Similar to in-person office hours, virtual office hours support student learning through one-on-one interactions between students and instructors or TAs. They are an online means of addressing – in real time – student questions about course material and assignments. Research on student learning suggests that “Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement” (Chickering & Gamson, 1986, p. 3).
Whattools can I use formyvirtual office hours?
Virtual office hours canbefacilitatedthrough fourcentrally-supportedvideo conferencing platformsand another non-video conferencing platform:
- Virtual Classroom (Bongo), which can be accessed in LEARN
- ±ѱپԲ
- MS Teams
- Zoom
- Piazza
Thesefiveplatformssupport communication by audio, video, and text,as well as a white board for drawingdiagrams ormathematicalsymbols.To help youselecta platform for online office hours,we’veoutlinedthe following options.
Office Hours using Zoom
Zoom is helpful for both visual meetings and chat-based meetings,allowing you to record your meetings, screen shareduringyour meetings andcapturelive transcripts which may improve the quality of your meetings.You cancreate an account or migrate your existing accountto a campus-wide license.
- Option 1: Drop-in office hours
- Option 2:Drop-inoptionwith waiting room
Set up an office hour which the whole class can attend.Every Zoom user has awhich always has the same link. You can share this link with students along with your office hours.Students can join your office hours by logging intoZoom by using their UݮƵ student accounts and join in the team meeting at any time during the office hour.
- Option 3: “By appointment” office hours
Set up several available meetings for students to choose, then book an appointment and invite the student who books the time to the Zoom meeting. This will allow only you and the student into the meeting room.
Resources:
- (from IST)
- s(from Zoom)
Office Hours usingMicrosoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is helpful for both visual meetings and chat-based meetings. It allows you to record your meetings and write down meeting notes, which may improve the quality of your meetings.
- Option 1:Drop-inoffice hours
- Option 2:Drop-inoptionwith waiting room
Set up an office hour which the whole class can attend. You can invite all of the students to the Microsoft Teams meeting by your outlook email (which you can book an appointment and invite all students by adding events on your schedule). Thus, students can log in to MS Teams by using their UݮƵ student accounts and join in the team meeting at any time during the office hour. The meeting group will appear in MS Teams’ chat after if you chat with your students during the meeting, so that you can always come back and check your record video and meeting notes, or even start a new meeting with this group again.
- Option 3:“Byappointment”office hours
Set up several available time for students to choose, then book an appointment and invite the student who books the time only to the MS Teams meeting. This will allow only you and the student into the meeting room.
Resources:
- (from Microsoft)
- (from IST)
Office Hours usingVirtual Classroom(Bongo)
Virtual Classroom is a good option for virtual office hours if Bongo is already used elsewhere inyourcourse, such as for Video Assignments.Virtual Classroom allows you to choose the format for your virtual office hours: drop-insor scheduled appointments.
- Option 1:Drop-inoffice hours
Set up virtual office hours as a recurring meeting that the whole class can attend. There is no “waiting room,”which means anystudent canjust“drop in.”Ifanother student is already in your virtual office, discussing something private,youcanask the new student tocome backat a specific time and thenremove them.However,iftheydisregard the timeyou’vesuggested,they will be able to keeppoppingback in.
- Option 2:“Byappointment”office hours
Set up virtual office hours and then ask students to choose one of the meeting slots thatyou’vemade available.This is the most equitableoption especially if your students are in differenttime zones.Typically,office hours are scheduled in 20-minute increments.If multiple students have the same concern, seek their permission to host them together.
Resources:
- (from Bongo)
- (from IST)
- (from IST)
Office Hours using±ѱپԲ
- Options 1 and 2 would be the same as for Virtual Classroom, above.
- Option 3:Drop-inoptionwith waiting room
This optionuses the Lock Meeting and Lobby features of WebEx. Astudent logs into WebEx and startsoffin a “lobby” (a virtual waiting room).You then admit the student to the WebEx meeting.Whenotherstudentsenter the “lobby”, you will receiveanotification for eachone.To lock the meeting at the start of the office hours,to prevent students from dropping in without permission,go to Meeting > Lock Meeting:
When studentsare placedin the“lobby,” they will receive a “welcome message.” You can customizethismessage for students, for example,letting them know you are currently with a student, and thatyouwill let them into the meeting in a few minutes.To create a“welcome message,”go to Meeting > Welcome Message:
When you are ready for your next drop-in, click“Waiting to Join”to seethe names of students waiting in the“lobby”and thenclick “Let in” besidethe nameof the studentyou’ll next meet with.
Resources:
- (from WebEx)
- (from IST)
Office Hours usingPiazza
Piazza is quite different than Virtual Classroom (Bongo), WebEx Meetings and MS Teams, since it is designed to be a question-and-answer based platform. Although it cannot offer a face-to-face meeting, it can still help with office hours. Piazza is integrated into LEARN, which means you can use it for any courses you want.
Resources:
- (from Piazza)
- Piazza(from IST)
Can I use LEARN’s Chat toolforhosting virtual office hours?
LEARN’s Chat toolcan be used if the office hours are conducted asreal-time,text-basedcommunication.Although this tool doesn’t havethe“waiting room”option that WebEx has, it isa great tool for synchronous meetings where it’s understood that the information will be visible and shared with the whole class, such as for Q&A beforethe exam ora major assignmentdeadline. The transcript can be saved and sharedwith the whole class,and alsobecomes a helpful study resourcefor all students. Chat tool is also agoodoptionto have as a backup forvirtual office hours conductedin audio- or video-based formatasit’snotaffected by bandwidth.
The Chat tool can be found under Connect > Chat. You may need toturn on the Chat tool.
Resource:
- Chat(from IST)
How will my students find information about my virtual office hours?
When using Virtual Classroom(Bongo)for office hours, students go toConnect > Virtual Classroomtoseeyouravailable office hours.If you have set up private office hours with a student, then only that student will see those office hours.
When using WebEx, you’ll need to copy and paste the meeting information to a LEARNannouncement,content page, orhomepagewidget.To copy the meeting information, click the “copy” iconwhen looking at your meeting information (the yellow highlight in the following image):
How do I prepare formyvirtual office hours?
Communication
- Set up specific times for your virtual office hours(e.g., Wednesdays 3-4pm); for weekly office hours, aim fordifferentdates/times of the day
- Postawelcomingmessage in LEARNAnnouncementsto let studentsknowabout your virtual office hours (“Welcome to My Virtual Office”)
- Tell students what they need to do (e.g., instructions on when and how to log in)
- Give students a lot of encouragement to take advantage of virtual office hours and remind them that you are available to provide help
- Sendthemanother reminder before “high traffic” weeks, such as before exams orassignmentdeadlines
Technology
- Consider using(regardless of the platform used for virtual office hours) to have students sign up for dates and times when you are available.
- Spend at least an hour getting to knowthe tool thatyou’llbe using for your office hours,itskey features and how they are used
- Have one“trial run”office hour sessionwith a fellow TA or a student volunteer
- Make sure you know how to:
- mute/unmuteyour microphone
- switch on/offyour webcam
- share/hideyour desktopif you plan to display or review content with your students
- usea whiteboard toolto draw symbols and equationsduring numerical or formula-driven sessions
Whatelseshould I considerwhen holding virtual office hours?
Privacy
-
Both Bongo (Virtual Classroom) and WebExallow for recordingof thesession. Due to privacy considerations, ensure that recording is turned off during virtual office hours.
Bandwidth
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Bandwidthrefers to the rate of data transfer.Tools that require low bandwidth are text-basedsuch asemail, chatanddiscussion groups. Tools requiring medium bandwidth are audio-based like podcasts and mini-lectures or discussions that make use of audio but not video. Tools that require the highest bandwidth are ones that employ video.If an online meeting with a studentdoesn’trequire video, use just audio.
Timezones
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When setting your virtual office hours, try to give some options to students as some of them might be in different timezones.
Browser
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Always make sure thatyou’reusing the most up-to-date version of your internet browser.
Support
If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View theCTE Supportpage to findthe most relevant staff member to contact.
Resources
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CTE’sTipSheet,Holding Office Hours
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Communicating with Students. Keep Learning website, University of ݮƵ.
- ContactyourCTELiaisonfor advice on choosing aLEARN tool forvirtual office hours
References
- Chickering, A.W. &Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Sevenprinciples forgoodpractice inundergraduateeducation.AAHE Bulletin, 39(7), pp. 3-7.
- Condis, M. (2016).. Inside Higher Ed.
- Walsh, M. (2011).. Faculty Focus.
lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us andindicate if changes were made. Use this citation format:Holding Virtual Office Hours Using Bongo and WebEx.Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of ݮƵ.