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Asking Students to Turn On Their Web Cameras

As you consider use of web cameras (webcams) in synchronous online teaching, keep the following in mind.

Pros

Showing faces:

  • Creates a sense of .
  • Fosters and enhances .
  • Is required to build .
  • Simulates in-person instruction. .
  • Makes it easy to identify students by name especially in large-enrollment classes.
  • Gallery view or the "" makes everyone visible to each other at the same time. May help to break perceived power differential.

Cons

Consider:

  • The for example .
  • Invasion of . Students can see other students' faces all the time.
  • is also an issue.
  • The stimulation of .
  • The element of ; students do not want to show their .
  • Concerns about .

Advice

Please consider the following recommendations:

  • for turning on cameras early on, and explain why.
  • Set for synchronous meetings and the use of video cameras.
  • Turning video cameras on should not be mandatory.
  • Have short conferences to have face-to-face with students. Encourage, but do not insist on the use of video camera for discussions, .
  • You may ask students to make themselves visible if they are asking/responding to a question; otherwise, use chat.
  • In larger classes, some professors tell students to turn their camers off during lectures.

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