Try Skype When Teaching Online

Have you ever taught an online class and thought, "I just need to talk to my students face to face for a little bit?" I have and Skype might just help in those instances.

I chose to experiment with Skype as a way to incorporate synchronous communication in an online course.  I have used Skype to chat with a friend, but I've recently just began to think about ways I might be able to use this in a class. I think that Skype would be a good tool to use in teaching because many students currently use Skype and may be familiar with it. I also like Skype because it allows for video chat, audio chat, and text chat. This will allow students to participate in a variety of ways. I also like chat because it has an app for the iPhone. 

I love Apple's iPad and iPhone and you will "hear" me talk about them a lot, but I am sure that other phones also have the app as well. If I (or a student) can not get to a computer, I can also participate in a Skype conversation from my phone. If you have a two-camera on your phone, you can use the video chat as you would use it on the computer. I also experimented with sending text messages, files, and links in a discussion. When using this as an instructor, I can share files or links about the topic we are discussing. A student will also have the ability to share something that they think may fit with the topic.

Most people sign up for online courses to allow for the time/place flexibility that asynchronous discussions provide. However, I believe that the immediate feedback and other benefits are lost in synchronous chat. Skype allows for students to participate in a synchronous discussion while allowing flexibility in place, some flexibility in time (you can Skype from your phone while on a lunch break), and flexibility in the method of the discussion (video, audio, text, or some combination). I see myself using Skype in an online class when I want to conference with my students or check-in with them. For instance, I will be teaching an advanced theories course next semester. The students have already learned about counseling theories and have taken most of their counseling coursework. In this class, they are accessing their own beliefs on counseling and how individuals change and choosing a their own personal approach to counseling. I plan to use Skype to conference with each student at least one time individually. This will give us an opportunity to discuss their theoretical orientation in an individualized way that will benefit from the immediate feedback and one-on-one discussion.