2024

A safe SPACE: How educators can support the work-related grief of their trainees of colleagues

Date/ Time: Thursday, 11.14.24 @ 3:00p – 4:30p

Location: In-Person (Calendar invite sent with location)

Workshop Lead: Erin Hickey, MD

Overview: The impact of grief and loss on the experiences of healthcare providers is both significant and under-recognized. Trainees are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of unacknowledged or unsupported grief. This engaging, novel workshop offered by the Academy of Educators aims to generate a discussion on how to best support the grief of healthcare providers and introduce a broadly applicable and approachable tool to assist in starting these vulnerable conversations. Following this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Give two examples of how work-related grief manifests in the participant’s field in medicine.
  • Self-identify their behavioral and psychologic responses to caring for seriously ill patients.
  • Practice using a novel communication tool (the “SPACE” acronym) in responding to grief expressed by others.
Mentorship Best Practices Series

Sessions:

  • Mentoring Foundational Skills: 9.3.24 from 12:30p-2p
    • Presenters: Dennis Chang, MD; Jenny Duncan, MD; Joan Noelker, MD; Snehal Shah, MD
  • Culturally Responsive Mentorship: 10.1.24 from 12:30p-2p
    • Presenter: Jeramia Ory, PhD, CDFT
  • Mentoring Across Differing Identities: 10.22.24 from 3p-4:30p
    • Presenters: Abby Spencer, MD, MS, FACP; Cassie Fritz, MD; Guest Speaker- Daniella Zipkin, MD (Duke Department of Medicine)
  • Mentorship Challenges: 11.5.24 from 12:30p-2p
    • Presenters: Dennis Chang, MD; Rachel Moquin, EdD; Joan Noelker, MD

Location: In-Person (Calendar invite sent with location)

Overview: The Academy of Educators Mentorship Subcommittee is pleased to offer an in-person workshop series on Mentorship Best Practices.  This is a 4-part series that will discuss best practices, skill building, culturally responsive mentorship, mentoring across identities, and mentorship challenges. We recommend that participants sign up for all 4 sessions.  The series is geared towards clinical faculty who work with learners, and we welcome a diversity of experiences.  A certificate of completion is offered to those who attend all 4 workshops.  Please contact the Academy of Educators with any questions at academyofeducators@wustl.edu.

Debriefing Skills Workshop

Date/ Time: Wednesday, 10.9.24 @ 2:00p – 4:00p

Location: In-Person (Calendar invite sent with location)

Workshop Leads: Alex Croft, MD; Preeta George, MD; Sara Greer, MD

Overview: The Academy of Educators, in collaboration with the Howard and Joyce Wood Simulation Center, is pleased to offer an in-person Debriefing Skills Workshop. This workshop is intended for educators who wish to develop their skills in debriefing strategies, whether applied to simulations, clinical events, observed clinical encounters, or general feedback conversations. The workshop focuses on a technique called Debriefing with Good Judgement, developed at the Harvard Center for Medical Simulation. In order to facilitate skills application and interactivity during the workshop itself, pre-work will be required (30-40 minute review of pre-recorded videos and articles). Please only register if you anticipate being able to complete the pre-work. Registration will be capped at 20 participants.

Remediation Workshop Series

Dates: Thursdays, August 15 & 29

Time: 2:00pm-3:30pm

Location: In-Person (Calendar invite sent with location)

Overview: A 2-part workshop series focused on remediation, specifically:
1. Approach to remediation as a concept
2. Remediation strategies based on competencies
3. Documentation strategies and examples

It is RECOMMENDED you attend both sessions as content will build from the first to second session.

Workshop Leaders: Dominique Cosco, MD, FACP & Nichole Zehnder, MD

Audience: Applicable to educators who work with UME, GME, and health professions students

Teaching Excellence Series

Sessions:

  • Managing Challenging Conversations in the Classroom: 4.23.24 from 3:30p-5p/ MCC, 1st Floor, Room 1404
  • Teaching at the Bedside: 5.10.24 from 12:30p-2p/ MCC, 1st Floor, Room 1404
  • Teaching in Non-Clinical Settings: 6.13.24 from 12:30p-2p/ MCC, 1st Floor, Room 1404
  • Teaching via Zoom: 6.19.24 from 12:30p-2p/ Zoom
  • Teaching in the Classroom: 7.10.24 from 3p-4:30p/ Maternity Building, 1st Fl, Schwarz

Overview: The Academy of Educators is thrilled to present our AoE Teaching Excellence Series that will showcase our outstanding members who bring their expertise and experience to help enhance critical teaching skills across learning settings!  This is a 5-part series that will equip educators with practical tips, tricks, and best practices to help deliver more effective teaching

Building Inclusive Environments for Learners with Disabilities (BUILD)

Dates: Thursdays, May 16, 23, 30

Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm

Location: Zoom

Overview: BUILD offers health professions faculty the knowledge, skills, and resources to understand the barriers facing people and learners with disabilities and to create more inclusive didactic and clinical learning environments. Topics in this 3-session series addresses the history and different models of disability, barriers and challenges presented by ableism, and stigma in community and educational settings.

Speed Mentoring/ Networking

Date: February 27, 2024

Time: 4:00p – 5:30p

Location: Cori Active Learning Space

Overview: The Academy of Educators: Mentorship Committee is excited to host a speed mentoring event that will provide a forum for faculty members to meet with leaders in medical education. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions related to professional development and careers in medical education. Our mentors have expertise in numerous areas of education, including medical education research, leadership, curriculum development, and bedside teaching. Please join to have your MedEd career questions answered, as well as network with great colleagues! Space is limited for this event and registration will be confirmed by the Academy of Educators following registration for the event.

Essentials of Slide Design

Date: February 6, 2024

Time: 12:30p – 2:00p

Location: Farrell Learning & Teaching Center

Overview: During this workshop, participants will learn fundamentals of slide design and presentation. If you have ever caught yourself mid presentation saying “sorry, I guess you can’t read that”, or realized that you had simply copied an article or text directly into a slide and then read it with your back to the audience, this session can help you avoid similar pitfalls in the future. We will discuss some principles of multimedia learning, the nitty gritty of slide construction (focusing on PowerPoint and keynote), and participants will have opportunities to practice and get feedback on their own material. For those who attended the Education Day 2023, this will be a more detailed interactive version of the roundtable session on Slide Design.

By the end of the workshop, learners will be able to:
1. Display tables and other data from primary sources in a manner that maximizes learning. 
2. Construct visually impactful slide presentations utilizing concepts from Mayers principles of multimedia learning.
3. Avoid common slide design errors of illegibility, poor use of space, and inappropriate use of text.
4. Describe how to tailor your presentation style for different audiences and settings.

Promotions for Educators

Date: January 17, 2024

Time: 3:30p – 5:00p

Location: Cori Active Learning Space

Overview: WashU has exciting updates to share about how the new promotions process will support educators at the Medical School! This workshop will feature updates from Dean Shellhaas on progress in our promotions criteria to better support educators followed by a panel discussion with faculty who’ve successfully navigated the promotions process at WashU as Educators. Panelists will share suggestions on how to best capture the impact of your teaching and medical education scholarship, the importance of developing a niche, mentorship and sponsorship, skill building, and developing a robust educator portfolio. Attendees will be invited to submit questions and engage with Dean Shellhaas and our panelists. Please contact the Academy of Educators with any questions at academyofeducators@wustl.edu.

2023

Mentorship Best Practices

Dates: October 23, November 9, December 11

Time: 12:30p – 2:00p

Location: Mid Campus Center (Calendar invites will be sent by the Academy)

Overview: The Academy of Educators Mentorship Subcommittee is pleased to offer an in-person workshop series on Mentorship Best Practices.  This is a 3-part series that will discuss best practices, skill building, culturally responsive mentorship, and mentorship challenges. We recommend that participants sign up for all 3 sessions.  The series is geared towards clinical faculty who work with learners, and we welcome a diversity of experiences.  A certificate of completion is offered to those who attend all 3 workshops. Please contact the Academy of Educators with any questions at academyofeducators@wustl.edu.

How to Write a Budget for an Education Scholarship Grant

Date: Thursday, October 5, 2023

Time: 12pm – 1pm

Location: Zoom

Overview: At the end of this session, participants will be prepared to:
1. Identify the budget line items needed to cost-effectively support an education scholarship project
2. Write a justification for the line items in a budget for an education scholarship grant

Tailored to the Small Grants Program of the Academy of Educators and Medical Education Research Unit (MERU)

Presenter: Jan Hanson, PhD, EdS, MH
Moderator: Nickole Forget, MD, FACP

How to Write an Education Scholarship Grant

Date: Monday, September 11, 2023

Time: 5pm – 6pm

Location: Zoom

Overview: At the end of this session, participants will be prepared to:
1. Discuss the criteria that define education scholarship
2. Recognize common pitfalls in education scholarship proposals
3. Outline a proposal for a small grant in the area of education scholarship

Featuring an introduction to the Small Grants Program of the Academy of Educators and Medical Education Research Unit (MERU)

Presenter: Jan Hanson, PhD, EdS, MH
Moderator: Nandini Raghuraman, MD, MS

Promotions Workshop: Associate Professors

Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Time: 4pm – 5:30pm

Location: FLTC, 1st Floor, Holden Auditorium

Overview: Educators play an essential role in supporting the scientific and patient care missions of academic medical centers. Despite their crucial role in training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, academic advancement is often slower for educators than for other faculty. Increased clinical productivity demands and financial stressors at academic medical centers add to the existing challenges faced by educators. This workshop will discuss progress in promotions criteria to support educators to more successfully navigate the promotions process. Educators’ products are diverse, and publication may not always be the primary currency. This workshop will share tips on how best to capture the impact of your teaching and medical education scholarship as well as the importance of developing a niche, mentorship and sponsorship, skill building, and developing a robust educator portfolio.

Promotions Workshop: Instructors & Assistant Professors

Date: Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Time: 4pm – 5:30pm

Location: FLTC, 1st Floor, Holden Auditorium

Overview: Educators play an essential role in supporting the scientific and patient care missions of academic medical centers. Despite their crucial role in training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, academic advancement is often slower for educators than for other faculty. Increased clinical productivity demands and financial stressors at academic medical centers add to the existing challenges faced by educators. This workshop will discuss progress in promotions criteria to support educators to more successfully navigate the promotions process. Educators’ products are diverse, and publication may not always be the primary currency. This workshop will share tips on how best to capture the impact of your teaching and medical education scholarship as well as the importance of developing a niche, mentorship and sponsorship, skill building, and developing a robust educator portfolio.

Building Inclusive Environments for Learners with Disabilities (BUILD) Workshops

Dates/ Time: June 1, June 8, June 15, 2023. All sessions will be from 5:00-6:30p

Location: Zoom

Overview: BUILD offers health professions faculty the knowledge, skills, and resources to understand the barriers facing people and learners with disabilities and to create more inclusive didactic and clinical learning environments. Topics this 3-session series addresses include the history and different models of disability, barriers and challenges presented by ableism and stigma in community and educational settings, inclusion, receptivity, and belonging in the context of learners with disabilities in health professions education, strategies educators can use to minimize and prevent microaggressions, implicit bias, and stereotype threat in learning environments, ways to integrate growth mindset and universal design for learning as instructional approaches to enhance success of learners with disabilities, and inclusive teaching in terms of instruction, curriculum, learner and program assessment, and classroom policies and procedures.

Work Smart Workshop Series

Date: Wednesday, February 1, March 1, and Monday, March 27

Time: 12:30 – 2PM

Location: Once registered, an Outlook invite will be sent with location details.

Overview: The Academy of Educators is pleased to offer an in-person workshop series. Tackle your New Year’s resolution & learn how to organize your workday to take control of your time. This is a 3-part series that will discuss best practices to build better meetings, setting boundaries with your time & learn how to manage your inbox. Build your ideal workflow after learning tips & tricks from faculty and administrative staff on the medical campus. This is open to all, and we welcome a diversity of experiences. Please contact the Academy of Educators with questions at academyofeducators@wustl.edu.

2022

Mentorship Best Practices

Date: Monday, October 24, November 14, and December 5

Time: 12:30 – 2PM

Location: Once registered, an Outlook invite will be sent with location details.

Overview: The Mentorship Subcommittee of the Academy of Educators is pleased to offer an in-person workshop series on Mentorship Best Practices.  This is a 3-part series that will discuss best practices, skill building, culturally responsive mentorship, and mentorship challenges. We recommend that participants sign up for all 3 sessions.  This is open to all faculty, and we welcome a diversity of experiences.  Please contact Noor Riaz with any questions at nriaz@wustl.edu 

How to Write a Budget for an Education Scholarship Grant

Date: Tuesday, September 13

Time: noon-1pm

Location: Zoom

Overview: At the end of this session, participants will be prepared to:
1. Identify the budget line items needed to cost-effectively support an education scholarship project
2. Write a justification for the line items in a budget for an education scholarship grant

Tailored to the Small Grants Program of the Academy of Educators and Medical Education Research Unit (MERU)

Presenter: Jan Hanson, PhD, EdS, MH
Moderator: Patricia Kao, MD

How to Write an Education Scholarship Grant

Date: Monday, August 22

Time: 5-6pm

Location: Zoom

Overview: At the end of this session, participants will be prepared to:
1. Discuss the criteria that define education scholarship
2. Recognize common pitfalls in education scholarship proposals
3. Outline a proposal for a small grant in the area of education scholarship

Featuring an introduction to the Small Grants Program of the Academy of Educators and Medical Education Research Unit (MERU)

Presenter: Jan Hanson, PhD, EdS, MH
Moderator: Patricia Kao, MD

Building Inclusive Enviroments for Learners with Disabilities

The Academy of Educators is pleased to announce a new faculty development opportunity, Building Inclusive Environments for Learners with Disabilities (BUILD). BUILD offers health professions faculty the knowledge, skills, and resources to understand the barriers facing people and learners with disabilities and to create more inclusive didactic and clinical learning environments. Topics this 4-session series addresses include the history and different models of disability, barriers and challenges presented by ableism and stigma in community and educational settings, inclusion, receptivity, and belonging in the context of learners with disabilities in health professions education, strategies educators can use to minimize and prevent microaggressions, implicit bias, and stereotype threat in learning environments, ways to integrate growth mindset and universal design for learning as instructional approaches to enhance success of learners with disabilities, and inclusive teaching in terms of instruction, curriculum, learner and program assessment, and classroom policies and procedures.

Learning experiences will include interactive lectures, small group discussion, role play, speaker panels, and a variety of experiential activities. Participants will also develop a personalized inclusive education roadmap to help guide their continuous development of skills and attitudes facilitating inclusive teaching.

This virtual learning opportunity is open to faculty, instructors, residents, and fellows with teaching and/or mentoring roles in any School of Medicine department or program wiling to attend all four sessions.

Dates:
June 21, June 28, July 12, and July 19, 2022. All sessions will be from 4:00-6:00pm

Course Directors: Dr. Jessica Dashner, Lauren Nguyen, and Dr. Steve Taff (Occupational Therapy)

Please contact Dr. Steve Taff with any questions at: taffs@wustl.edu

Remediation Workshop Series

Dates: Tuesday, April 26; Tuesday, May 24; Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Time: 12:30-2:00pm

LocationEPNEC 301

Overview: A 3 workshop series focused on remediation, specifically:
1. Approach to remediation as a concept
2. Remediation strategies based on competencies
3. Documentation strategies and examples.

The final session will focus on case reviews during which participants may bring their own examples to share, brainstorm, and develop plans with others. It is RECOMMENDED you attend all 3 sessions as content will build with each session.

Workshop Leaders: Dominique Cosco and Nichole Zehnder

Audience: Applicable to educators who work with UME, GME, and health professions students.

2021

Promotions for Educators Panel Discussion

Date: Friday, November 5, 2021 from 3:00-4:00pm

Overview: This workshop is aimed at helping educators navigate the promotions process. The workshop will include a panel discussion focused on sharing tips and strategies for discussing the promotions process with department leaders, supervisors and mentors. The panel is comprised of faculty who have successfully been promoted based on their contributions to the educational mission of Washington University.

Panelists include: Colleen Wallace, Lisa Moscoso, Rachel Moquin, Michael Awad and Suzie Thibodeaux.

Moderators: Michelle Miller-Thomas, Abby Spencer and Eva Aagaard

A recording of the session can be viewed HERE.

2021 Social Media Summit

Dates: 9/13, 9/20, 9/27 from 5:00-6:00pm via Zoom

Overview: This summit serves to unite those within Washington University School of Medicine through the power of social media and the creative energy of our faculty and staff. This summit will aim to provide the tools to allow us to better educate and empower our patients and our community through these platforms.

9/13/21: Workshop 1: Intro to Social Media Advocacy

9/20/21: Workshop 2: Amplify Your Message: Go Viral, Reach Traditional Media

9/27/21: Workshop 3: Virtual to “Real World” Change

Academy Membership Overview Session and Q&A

Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 4:00-5:00pm via Zoom.

Overview: Want to learn more about the Academy of Educators? Do you have questions about the application process for the Academy of Educators?
Join us on June 24th at 4pm for an Academy overview and Q&A! We will detail the benefits of joining the Academy, what the Academy is developing for educators on campus, and answer any questions about the application process. Looking forward to connecting with you and answering all your Academy questions!

Presenters: Drs. Dominique Cosco, Amy Bauernfeind and Abby Spencer

Resources: Click here to view the recording after the session date.

2020

Designing and Leading Case-Based Learning Sessions

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2020 from 4:00-5:30pm via Zoom.

Overview: This workshop will provide guidance for selecting cases and writing plans for case-based learning activities in a curriculum, as well as tips for facilitating small group case-based discussions in person or on Zoom. The workshop will build relevant skills for curriculum developers, course directors, and case-based learning teachers/facilitators.

Objectives:

1. Evaluate when to use case-based learning to enhance education

2. Discuss effective case design for small group learning

3. Develop techniques for facilitating small group case-based learning

4. Describe an approach to writing student and faculty guides

Presenters: Drs. Tom De Fer, Jan Hanson, Patricia Kao and Megan Wren

Resources: Click here for workshop resources.

Incorporating Active Learning into Large Group Sessions

Date: Monday, August 24, 2020 from 12:00-1:30pm.

Overview: This workshop will focus on ways to incorporate active learning strategies when teaching large group sessions. The workshop’s leaders will first present principles of adult learning and the “why” behind active learning. Multiple different strategies for active learning will be presented and incorporated into the workshop. In addition, audience members will have the opportunity to participate in some of the active learning strategies during the workshop. Workshop leaders will also present tips for success in the facilitation of active learning in large groups.

Objectives:

1. Summarize common principles of adult learning theory

2. Describe strategies to employ active learning in large group teaching sessions

3. Integrate at least one active learning strategy into a curriculum you’re planning

4. Describe facilitation strategies for online education to improve engagement

Presenters: Drs. Dominique Cosco, Cara Cipriano, Amber Deptola and Tammy Sonn

Resources: Click here for workshop resources.

Tech-Enhanced Learning 

Date: Monday, August 31, 2020 from 4:00-5:30pm via Zoom.

Overview: During this 90-minute workshop, members of the Academy of Educators will address learning theories for knowledge and skills that can be utilized before, during, and after in-person traditional settings. Presenters will do a hands-on demonstration of resources such as Poll Everywhere, Microsoft Teams, and Aquifer, and discuss how these are being used currently. Demonstration of the capabilities of Washington University’s Instructional Design Studio for high quality video and audio will be shown. Additionally, more advanced Zoom meetings will be demonstrated, including ways to creatively use polls, annotations, whiteboards,breakout rooms, and even virtual backgrounds as opportunities for learning during this time of social distancing.

Objectives:

1. Describe ways technology can be used to enhance learning before in-person sessions

2. Describe ways technology can be use to enhance learning during in-person sessions

3. Describe ways technology can be used to enhance learning after in-person sessions

4. Describe ways technology can be used to teach skills remotely

Presenters: Drs. Gerome Escota, Dennis Chang, Anup Shetty, Paul Wise and Timothy Yau

Resources: Click here for workshop resources.

Designing and Leading Team-Based Learning Sessions

Date: Monday, September 14, 2020 from 4:00-5:30pm via Zoom.

Overview: During this 90-minute workshop, participants will be introduced to Team-Based Learning (TBL) as an instructional pedagogy. They will learn about the steps of designing and deploying a TBL session as well as some common tips and tricks from faculty who have been using TBL. They will also learn some practical methods for conducting a virtual TBL session.

Objectives: 

1. Describe the tenets of TBL pedagogy

2. Explain the steps of team formation in TBL

3. Create an application exercise that compile with the 4S rules

4. Select appropriate preparation materials

5. Compare and contrast online vs in-person TBL administration

Presenters: Drs. Amanda Emke, Steven Cheng and Timothy Yau

Resources: Click here for workshop resources.

2020 Social Media Summit

Date: 8/24, 8/31, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/19 from 5:00-6:00pm via Zoom.

Overview: This summit serves to unite those within Washington University School of Medicine through the power of social media and the creative energy of our faculty and staff. This summit will aim to provide the tools to allow us to better educate and empower our patients and our community through these platforms.

Objectives:

1. Select an appropriate social media platform(s) to achieve their goals

2. Describe current trends and best practices in social media content creation and time commitment as it relates to:
a. Patient education and outreach
b. Physician outreach
c. Undergraduate/Graduate Medical Education outreach/recruitment

3. Explain how and why physician and health-care organizations can benefit from being on social media for purposes of:
a. Patient and community education
b. Personal advancement

Presenters: Virgil Tipton (MPA), Kay Franks (FPP), Christine Schorb (Compliance)
Drs. Trisha Bhat, Sarah Garwood, Tim Yau, Gerome Escota, Kenan Omurtag, Ilana Rosman, Jason Wagner, Jessi Gold, Marta Perez, Rakhee Bhayani, Marissa Tenenbaum, Andrea Hagemann

Social Media Summit Workshop Recordings:
8/24/20 – “We Need to be on Social Media, Right?” Getting Started on SocMe
8/31/20 – “Considerations for Organizations vs Individual Accounts”
9/14/20 – “Taking Back the Narrative: Talking to Patients and Peers”
9/21/20 – “Recruitment, Promotion and Social Media”
9/28/20 – “Best Practices and Examples of High Impact Content”
10/19/20 – “Intersection of Social Media, Diversity, Inclusion and Medical Education”

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROVIDED BY
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Continuing Medical Education

ACCREDITATION
In support of improving patient care, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

American Medical Association (AMA)
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis designates this live activity for a maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Statement:
It is the policy of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Continuing Medical Education, that planners, faculty and other persons who may influence content of this CME activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial interests in order for CME staff to identify and resolve any potential conflicts of interest prior to the educational activity. Faculty must also disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation. Detailed disclosures will be made in activity handout materials.

Seven Simple Tips for Instruction in an Online Virtual Classroom

1. Objectives: just as you would in a physical classroom environment, establish clear learning objectives for your online virtual session
2. Engagement: the rules of engagement for an online virtual session are different from those that apply in a physical classroom. A realistic working assumption is that learner engagement in a physical classroom presentation involves listening 80%, reading 10% and writing 10%; expect engagement during an online session to be reading 50%, typewriting 40% and listening 10%. If possible, learn to be comfortable using a whiteboard for scribbling, drawing or annotating diagrams or charts — a bit like the old fashioned blackboard-and-chalk. Once again, writing “live” on the screen has become a new exciting trend for learners.
3. Duration: Avoid online presentations that mimic the traditional hour-long duration. Most learners do not have experience with hour-long reading, typewriting and listening. Think phone-in radio program: an online virtual environment is like a phone-in radio program. Find a phone-in radio program and listen for 30-minutes to get an idea of techniques for engagement.
4. Feedback: Do not expect the usual verbal, visual, and auditory feedback cues: laughter, applause, looks of confusion or understanding or perplexity. You will not be able to walk around the classroom.
5. Parallel environment: In a physical classroom environment, there are at least a dozen simultaneous side-conversations and communication between learners occurring at any given time during the session. In an online virtual classroom, expect to see several whole-class communications occurring at any given time during the session. If you are able to use teaching assistants in your virtual classroom, do so. Student teaching assistants understand better than most instructors how to engage their peers in an online virtual environment regardless of the technology platform that is used to deliver the session.
6. Assessment: Think 2-factor authentication — just like logging into a secure email account. Plan for 2-devices per examinee: one for taking the test, and the other for showing/watching/proctoring the test environment. So 100 test takers = 200 devices.
7. Understand your platform: Most platforms for online virtual classrooms include video, window-sharing and chat functions. Instructors instinctively default to the video & window-sharing/presentation function to communicate with learners in a virtual classroom. Students instinctively default to the chat function to communicate with instructors and other learners. It appears that this is not going to change anytime soon.