A backchannel is the social media presence that forms around a real-world event. If you attend technology conferences, you may sometimes see a hashtag promoting the event such as #mootie13
which was the hashtag for the Ireland Moodlemoot 2013. The community that forms during the event around this hashtag is known as the backchannel. These do not have to be unique to conferences though, and backchannels can form around short, one hour classroom events or web conferences. The backchannel provides an excellent opportunity to students to discuss the event while it is happening and engage in some networking.
Role: Tutor |
Time: 15 minutes and above |
Device: Smartphone or Tablet |
All you need to do here is communicate a hashtag to your students that is identifiable with your lecture. Put the hashtag in the footer of each slide if you are using a slide deck, or stick it on the wall somewhere visible. This will enable them to set up a hashtag search...