Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, I wanted my students to be familiar with teleconferencing, especially when they have to present their solutions within a Problem-based learning framework. It is interesting and rather coincidental that COVID-19 came when I have decided to change to a Problem-Based Learning Approach, which complements eLearning, Blended Learning and Teleconferencing very well (unlike Lectures and face-to-face class activities alone).
I instructed my students to download the Zoom app yesterday, and posted the invitation including the link to the Zoom meeting on their eLearning platform. The students were required to present their solutions to Problem Packages 1 and 2 (of the past 2 weeks). In spite of the poor wifi reception for some (wherever they are), the students went for it. I reassured them that this is a fun learning process, and there is no pressure to present well. 9 students presented from 6 teams, each given 5 to 10 minutes. They were confident, able to share their slides, mute and unmute their speakers, respond to messages in the message section, and rejoin the meeting when their wifi failed them. I am reassured that the students will be able to manage a teleconference platform like Zoom in future in the event that eLearning should become mandatory. I am also more confident in using Zoom now and no longer have to worry if face-to-face classes were to be suspended for whatever reason.
My students are required to reflect on their experience using Zoom for teleconferencing. Let’s see what they have to say next time. The questions that I pose are as follows:
“Think of how we all used Zoom to conduct presentations to everyone today.
- Do you find it useful?
- Did you enjoy it?
- Is Zoom difficult or easy to use?
- Do you learn better this way than presenting in class?
- In which situations does teleconferencing becomes necessary?”