Support Interaction→ Elicit Conversation→ Get students to socialise online
For remote teaching to work considerably well, you will need to find ways to build a sense of community, student well-being and connection. Some approaches that may consider are:
- Consider creating a Microsoft Teams site specifically for students to socialise. You can also create private channels that allows smaller groups (e.g., tutorial groups, laboratory groups) to bond together.
- Use breakout rooms to facilitate collaboration.
- Consider the lively interactions that occur on social media.
- Choose topics that will encourage such sustained online conversations on your discussion forums.
- Tapping into the already existing sense of belonging and community within programmes, residential colleges, group work.
- Plan academic activities that encourage community building (e.g., short guest lectures; journal club sessions).
- Talking to your peers, and learning from their experiences on working with online student communities.
- Supporting students in building their own online communities (e.g, share resources on support/well-being; share about activities that students can participate).
- Getting to know your students. You can administer a simple survey using tools such as LumiNUS survey, Microsoft Forms, Google Forms or you can get them to write a one-minute post that answers a few key questions.
