designing Breakout Groups
because they are less considered. You could also require students to issue both
Most platforms enable you to either pre-
low and high ratings to keep ratings inflation
Some faculty enforce word or character set the team composition or generate teams
(“I rate you high, you rate me high”) in check.
limits on posts. In some cases, this automatically during the session. Independent
encourages tighter editing, but it can also of how you compose the groups, find a way
just lead to trivial or vapid comments. to identify the members of each group in the
Group Work central room. Depending on your platform,
students could do one of the following:
Using Gamification62 Employ the Right Tools to Organize
• Change their screen name to
Many LMSs allow participants to allocate Team Activities63
include their group ID.
points to each other and publish the results.
Online team-building activities can help your
For some students, this can be motivating. • Select a similar virtual background for
students come together. There are many tools
Whether posts are “liked” or rated, it allows members of the same breakout group.
available—such as Google Docs, WhatsApp
students to evaluate the posts of others. The You could assign the background
group chats, Instagram stories, Canvas, and
system can then flag or even promote the best- or let each group choose.
Slack—that help students contribute in online
liked ones. This works best with students who
environments in real time. One example is to • Display a sheet of paper with their group ID.
have some experience with online discussion
simply share a Google Doc or a Word file and
and have a more developed sense of what For small classes, consider putting each
ask each student to add one sentence that
constitutes a good post. Even with norms student in their own, one-person breakout
summarizes the lecture and the major ideas
established, this takes experience to build. room. You can then communicate privately
conveyed in class. Each participant contributes
with each of them. They can share their
While it is possible for students to distort this one short sentence and, together, the group
screen, ask questions they may have been
system by colluding (agreeing to give each prepares a summary of the lecture that anybody
reluctant to ask in front of others, or save face
other “likes” or high ratings, for example), it is can then use for studying and revision. It is
as you assess their level of preparedness.
unlikely to happen. If you do suspect this is taking often harder for digital communities to perceive
place, you can manage it by calling out students common goals, so using these tools also The smallest meaningful breakout requires
(publicly in the LMS or privately, as you see fit) helps create communities that strengthen the a minimum of five to seven minutes. Even
to explain why they highlighted a particular group’s shared purpose, vision, and goals.64 solving a simple problem requires some lead
34
time as participants acknowledge each other’s

presence and formulate a collaboratively 4 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE GROUP WORK
composed solution. If deliverable material must
be created, starting up the tools takes time. 1. Make suggestions about the process. Just because students have experience
with group work does not mean they are effective or even efficient at it—
especially if they are new to group work. Of course, if your course is about
Managing Group Work65
process, you may want to invest time in an analysis of the process itself.
Common techniques for managing group
2. Make checking in on group work easy. You can require students to use LMS
work also apply to online teaching: clarifying
tools or have them include you in the external tools they use. Most of our students
expectations, composing groups with varying
prefer to use non-LMS tools for interacting in group work (messaging, project
backgrounds, and deciding on timing and
management, shared documents, version control, etc.). You can also require
deliverables. However, with online teaching,
certain group processes (regular meetings, minutes of meetings, status updates,
you have the opportunity to be more involved in
intermediate deliverables, evaluations, etc.). For instance, you can create a simple
the groups if you choose. This makes it critical
status report form each group must file that will give you key data points about
to set clear boundaries around your role here.
their performance and help raise red flags before the groups get into trouble.
Unless your course is intended to teach students
3. Have groups meet synchronously. You may be able to facilitate this through
how to work effectively in groups, think carefully
the composition of the groups (for instance, one group per time zone).
about how to limit the extent of your role in
students’ group work. Find ways to facilitate their 4. Use peer evaluation. This is critical to managing “free riders” in group work as well as
work without eating into your own work time. helping with participant development. You can automate much of the work with a dedicated
tool, but an online survey tool or Google form is also easy to set up and works well.
35
Reporting Out 7 Helpful Techniques for Better USING BREAKOUT

Breakout Rooms GROUPS DURING
Don’t feel obligated to have every group
report their results every time, particularly if SYNCHRONOUS CLASS TIME66
1. Make the task clear.
the reports will be time consuming. Having
Using breakout groups can be worthwhile,
each team submit a deliverable will motivate 2. Set group breakout rooms and assign
even when synchronous time is at a
students to work diligently. (This is greatly students to them before the session starts.
premium. The more intense and personal
simplified when the group submits a shared
3. Orient students to the room interactions that take place in smaller
cloud-based spreadsheet, word-processing
before pushing them into it. groups build connections among
document, presentation, or other deliverable
participants and offer a welcome break
material that is shared with you). Meeting time 4. Prepopulate the room with the question
from the full-class video conference. To
in the central room is precious. Avoid repetitive and any relevant instructions.
make the most of the exercises, plan
reports of the same findings by multiple groups.
5. Set clear norms for how students should ahead and manage the time carefully.
You and your students can quickly master engage (voice, text, video, whiteboard, etc.).
virtual collaboration in the breakout room
6. Provide a timer for each group—either
environment. Accept that some glitches are
make a student responsible for keeping
inevitable and keep open communication
time (so the breakout finishes when it
about what worked well and what was
is supposed to) or load an application
difficult in order to continue to improve.
providing the same service.
Using breakout rooms, you will find your
7. Visit each room early on, if possible, to
students to be more engaged when they
ensure students are working productively.
return to the central meeting room, and
you will have some valuable fodder for the
remainder of your class. Not only will the
students be refreshed from the change of
context, they will also be poised to apply what
they learned while working with each other.
36
O N L I N E T E A C H I N G P L AY B O O K FOR EVEN MORE ON THIS TOPIC, VISIT
THE TEACHING CASES ONLINE GUIDE
Online Teaching Materials

Teaching with Cases Online Selecting Cases67
As always, the more a case resonates with Here are some attributes to look for when Novel. Particularly for students in a case-based
students as they read it, the more likely they choosing a case for an online class: program, many cases can seem discouragingly
are to engage with it. A case that develops similar. Is there something different about
Compelling in regard to company, industry,
beautifully in a physical classroom, though, this one in style or content? For instance, the
or protagonist. Is the company or industry
may not work as well asynchronously, since iPremier case (Austin, 2009) about a company
one where some of the students have worked or
you can’t make use of the energy available to experiencing a cyberattack is available in a
want to work? Is the case of specific economic
you when present in person. Students won’t graphic novel (i.e., cartoon) format, which
or social interest? Is the protagonist interesting
have the shared experience of receiving the provides a welcome break in an otherwise
to the students? This could be someone
opening question at the same time nor have purely text-based case course, particularly for
with whom they can identify or just a vividly
a discussion unfolding at a uniform pace. For students whose first language is not English.
painted character who will prompt reactions.
an asynchronous discussion, you may have to
Multimedia. Cases with digital or online
choose a case specifically for how it unfolds in Recent. Students prefer newer cases. Many
components fit well in an online course. And the
an asynchronous discussion. Ideally, the case educators regularly use older cases, but it
variety of aspects of the multimedia elements
should so grab students that they anxiously increases the need to convince students that
can be more easily explored in an asynchronous
await the opening of the online discussion. preparing and discussing the case is worthwhile.
format, as students can review detailed aspects
or replay video before responding to questions.
37
O N L I N E T E A C H I N G M AT E R I A L S
Well written. Let’s admit it: some cases Multipart. A multipart case is one with A, Introducing Cases to Your Students
can be hard to read simply because the B, C, and sometimes even more case parts.
Be sure to introduce each case with some
language is complicated. This is a particularly These can energize a discussion and facilitate
context (such as why it is included in the course
important consideration if the case is not transitioning to a new topic. Keep in mind that
or how it relates to other cases) to motivate
written in students’ first language. the follow-on cases parts need not be formally
students to prepare it. Many students will not
published cases. If there aren’t formal, extant,
High drama. Look for cases that are likely see the connections from case to case, so
multipart case studies, create your own. This
to provoke strong feelings, particularly with make these explicit during the course design
might simply mean compiling published articles
disagreement within the class. You may want and execution stages. A well-written intro to a
about a company, blog posts, press releases
to emphasize the tension and conflicts in case can also serve as a motivator for students
(the right sequence of press releases can
your cases to engender better discussion. to bite into a challenging case. For example,
trigger great discussions), or even fictionalized
“The next case is X. Prior students have found
scenarios you create to prompt discussion.
this case quite challenging, but we keep it in
Complex or long. Yes, it is possible, if you the syllabus because it is historically important
manage the discussion sequence well, to and shows the hard details of a really important
use more complex cases online. Students management problem. A good way to approach
have the advantage of referring back to it is to focus on this particular story line…”
the case to answer a question and before
If students are told a case is a bit of a challenge
contributing to discussions, which can lead
and are given structure for understanding it, they
to more in-depth responses. Discussion of
put much more effort in. If you find it difficult to
each part of a complex case can also occur
articulate why you are including the case, it may
across multiple assignment periods. However,
be a sign that you should rethink using the case.
long, complex cases are generally not a
recipe for high engagement, so they are best
left for later in the course after students are
used to the process and already invested.
38
Teaching with Simulations Online Selecting Simulations69 LEARN MORE ABOUT

We are likely all familiar with the maxim that Asynchronous single-player TEACHING SIMULATIONS ONLINE
there’s nothing as practical as a good theory. simulations. WITH THIS SPECIALIZED GUIDE
But we are educating our students to be
Asynchronous single-player simulations
leaders in business, so they need to be able
are most easily adapted for virtual delivery.
to execute. Sometimes it’s practical to have Synchronous simulations.
These simulations can be assigned and
them actually try things, but sometimes that’s
played by students individually or, in Some simulations can be used in an online
not realistic—especially in giving them an
some cases, in small groups ahead of setting only when all students are online
experience on a large scale. But you can give
the designated online class periods. at the same time because synchronous
them that experience with simulations.
play is an integral part of the experience.
For example, a change management Asynchronous multiplayer simulations. For these simulations, groups are informed
simulation helps students lead change in just before the simulation play begins and
Many asynchronous simulations are multiplayer,
a large or a medium-sized organization. A students do not communicate with each
meaning the entire class does not have to play
capstone simulation allows students to run other except through the simulation.
simultaneously, but a specific team of students
a business right from the start—they develop
within a class does. Each student will play on
new products, market them, sell and service
their own device, so students on the same team
them, and more. Obviously, students are
in a multiplayer simulation do not need to be
not going to have that opportunity in real life
physically together while playing but they do
(not yet, anyway), so that’s why simulations
need to be online at the same time. This will take
can be useful. Students are better able to
some coordination on the part of the students.
process the theory, make decisions, and see
what the consequences of those decisions
are when they play a simulation.68
39
Planning70 Playing
Once you’ve selected a simulation, prepare Once you finish planning the simulation process getting started and contact students who are
for the teaching intervention. A good start is and deciding on an assessment or integration not logged into the simulation when you expect
essential to getting students engaged in the method, you can begin briefing your students. them to be. As the simulation progresses,
exercise. Aside from planning the brief-play- The briefing phase usually starts with you asking it is important for you to show presence
debrief steps, take proper time to generate students to watch the briefing video. This can by regularly communicating with the class
and seamlessly distribute usernames and be followed by a Q&A session between you and about progress made, pointing out links to
passwords, team assignments, communication your students, in either synchronous sessions the course materials, and providing solutions
information, and briefing material. (real-time interactions) or asynchronous to any issues that students encounter. 71
sessions (through a message board). If there is
During this preparation, also decide how you For simulations that require students to log
a briefing video from the simulation publisher,
will assess students’ learning. In a virtual in synchronously, it can be very challenging,
supplement it with information about how the
classroom, don’t over-emphasize competitive especially with larger classes, to find
simulation links to the course, any deadlines
elements in the simulation or make students’ alternative times that work for everybody.
for completion of various steps, and how
scores count in the grading for the course. If a significant proportion of students are
(if at all) the simulation will be assessed.
Such an approach only encourages cheating now far enough away that it is impractical
and distracts from the learning process. When students play the game, monitor their for them to log in synchronously, give them
Ideally, learning from the simulation can be activity and provide support when needed. The a separate opportunity—perhaps they
integrated into existing assessments and can be instructor functionality of online simulations could play the simulation as a group.72
supplemented by written learning reflections. usually provides various ways to track student
activity, including scores obtained and details
of simulation runs played by each student,
time spent logged into the simulation platform,
and communication done through the
communication system. You can help remove
obstacles for students who have difficulty
40
Debriefing FAQ: INCLUDING SIMULATIONS IN YOUR ONLINE CLASS

After students have finished playing, you may
How do you keep students focused and What is the best way to give instructions
be tempted to simply declare the exercise a
connected with the simulation experience, for an offline simulation?
success and move on, but it is through the
particularly in an online setting?75 If students are going to play offline instead
debrief that students consolidate their learning.
That really is so different from simulation to of during class time when you’re with them,
Debriefing is critical—and it merits particular
simulation. You have to make sure students they process the material better if you
attention in an online learning environment.
understand the purpose of the simulation: record a video with instructions. You can
A synchronous online session can include live
What are they going to get out of it? What are also connect the simulation with specific
discussion led by you, supported by a few
the learning objectives? Then the instructions topics from class or give specific examples.
relevant debriefing slides. If a synchronous
need to be very clear and given ahead of time.
online session is not possible, you can lead an
If you have live meetings, it can be helpful to What about time management?
asynchronous discussion and ask students to
reserve some time in class to do that. Because How long do you allow students
capture their learning in a writing assignment.73
if you give open-ended instructions, such as, to play different sections of the
Consider following the teaching notes or “Make sure that you come back after you’ve simulation? Is it different online?76
instruction manuals, at least the first time you viewed how to play,” three-quarters of the Students typically don’t need more or less
run the simulation. Asynchronously, if you’re students will do it and a quarter won’t, and time for online simulation play. The debrief
having a discussion board for the debrief, then you’re stuck. So instead, say, “OK, we’re is a little bit different, however. If you’re
it’s important that you create smaller groups going to take some time in class to prepare.” going to have smaller groups talking first, it
even if it’s not the way the teaching note actually goes faster online. There are fewer
suggests you set up the debrief. If you have logistics, and because they automatically
a long discussion board where perhaps 20 go into breakout rooms, the transition is
or 50 students are posting, it makes it really a little bit smoother. But overall it runs
difficult to process that much information. very much along the same timeline.
Instead, break students up into groups of 10
or so, to allow them to have a conversation,
rather than just disjointed posts that students
have written offline with no real interaction.74
41
O N L I N E T E A C H I N G P L AY B O O K ACCESS OUR TEACHING ONLINE RESOURCES
hbsp.harvard.edu/teaching-online-resources
Assessment and Grading

Assessing Participation77
Quantity If you need more efficiency, you can view the

posts by an individual student and judge their
The LMS should be able to provide data on
portfolio. You miss the context of the discussions,
the number of times students have viewed
although you may recall some of it if you have
pages and posted. This can be helpful in
been following the discussions. If the course is
identifying students who have failed to
long enough, you may be able to use sampling to
meet minimum standards for activity, but of
evaluate the quality of students’ contributions.
course, it does not address the qualitative
aspects of what students have contributed.
Attendance78 If the scale of your course and
Quality For tracking attendance, some LMS tools offer your time permit, the gold
logging functions, but it can be easier to create a
If the scale of your course and your time permit,
poll, require everyone to respond, and use that standard for judging the quality
the gold standard for judging the quality
of participation is to read and evaluate the
list as attendance. Or simply take screen grabs of participation is to read and
of the participant video array or participant list
comments of students in online discussions. You
at the beginning and the end of each session. evaluate the comments of
can do this using the same basic method you use
for evaluating class participation in traditional
students in online discussions.
classrooms, except here you can keep your
gradebook open and pause whenever you like
without disrupting the flow of the discussion.
42
ASSESSMENT AND GRADING
Assignments79 4 TIPS FOR ASSESSING

Enhance online assignments by employing might present only part of it (one of five forces, STUDENT WORK
shared documents within groups to do case or one component each of the marketing mix).
write-ups—for instance, by having students 1. Self-evaluations. Have students identify
Decide whether there is added value in using
draft a memo to a case protagonist or having their best comments for each class
precious synchronous class time (if you have any)
students record presentations in lieu of some session. You could also post the analytics
for student or group presentations. If the groups
written work. Unless individual presentation and ask students to evaluate themselves
are doing only voiceovers for slides without any
skills are part of the learning objectives, it is not relative to that data.
interaction with the audience, have them record
necessary to assign individual presentations
the presentation and have participants view 2. Peer rankings of posts. Give some
unless a student has pertinent, specific
it before the synchronous session and submit weight to what classmates thought of the
knowledge of the case (such as having
questions, and perhaps analysis and evaluations, comments. If you suspect students are
worked for the company in the case).
ahead of time. Then use synchronous time gaming the system, enforce rankings.
If groups are giving presentations, give each for questions and answers or discussion.
3. Summaries of discussions. Have
a different topic. If students have to watch
students summarize discussions and
several presentations on the same topic from
attribute the best comments to
the same case, they are likely to tune out,
specific authors.
giving the first presenters an unfair advantage.
If they need to be on the same topic for 4. Groups. Do at least some of your
pedagogical reasons, then try to give each evaluation at the group level.
group a different angle on the problem (perhaps
they are grounded in different theories or
emphasize different aspects of a framework).
Or consider not requiring all students to view
all presentations; they could each get a couple
of random ones to compare, or you could view
the presentations. Alternatively, modularize
the presentation assignment such that groups
43
ASSESSMENT AND GRADING
Grading
Whatever grading mechanism you use in the For exams, you can proctor students
traditional classroom absolutely can translate with the help of webcams or third-party
to the online classroom. For a forced curve proctoring services. If you have the luxury
where you have to give some lower and of requiring synchronous meetings, this
some higher scores, make sure your system can reduce the passing of questions and
is transparent and students are aware of the responses. You can also check for students
criteria. For example, if you’re going to grade hiring others to do their work by having oral
discussion posts, explain what makes a good examinations via videoconferencing, where
post and why. As long as you do that, you a student who has done their own work can
can absolutely hold the same standards with easily discuss it and a cheater cannot.81
the same low level of grade complaints.80
Most LMSs have good tools for structuring
automatically graded exams and quizzes. Pop
quizzes can be helpful in ensuring preparation. If you are concerned about
Online students view answering questions academic honesty, you can
and interacting with the system as an organic
part of an online course, and they are less create a pool of questions for
resentful of such quizzes than in a traditional each case and randomize which
classroom where they can feel infantilizing,
especially at the graduate level. The key here is questions students get.
to make it relatively low effort for both faculty
and students. If you are concerned about
academic honesty, you can create a pool of
questions for each case and randomize which
questions students get. You can also set a
short deadline for completing the quiz.
44
Looking Ahead: Planning for the

Next Iteration of Your Course82
Prepare next year’s course during this year’s
course. If you know you are going to teach the 4 TIPS TO SAVE TIME FOR YOUR NEXT COURSE ITERATION
same course again next semester, ask your LMS
administrator to create the next course instance 1. Don’t put dates directly in 3. Use clear, long, descriptive
right away and make it available only to you. documents, or if you must include document names and titles so that
them, use your word processor’s you can easily identify them later.
If that is not possible due to administrative
automatic date function. If that is not
routines, create an online folder for the course 4. Use the copy function in the
viable, always keep them only at the
material. Copy all your created material to LMS to move content from one
top or bottom to make updating faster.
that next course (or folder). As you teach course iteration to the next.
your way through the current course, you will 2. Modularize your content so that you
inevitably find errors or changes to be made. do not need to update entire chunks.
Rather than making a note of it and trying to For instance, separate instructions
remember to fix it next time, just make the from problems and process from
change on the new course instance. When content. With cases, for example,
the new course comes up—and so often, it create separate documents for the case,
does come as something of a surprise—you the case discussion questions, and
have already done most of the preparation. the context description of the case.
45
Conclusion
A generation of educators is now challenged to try new
approaches to online coursework, learn from their
experience, adopt new and emerging best practices,
and try some more. Leverage the tools available to you
to create a robust, well-rounded classroom. Prepare
your students for what is expected of them (and when),
and engage them fully by thoughtfully choosing tools,
resources, and the right mix of compelling content.
Remember that the goal is not to replicate a face-to-
face classroom, but to optimize your course for a rich,
interactive online learning experience. The tools you
need to succeed are at your fingertips.
ACCESS OUR TEACHING ONLINE RESOURCES

hbsp.harvard.edu/teaching-online-resources
46
Endnotes
1
Bill Schiano and Espen Andersen, 16 Teaching with Cases Online 36 10 Ways to Help Your Students Cope with 52 You Can Still Engage Your Students When
“Teaching with Cases Online,” (Boston: the Transition to Virtual Learning Teaching Online—Here’s How
17 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online
Harvard Business Publishing, 2017) and
37
Bill Schiano, “You Can Still Engage Your 53 Teaching with Cases Online
Bill Schiano, “How to Quickly Adapt to 18 Teaching with Cases Online
Students When Teaching Online—Here’s
Teaching Online,” HBP Higher Education’s 54 You Can Still Engage Your Students When
19 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online How,” HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring
Inspiring Minds, March 11, 2020. Teaching Online—Here’s How
and Teaching with Cases Online Minds, March 13, 2020.
2 Teaching with Cases Online 55 You Can Still Engage Your Students When
20 Teaching with Cases Online 38 Online Learning Can Still Be Social
Teaching Online—Here’s How
3
Bill Schiano and Espen Andersen, 21 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online 39 10 Ways to Help Your Students Cope with
“8 Tips for Teaching Online,” 56 8 Tips for Teaching Online
and Teaching with Cases Online the Transition to Virtual Learning
HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring Minds, 57 Teaching with Cases Online
March 29, 2019. 22 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online 40
Adva Waranyuwat, “Seeking Human
and Teaching with Cases Online Connections When All We’ve Got Are Virtual 58 8 Tips for Teaching Online
4 Teaching with Cases Online
23 Teaching with Cases Online Ones,” HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring 59 Teaching with Cases Online
5 Teaching with Cases Online Minds, April 1, 2020.
24 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online 60 Teaching with Cases Online
6 Teaching with Cases Online and Teaching with Cases Online 41 10 Ways to Help Your Students Cope with
the Transition to Virtual Learning 61 Teaching with Cases Online
7 Teaching with Cases Online 25 Teaching with Cases Online
42 You Can Still Engage Your Students When 62 Teaching with Cases Online
8 Teaching with Cases Online 26 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online Teaching Online—Here’s How 63 Online Learning Can Still Be Social
9 Teaching with Cases Online 27 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online 43 You Can Still Engage Your Students When 64 Teaching with Cases Online
10 Teaching with Cases Online 28 How to Quickly Adapt to Teaching Online Teaching Online—Here’s How
11 Teaching with Cases Online 29
Bill Schiano, “Mastering Case Teaching in 44 You Can Still Engage Your Students When
Teaching Online—Here’s How 66 Teaching with Cases Online
12
Yvette Mucharraz y Cano and Francesco Online Classes,” HBP Higher Education’s
Venuti, “Online Learning Can Still Be Inspiring Minds, April 30, 2020. 45
Andy Molinsky, “Virtual Classes Don’t Have 67 Teaching with Cases Online
Social,” HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring 30
Tsedal Neeley, “10 Ways to Help Your to Be a Bore,” HBP Higher Education’s 68
Špela Trefalt, “What’s Different When You
Minds, March 25, 2020. Students Cope with the Transition to Virtual Inspiring Minds, March 19, 2020. Teach with Simulations Online?” HBP Higher
13
Tamara Babaian and Bill Schiano, Learning,” HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring 46 Virtual Classes Don’t Have to Be a Bore Education’s Inspiring Minds, April 21, 2020.
“Energize Your Online Course with Group Minds, March 19, 2020. 69 Teaching Simulations Online (Boston:
47 Online Learning Can Still Be Social
Work,” HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring 31 Teaching with Cases Online Harvard Business Publishing, 2020).
Minds, April 14, 2020. 48 Teaching with Cases Online
32 Teaching with Cases Online 70
Tim Rogmans, “Yes, Business Simulations
14 Energize Your Online Course 49 Virtual Classes Don’t Have to Be a Bore Can—and Should—Be Taught Online,”
with Group Work 33 8 Tips for Teaching Online
50 8 Tips for Teaching Online HBP Higher Education’s Inspiring Minds,
15 Online Learning Can Still Be Social 34 Teaching with Cases Online March 27, 2020.
35 8 Tips for Teaching Online
47
71 Yes, Business Simulations Can—

and Should—Be Taught Online
72 What’s Different When You Teach
with Simulations Online?
73 Yes, Business Simulations Can—
and Should—Be Taught Online
48

Teaching Online Playbook

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TEACHING

27 Maintaining Student Engagement Group Work 42 Assessment and Grading

32 Discussion and Group Work • Planning

Discussion Boards • Playing

• Structuring Discussions • Debriefing

• How Long Should a Discussion Go?

Note from the Editors

Harvard Business Publishing Education’s Inspiring Minds

Online teaching is full of opportunity for both students For educators,

which makes it easy to have course folders

[TIPS FOR SETTING UP YOUR COURSE IN AN LMS, CONTINUED] Chat9

The Whiteboard10 Polls11

Master Your Breakout Room Skills15

Setting Up Your Space Hardware

Software and Productivity Tools23

Preparing Before Classes Start

What: The Desired Outcomes When: Timing and Frequency

Special Considerations for Synchronous and Asynchronous Course Time

Classroom Culture and Community

Creating an Effective Culture Online36

Building a Virtual Community of Students

The Student Experience

Technology and Access39 Barriers That Students

The Psychological Impact of TIPS TO HELP STUDENTS

The Educator Experience

In synchronous learning, for example, you Set the Right Tone44

There is no right or wrong here, but you want to

Remind yourself that lectures are generally quite effective online,

Maintaining Student Engagement

Make It Interactive52 Warm Calls or Cold Calls?53

Managing Shy or Reticent Students54 Leveraging Chat

9 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR STUDENTS ENGAGED55

The First Few Classes: Fine Tuning

Discussion and Group Work

time as participants acknowledge each other’s

Reporting Out 7 Helpful Techniques for Better USING BREAKOUT

Online Teaching Materials

Teaching with Simulations Online Selecting Simulations69 LEARN MORE ABOUT

Debriefing FAQ: INCLUDING SIMULATIONS IN YOUR ONLINE CLASS

Assessment and Grading

Quantity If you need more efficiency, you can view the

Assignments79 4 TIPS FOR ASSESSING

Looking Ahead: Planning for the

ACCESS OUR TEACHING ONLINE RESOURCES

71 Yes, Business Simulations Can—

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71 Yes, Business Simulations Can—