BOWS Blitz 2023

The panel discussion highlighted the importance of active engagement to enhance communication in large enrolment courses, emphasizing the role of diverse activities and time management strategies. 

• Utilize discussion boards for purposes beyond Q&A to engage students in meaningful conversations and formative assessments. 
• Implement set communication hours and clearly share them with students to manage expectations and availability. Provide both in-person and Zoom office hours as well as an open discussion board to increase flexibility and access. 
• Employ audio and video as tools for information sharing and feedback. For example, employ these tools in emails, announcements, or orientation sessions to offer a more interactive, personalized, and creative way to communicate. 
• Enable students to be facilitators in certain discussion threads, adding a layer of peer-to-peer engagement.  
• Foster opportunities for students to engage with one another; for example, by fostering study groups. 

The panelists offered multiple exploration strategies, which include the use of technology and the adaptation of the pace of assignments and assessments based on course complexity. 

• Provide students the opportunity to engage in all six strands: reading, listening, viewing, writing, speaking, and representing. 
• Utilize multimodal elements, such as videos and podcasts, as part of the coursework to diversify learning materials. 
• Incorporate real-world examples and scenarios in coursework to better engage students. 
• Provide optional synchronous sessions to delve deeper into complex topics, thereby supplementing asynchronous materials. 

The panelists emphasized the importance of clear and strategic explanations, both for assignments and for understanding student comprehension. They utilized various tools, from email communication to discussion boards, to ensure this clarity. 

•  Adjust the pace of assignments based on their complexity; for example, at the beginning of the course where the content is less complex, the assignments may be closer together. As the course progresses and the concepts become more complex, assignments may be spread further apart. 
• Employ formative assessments, like discussion boards, to gauge students' understanding of course material in real-time. 
• Remain open to adjusting strategies based on student feedback and performance.