Those of us who are in the field of online learning would agree with me that designing an online course takes more time than a face to face one. Something that we usually not read anywhere is the importance of building into our instructional design and activities intentional "breaks" during an online session. But these are not just any type of breaks but breaks that encourage for the cameras and microphones to be open. This is more important when you have students (or participants, if we are talking about a virtual meeting) that are in different parts of the world and who do not have frequent opportunities of chatting informally among themselves. One of the most enriching components of today's online class with my students (who were in the USA but had to return to their countries of origin around the world because of the Corona Virus contingencies) was the opportunity of chatting with each other, during an online class break, so that they could keep connected with each other in a non-threatening environment. They laughed together, talked about the challenges they had to face going back to their countries, and other interesting things.
I have always believed that personal connections are not only organizational currencies but are also opportunities to share with each other our "humanness" in situations where space and distance can depersonalize us. So, next time you are putting together your virtual meeting agenda, or preparing your online course make sure to integrate an "open-mic" and "camera-on" break. You may find out more about your team (or your students) than during your actual meeting.
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