B. C. Digital Literacy

Backchannels in the Classroom

 

Why Backchannel? Providing a backchannel in a classroom offers more opportunities for students to contribute their ideas, questions, insights and ponderings. Backchannels allow for real time collaboration, even while a lesson unfolds.Backchannels allow for a differentiated approach to what participation can look like, and allows conversations and learning to continue asynchronously after a “lesson” ends.

Personally, I've observed a massive increase in student participation in my lessons when I kept the backchannels open throughout the day. I “heard” from students who had not volunteered to speak in class previously – they would insightfully discuss topics through text, offer different ways to explain things, and answer questions posed in real time during lessons. Not every student is comfortable speaking in front of a crowd!

A few commonly chosen backchannel tools:

• Padlet: An online sticky note board – it allows you to upload videos, images links comments, almost anything. It works on every platform. It will also provide you with a quick QR code for your board – which is helpful if you project the “wall” and students can walk by and scan the QR to join.

• Baiboard: an iOS app where you can create a private or public shared space. One feature that I loved about this app is the ability to create multiple “pages” to work on. For several lessons, I created prompts on a series of pages, and the students could reply to the ones that held meaning for them. Organizing the collaborative dialogue on multiple pages kept the conversations more synchronously aligned. This app would be amazing if you were able to open it up to other devices without requiring downloading an app.

• Voicethread: a great tool for student conversation. You can use images and videos to organize and prompt deeper conversations.

• A little dabbling with some of the tools listed by EdTech and Mobile Learning.

 

An easy to use, private or public chat space called TodaysMeet is a favourite for teachers. This web-based tool allows for hosting a conversation (like a group text) where you can create a “room” that can be open for up to a month. The chat or texting format is easily recognizable by our students. The reason that TodaysMeet has become a popular backchannel tool is because the teacher presence feels light. Although the teacher creates the room and is present and monitoring the discussion, the discussion is student-driven: they genuinely interact WITH and FOR each other – not for the teacher. When a student raises their hand to speak in class, quite often they are awaiting some form of feedback  (even in a discussion): a nod from the teacher, approval of their ideas, or praise. In classroom discussions, many students direct their input directly to the teacher – even if they are replying to the last student speaker, their eyes go to the adult, or they wait for the teacher to “call on” who gets to comment next. An effective backchannel works for the students, it becomes their own space. Sometimes these conversations can extend far beyond the classroom walls and hours.

 

Recently, grade 6 students were asked to reflect on how texting to a backchannel in class helped them. Here are some of their thoughts:

“texting let us stay in contact throughout the lesson. Even though she was teaching us, we could write a comment and people would see it. Not: 'we ran out of time, so we can’t do all of the questions and comments'”

“Instead of raising my hand all of the time or calling out, it helped me because I could easily write what I wanted to write and it would get sent and other people could see what I had to say and my teacher could see what I had to say”

“it let me express more of what I wanted to say, to say more of what I think”

 

Using a backchannel allows you to formatively assess in real time. You are given an opportunity to see leadership from students who may not otherwise stand out. It opens a window into a collaborative and reflective learning environment that is usually hidden from view.

It takes time to find the right backchannel tool, and what works with one group of students may not work with the next group. It is important to find a platform that fits in with your class's community and culture.

Getting started: try out a few of the tools shared above with your students. Be prepared to post a question or two to get the discussion rolling, and also to provide a bit of play time as students find their voice.