Appendix D

Best Andragogical Practices for Online Learning and Faculty Development

Engage the Audience

• Talk directly to the audience.
• Use the chat function to engage participants in brief conversations.
• Employ a variety of media like videos and Zoom polls.
• Have speakers (or the moderator) talk to each other as though they are having a conversation.
• Ask someone to monitor the chat discussion and have the moderator call on that person to tell the group what is being discussed or questions being asked.
• Project colorful and engaging slides (not overly filled with written text).
• Keep presentations short (less than 10 minutes) and discussions long.
• Ask the audience what they want to get from the session, and gear the conversation in that direction.
• Hire actors to play roles for training faculty on how to run case studies.
• Recognize that audience members may have a deeper understanding of the literature than the speaker.

Be Careful…

• Not to distract participants from the speakers while using the chat function for supplemental discussions.

• When using technologies that take up bandwidth and can slow the transmission of messages (i.e., videos and slide transitions).
• To schedule meetings at times that work for the speakers based on the time zone they are presenting from.
• To avoid excess lighting behind the speaker.

Prepare the Speakers

• Provide an annotated agenda that has the times of when each speaker will talk.
• Test the technology (i.e., share screen) 30 minutes prior to the session.
• Click through all of the slides with the speakers before the session begins.
• Have a backup plan if a speaker’s technology fails—move to the next speaker or have someone take over until the speaker returns.
• Remind speakers to turn on/off their videos and mute/unmute their computers at the appropriate times.
• Agree on a system of time keeping.
• Use a waiting room to admit participants and remove disruptive attendees.
• Share cell phone numbers of presenters prior to the session.

SOURCE: Input from individual members of the workshop planning committee.