TOOLS
We will begin the semester using Zoom for synchronous session, at a link I have emailed to you. We may also try Discord (which combines video chatting with a persistent Slack-like chat record) to see whether it meets our needs better. Please make sure that your Internet connection and equipment are set up to use Zoom, and able to share audio and video during class meetings.
ZOOM FATIGUE
Zoom fatigue is a real and serious problem. To avoid it, we will not meet for the full 3-hour duration of our class in Zoom! (Whew!) Instead, we will likely meet for 20-45 minutes, generally at 2:40pm. During the rest of class, we may (a) work individually on projects, with Zoom available (“quiet co-working”), (b) have one-on-one meetings with the professor, or (c) occasionally convene in small groups.
ZOOM POLICIES
- In general, please keep your mic muted (unless you unless you are actively sharing with the class), in order to reduce stray noise. If you want/need to briefly speak up, you can press the space bar to momentarily unmute.
- You may use the “raise hand feature” to get attention, but I recommend actually raising your hand in the video if possible 🙂
- You are also very welcome to ask or respond to questions in the chat; the TA and I will do our best to notice and respond to your remarks. Please note that Zoom chats do not persist and are deleted when the session closes.
- You are encouraged to use reactions (clapping and thumbs up), if it feels like the right thing to do.
- You are welcome to use a background image in your video if you wish.
ZOOM REQUESTS
Sharing video: In this course, being able to see one another helps to facilitate a better learning environment and promote more engaging discussions. Therefore, our default will be to expect students to have their cameras on during lectures and discussions. However, I also completely understand there may be technical or personal reasons students would not want to have their cameras on. If you have any concerns about sharing your video, please email me as soon as possible and we can discuss possible adjustments.