November 03, 2021

Teaching and learning with chat tools

More and more instruction is being conducted virtually. CEE is looking into new chat tools for better communication between students and instructors.

Recently, CEE has been investigating different chat tools for use in the classroom, which are commonly referred to as “backchannels.” Backchannel tools give instructors the ability to conduct a quick check-in or pre-assessment in class and see responses from a large number of students. These tools give students the ability to ask questions and share examples with each other, particularly in large classroom settings. Backchannel tools can fulfill the same chat functions as in Zoom, using much less bandwidth.

Below are some of the more popular chat tools worth considering:

Questions about how to incorporate these tools effectively into your course? Email cee_help@sfu.ca to request a consultation.

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* backchannel_graphicpage.pdf
Download a one-page document on backchannels
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