Planning Collaborate Sessions

Pre-Session Information

Create a session plan
1. Review an example (PDF, 137 KB) of a session plan
2. Download template (DOCX, 166 KB) and add or delete information to create your own session plan.
3. Durations in the template are estimations. Current total is 81 minutes but does not allow for chat strategy (see 3. below in 'In-Session Information).
Send students prompts
1. Communicate information, invitation, reminder + link to instructions prior to attending the session.
2. Use Messages in your subject site and tick the ‘Send as email’ box.
3. Complement this with an Announcement in your subject site.
4. Include student help guide for accessing online lectures and tutorials and netiquette infographic reminder.
Download a splash screen
1. Choose and download a PDF graphic that explains Collaborate to students (called a splash screen).
2. You can share your screen and display this graphic until the session commences.
If using Polls, you may wish to visit this help guide on using Polls in Collaborate.

Review session plan
1. See 1. above in ‘Pre-Session Information’.
Share and display a PDF splash screen until the session commences
1. See 3. above in ‘Pre-Session Information’.
Make your Collaborate chat strategy explicit
1. If facilitating the session without support, state the intention to check the chat regularly:
  1. every 10 mins, or
  2. end of each section or
  3. whenever you see a chat.
2. If facilitating the session with support, introduce your support and state the chat strategy students can expect.
Hit record
1. Don't forget to let students know you will be recording, before you hit record.
2. Recordings are automatically made available via the three-dot icon to the right of 'Subject Room - Join Session'.
3. You can copy the link and share it with students.
Take it slowly
1. Ask students if they require a repeat demonstration, ensure they are able to follow your demonstration, point out where to go to keep up, and use brief periods of silence for cognition, reflection or the opportunity to ask a question (chat/mic).

Contact students the next day
1. Thank them for their attendance and participation.
2. State the day, date and time for the next session.
3. Urge those who did not attend to view the recording, explain how or provide the recording link in an announcement (note: will not hyperlink), message or via the subject content.
4. Remind students that engagement and participation has a direct relationship with their level of achievement and success in the subject.
5. State the next steps and what they should achieve within a given time period.
6. Direct them to a discussion board that is compelling or to a specific [Topic 1] activity that you are wanting to see interaction/access results from.
Continue to maintain asynchronous contact
1. Include supportive and administrative contact throughout the days of each of the study period weeks.
Ensure all online sessions provide learning opportunities
1. Measurable outcomes for each session.
2. Student interaction activities throughout (GoSoapBox, online group work, communication tools, etc).
3. Student application of content activities throughout.

If you have any questions, contact transform@jcu.edu.au or visit Collaborate for teaching.