Tips for virtual small group work

Tips for participation in synchronous communications in a conference tool

Tips for participation in forums

Tips for participation in chats

Tips for writing e-mails

Tips for virtual small group work

• Exchange your contact details.
• Discuss at the beginning what you need for a good cooperation. For example:
• Which working styles are represented in your small group?
• Which forms of communication do you prefer?
• At what times are you available for your group work?
• What do you consider a fair distribution of tasks and how can you ensure it?
• Discuss the common approach in detail. For example:
• What would you like to discuss and edit synchronously and what asynchronously?
• Which tools do you prefer to use? Where would you like to store documents?
• Who will work on which tasks? How do you intend to involve the others, if necessary?
• By when do you plan to get something done?
• How do you want to inform the others that something new is available and/or that they have a task?
• Which response times do you expect from each other?
• Also distribute individual tasks and do not try to do everything together.
• Work as transparently as possible so that everyone is always informed. This can be achieved, for example, by using common file locations and tools for writing documents together.
• When requesting feedback, please indicate by when you need it.
• For each of the individual work phases, name one person from the group as moderator who will steer the joint work process in this phase. Make sure to switch the role of moderator within your group.
• Reflect regularly on your group cooperation and results. For example:
• What can I do to improve our teamwork and our results?
• What do I need from the others?
• If possible, also use synchronous forms of communication, since misunderstandings can be recognized and clarified faster this way. This also accelerates your coordination processes.
• If there is an issue, you should immediately clarify it directly with the person concerned.
• Support each other e.g. with technical issues.
• Empower each other when someone in the group is discouraged.
• Treat others with respect. Say thank you for received support and praise good work.
• Talk about something other than the task at hand, as this this promotes mutual getting to know each other and thus trust in the group. But create your own (virtual) places and times for this.

Tips for participation in synchronous communications in a conference tool

• Test everything that is needed in terms of technology at an early stage:
• Do you have all the necessary access data?
• Is your account set up?
• Have you charged the battery or plugged in the power cable?
• Is your headset connected? Does the sound from your headset work in both directions? Is this also valid within the app / software you intend to use?
• Have you aligned the camera and tested the video settings?
• Have you noticed what the camera might be transmitting (unintendedly) in the image background?
• Can you enter the virtual meeting room?
• Use a headset if you are allowed and intend to talk when communicating online, as otherwise there will be unpleasant echo effects and nobody will be able to understand anything.
• Switch off all technical equipment that could interfere and that you do not need right now.
• Avoid doing other things on the computer in between, as this can lead to technical complications.
• If you don't want to say anything at the moment, please set your audio to mute so that your background noise is not transmitted and does not disturb the conversation.
• If there is a chat in addition to a synchronously transmitted lecture, please use it only at the times and for the things the teacher has requested.
• Use existing options in the tool, such as the “raise one's hand” function.
• Indicate your own absence if this function exists.

Tips for participation in forums

• Subscribe to important forums.
• First use the search function and check if your question has already been asked before you ask the question yourself.
• The subject can help you to keep track. Therefore, choose it carefully:

• Example Subject line in the forum for small group work:

  1.1 Collecting ideas (until 23.04.20)

  Meaning: Milestone 1, step 1, task, deadline for submission of the task

• Example of an answer:

  1.1 Idea collection (until 23.04.20), MindMap created

  Meaning: The additional information indicates the content of the new post

• In the opening contribution you should write the question to be discussed (if possible with context) and / or e.g. in the case of self-organised small group work, the description of the specific task, including instructions on how to access the necessary material.
• Make it clear in your contribution what you are referring to and to whom. If you refer to a text passage, quote this passage (and not more) in your contribution. You can mark a personal reference with "@name".
• Say thank you for helpful answers to your questions and appreciate any attempts to help you.
• Avoid irony, because it is easily misunderstood.
• Remain objective and appreciative.
• Do not write in CAPITAL LETTERS as this may be interpreted by others as shouting.
• Keep to the spelling with upper and lower case letters as well as common spelling and grammar rules, otherwise it will quickly become incomprehensible.
• For your own moderation of forums (e.g. within small group work)
• If necessary, announce the times at which you will be online.

• Help people who join later with interim summaries to get involved. Your subject line could look like this:

  1.1 Collection of ideas (until 23.04.20), interim summary

• Ask if something is ambiguous or not understandable.
• Relate the contributions to each other. For example: "A writes this, B writes that. How can we take both into account in our task solution?"
• Write a summary of the discussion at the end and provide it to everyone who participated.

Tips for participation in chats

• Set your chat window large so that many discussion posts can be seen at the same time.
• Register to chats in protected learning platforms (e.g. OpenOLAT) with your real name, unless the chat has been announced by the teacher as an anonymous chat (e.g. for honest interim evaluation).
• Follow the announcements of the person moderating the chat.
• Focus on the agreed main topic and do not start any other (sub)topics.
• Make the reference of your contribution clear, e.g. @Peter, @Cooperation
• Keep it as short as possible.
• If longer texts are required, you can send a first part of the text and make it clear with "..." that there is another part to come. By doing so you ask the others to wait.
• If you cannot keep pace report it by writing "Too fast".
• Avoid irony, because it is easily misunderstood.
• Remain objective and appreciative.
• Do not write in CAPITAL LETTERS as this may be interpreted by others as shouting.
• In chats, you can use emoticons to clarify your statement or for approval.
• Typos in fast chats are not that bad. However, please keep to the spelling with upper and lower case letters as well as common spelling and grammar rules, otherwise it will quickly become incomprehensible.

Tips for writing e-mails

• Consider beforehand whether the e-mail is really necessary or whether you can answer the question yourself with a little research.
• Use a serious e-mail address, preferably your UHH e-mail address.
• Choose a meaningful subject line.
• Use a new e-mail when you start a new topic and not the reply function in old e-mails.
• Use the correct form of address and greeting, for example
• Salutation: "Dear Professor Schulz
• Greeting formula: "Yours sincerely“
• If you reply, please adopt to the form of address and greeting of the received e-mail.
• Formulate your request clearly and concisely.
• Structure your e-mail optically and highlight any important information such as appointments.
• Pay attention to correct upper and lower case letters as well as common spelling and grammar rules.
• Do not use emoticons.
• Stay polite and avoid irony.
• Include your contact details if you wish to be contacted.
• Send attachments in PDF format rather than, for example, as a Word file, unless there is a clear reason to do so. Make sure that the attachments are not too large.
• Before sending, put yourself in the recipient's position: what effect could the e-mail have on the person?
• If you write an e-mail to several people who do not know each other, please use BCC and state to which circle the e-mail is sent (to all participants of the course...).
• Wait for an appropriate time before sending a reminder.