Teaching ON? Camera ON! (5 min read)
Online teaching.
Two words that either make you jump for joy or fill you with the dread of zoom fatigue.
The benefits can be enormous.
The ability to access materials especially whilst juggling on calls/ personal responsibilities means we can log in and do the washing up at the same time.
Or can we?
Recently I’ve been attending a lot of online calls.
What I’ve found is that the majority of people are not putting their videos on and actively engaging in the call.
But why?
As someone who loves attending teaching, I realise I am biased.
However, what I hope to do in this article is to help YOU make online teaching as useful as possible, so you can at least not feel like you wasted precious hours of time!
Join me as I explore how to get the most out of online learning.
Plan and “prime” yourself for learning
Have an exam approaching and want to be making the most of learning opportunities?
Carving out time to attend teaching is a signal to your brain that you want to learn.
In an ideal world you would have looked at the lesson plan a few days ahead and scoped the subject.
If you can’t, plan a reminder popup 10 minutes before the call. Use these precious minutes to scope the teaching and come up with a few learning objectives of your own. When you are attending the teaching, keep these in mind.
You will be surprised by the satisfaction you feel when you complete the call. and if you don’t complete all your learning objectives - then this is your signal to reflect and do some more reading!
Choose to keep your camera ON
In person teaching doesn’t give us the option to hide our faces.
So why do we choose to hide them online?
Is it embarrassment that we are actually cooking dinner or playing with the kids? Or are we trying to hide our surroundings?
Whatever the reason, think carefully before you choose “camera off”.
“Camera off” signals to your sub conscious that you are not part of the learning.
Think about it logically.
If the camera is off, you don’t need to worry about being distracted because no one can see you. Suddenly, you have a choice whether to engage in teaching or to go back to scrolling instagram/reddit/bbc news. No one will tell you not to play on your phone, because no one can see.
You may think you are a master multitasker - but the reality is, you are NOT.
I have referenced an excellent review summary below which goes into detail on this topic, but for those of you that prefer me to summarise, read on! :-
1. Learning tasks take longer to complete because you have to keep re-familiarising yourself with the activity.
2. You experience mental fatigue due to constant task switching.
3. You have a reduced ability to apply knowledge and extrapolate concepts.
4. Divided attention impairs your long term retention AND affects your peers!
5. Using media (that isn’t related to the task) whilst learning is negatively associated with your performance (i.e. grades).
So to summarise, if you want to learn effectively, avoid distractions else there’s no point logging on in the first place!
Find a quiet place
So we have established that you need to avoid distractions.
Therefore logically, a quiet place will help you learn more effectively.
Noisy dog?
Get some noise cancelling headphones and close the door.
Screaming children?
Send them to your partner/kids club/family group/grandparents/or get some cheap soundproofing and lock them in a room (NSPCC approved of course).
I don’t know anyone able to concentrate in a loud environment…unless they are a performer/DJ or have excellent earplugs.
Comment below if you can prove me wrong!
A quiet place also ensures you can………
Get comfortable
If you are going to engage in teaching, you need to have fulfilled all your needs.
As with in person teaching, make sure you are fed/watered/have gone to the toilet.
Keep water and snacks nearby, and have a comfortable setup.
No room for a desk?
Take it from someone who takes calls in the stairwell.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
ENGAGE in learning
The most important step is to actively participate in teaching.
If you are engaging, it means you are listening actively and thinking - which is great for memory!
Peer learning provides an enhanced learning environment for ALL.
Let’s face it.
Online and hybrid teaching is here to stay.
Make the choice to pursue your own professional development - that’s what being an adult learner is after all!
References
Schmidt, SJ. Distracted learning: Big problem and golden opportunity. J Food Sci Educ. 2020; 19: 278– 291. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4329.12206
Tullis, J.G., Goldstone, R.L. Why does peer instruction benefit student learning?. Cogn. Research 5, 15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-020-00218-5
