Riding the Backchannel Wave

Assessment, classroom management, anticipatory set, objectives--the list of classroom terminology goes on. However, it is time to add a new one to the mix: backchannel.

According to Todaysmeet.com, backchannel is “where people ask each other questions, pass notes, get distracted, and give you the most immediate feedback you'll ever get.” Backchannel is known as the background noise occurring while you are introducing a new concept to your class, giving directions for a classroom assignment, or trying to host a Socratic discussion. Oftentimes, it is ignored in an attempt to get through the lesson and not waste time. Or, time is wasted addressing the interruptions. Either way, students are getting distracted, lost, and uninterested in the subject being taught.

How do we avoid this? What proactive steps can teachers take to reduce the backchannel and increase student engagement? It is time to ride the backchannel wave.

Using various new social media sites, teachers from elementary through university level are taking advantage of the backchannel to enhance their lessons. While a teacher is giving a lecture, hosting a discussion, or reading a book, students log in via lap top or mobile device to their backchannel platform to make comments, ask questions, and respond to peers. In essence, they are electronically “passing notes” that facilitate deeper comprehension. By allowing students to converse about the lesson, engagement also increases. Those who would never dare raise their hand to ask a clarifying question are often willing to type them into the forum. Also, students see that they are not the only ones with questions. 

 

Much like incorporating small groups or taking a group test, using a backchannel requires intentional planning in order to be effective. Prior to setting your students’ fingers loose on their keyboards, set some appropriate guidelines for the classroom and do a few practice runs so you and the students can get comfortable with the routine.

So, which wave do you ride? There are many platforms freely available for you to use in the classroom. With the popular site Twitter, students can tweet throughout class using a hashtag for your specific class. Another site, Todaysmeet.com, caters to educators. Here, the teacher creates a private meeting room, which is translated into a URL that students access with personal usernames. This platform is user-friendly and can be viewed in a “projector” format for the teacher to display in front of the class. After the lesson, the “transcript” link prints and saves the entire backchannel discussion. This written transcript allows teachers to address hot topics or questions, and it is also a useful tool for review prior to the next lecture or test. The personalized room, or URL, can be saved up to one year. 

 

Some educators may worry that backchannels are too distracting for their classroom environment. The reality is that these conversations occur whether or not you plan for them; traditionally, they just happen inside a student's head. By incorporating a social media platform, students have a more immediate way to get information they need, and teachers have instant insight into students' level of comprehension. While this medium may sound a little outside the norms of classroom instruction, it reaches out to students' innate desire to learn and may just take your lessons to a new level.

Online discussion is like learning a new language. Aside from in-person etiquette, there is a whole set of guidelines for reading and participating in online discussions. This lesson challenges students to read and discuss to example posts. Students will compare this lesson to their personal experiences in a different country.

Ground Rules for Discussion

Prior to incorporating a backchannel into your discussion, you can tailor this lesson plan to create ground rules for your online platform. Working in small groups, your students will collaborate to form rules and guidelines. For example, they will define the differences between “discussing” and “fighting.”

Better Communication Skills: Listening, Discussions, and Speaking

Effective oral and written communication skills are important factors in life inside and outside of the classroom. This unit involves students in listening practice, group discussions, and oral presentations.