Synchronous Discussions / Web Conferencing

Table of Contents

Exploring Web Conferencing for Synchronous Discussions

What Are Synchronous Discussions?

Web conferencing--also known as video conferencing, live lecture capture, webcasts, or other monikers--allows you and your students to hold a discussion in real time. At Boise State, Google Meet and Zoom are available. These tools allow participants to interact in real time, share files, interact with a whiteboard, poll participants, and record the live session.

Why Use Synchronous Discussions?

Real-time discussion can:

• Serve to reduce a feeling of isolation among students that can lead to dropping out,

• Provide a place to meet the needs of adult learners who prefer application of information to their real-world experiences,

• Create a sense of community among learners, and

• Help differentiate an online course from a correspondence course. Online discussions enhance student-to-student and faculty-to-student communication.

Best Ways to Use Synchronous Discussions?

Synchronous discussions can be used to bring in guest speakers, deliver student project presentations, carry out oral quizzes, engage in role-playing activities, demonstrate functions, and more. In addition, students in the midst of group projects can use informal discussions to plan or conduct their work.

This video provides a short overview with ideas:

Planning for Synchronous Discussions

Due to frequent changes in technology associated with online web conferencing, the instructions to support your activity will require regular maintenance. Our goal is to use technology that is supported by trained Help Desk staff at Boise State.

As with all your activities, consider the objective being met by the activity. While invaluable to develop a sense of community, synchronous sessions reduce flexibility. Consider alternative methods that must be included to accommodate students who are unable to attend the live session. 

At Boise State, instructors have ready access to Zoom for online conferencing. The Zoom and Canvas Integration makes it easy to incorporate in your online learning.

Planning a web conference should take into account your students’ computer setup; you will need to let students know well in advance (in the syllabus and preferably before your class even begins), if they will require peripheral computer equipment such as a headset and webcam.

Designing for Synchronous Discussions

Your students will need the following specifics to be successful in web conferencing:

• A clear rationale for “going to the trouble” of using this tool - in other words, a valid reason why synchronous discussion is the best tool for helping students to meet one or more objectives

• All computer requirements and optional items, with information about how to contact the help desk

• Step-by-step instructions for accessing the web conferencing session, including suggestions for students to always check their audio setup as soon as they enter the session

• Details about grading or evaluation, if applicable

Due to the wide variety of ways that you can use web conferencing, we suggest that you also look at the resources for group projects and asynchronous discussions in this module folder.

Examples of Synchronous Discussion

We've discovered that students can be afraid to attend live web conferencing sessions, and have found it helpful to reassure them that joining a session is an easy process and a positive experience. The verbiage below are examples of announcements used in a course at Boise State.

• You will need to have a headset/microphone for your computer to fulfill the Computer Hardware/Software requirements for this course (a webcam would be helpful as well, but is not required). You need to have access to a headset throughout this course in order to actively participate in the weekly web conferencing class sessions. Please refer to the Virtual Office Hours section on page 5 of the syllabus for details.

• If you chose to attend the web conferencing session, you will log into the session using your computer at a certain time each week and have a live discussion with your instructor and other students in your class. You will discuss the article of the week, be able to ask questions, and interact with your peers. I highly recommend that you make these sessions a priority and attend as often as possible if your schedule permits. Past students have commented that the web conferencing sessions were very helpful and helped improve their grades. And they had FUN!  You can talk during the sessions if you have a microphone, or you can type in a chat forum.