“BackChannels” are an important part of online learning, where students maintain a way of interacting. This is often during a “live” chat sidebar during a teacher led learning webinar, or Google Hangout, or “virtual space in virtual time” , or at/during a student created universal “ZoomParty” as described in the article below.
Questions can be asked “behind the scenes”, and “posted” for anyone who might know more about the material. Then there’s the social aspect where learning can be supported by other means, such as providing a non boring “feed” to keep spirits up, or involved. Or support of a more general “you can do it” vibe can be shared too.
Backchannels at times might actually be devoid of course content; but keeping a real time interaction going under the aegis of a LFH course, has its own merits. Still, there’s a line there somewhere that can get crossed into “wasting time better used for course content”.
Here’s a recent article from “The Atlantic” about a student created real time, and virtual time, online “place” for students to hang out, and talk about learning, and also have fun during the pandemic. The fun part being an essential part of everyone’s day these days to counter anxiety.
[gview file=”https://publicservicesalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Inside-the-Coronavirus-College-Parties-of-Zoom-The-Atlantic.pdf”]