3.6.1 Online tutorials

Before the module starts tutors discuss tutorial dates with their line manager. Tutorials are scheduled around key dates in the module and an outline of what is to be covered is given to students, i.e. the tutor will know what areas they should be covering. From there they will use their professional experience to plan activities to engage students and deal with the tricky topics.

Online tutorials can sometimes feel didactic, but Adobe Connect offers a number of tools to make the session interactive as presented by Nigel Gibson in the video below.

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Transcript

NIGEL GIBSON

Hi, my name is Nigel Gibson. And the purpose of this brief video is to introduce Adobe Connect. I'll demonstrate some of the functionality and help you start thinking about how you might use this tool in working with our students. I'm going to start by looking at the layout.

The layout can be changed to suit how you plan to work. Each element is referred to as a pod. And pods can be hidden or displayed as needed. We generally show the attendees pod so that people can see who's in the room. And below it is the chat pod where participants can offer feedback and can interact with each other, as well as with the presenter.

Now we're going to look at how we use pods. Pods can hold a range of types of content. This presentation is in a pod. I can launch another pod containing an MP3 and replay that as often as possible, as necessary.

This MP4 doesn't have any sound on it. So, I can narrate it as I use it, but, obviously, I could record one with sound and play that if I wished. So, this is a wee bit of programming on one of the first-level computing courses.

When that's finished, I'm going to hide that pod and go back to the original. They can use polling tools to ask for feedback and for some interactivity and, also, to monitor progress. We can share files or web links.

I can share my PC desktop or a view of an application. We can use a mix of media. So, they don't need to just be text-heavy slides. And we can ask for interaction.

This isn't just a broadcast tool. Participants can use the chat area. They can speak using their microphones. We can convert the central area into a whiteboard on which they can write. And we can use quizzes and polls.

We can set up breakout rooms, as many as you might wish, where we can split participants into smaller groups. Each group can then share their own space to work together. We can give them a whiteboard to draw on or a resource to discuss. Participants can use audio or the chat pod. We can bring people back together for a plenary session and, also, bring back the resources they've been using.

So that was a fast pass-over Adobe Connect. And this video was recorded in Adobe Connect. I hope you found it useful.

End transcript

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