Support Roles in Online Sync Events "You’re not alone!" Or are you? Questions for 9/7 2pmET Online Free #TLTGfrlv TLTGroup

Support Roles in Online Synchronous Sessions "You are not alone!" 

[Or are you?]  
How do you help participants - including presenters - in online synchronous sessions?  To participate more comfortably, actively, and effectively?  

"Voice of the Chat (VoC)  - Guidelines for an important supporting role in the TLT Group's (and other) synchronous online sessions."    FridayLive! Sept 7, 2012 at 2:00 pm ET - free to all. Register in advance  
Sample discussion questions for this session:


Please answer the following questions and offer advice based on your own experience, hopes, and fears - no matter how limited or extensive that experience may be.

1. During the past 12 months, have you participated in synchronous online sessions that included something more than an exchange of text messages?    Never   A few times (1-5 )        Many times (6-10)    Frequently  (11-20)    Almost constantly (21+)
2. Add a few words about the kinds of online synchronous sessions in which you have participated...  
3. What have you found most pleasing or useful in your experience in online synchronous sessions?  Things you would recommend that others emulate?
4. What have you found most irritating or useless in your experience in online synchronous sessions?   Things you would warn other to avoid?
5. How do you help participants to know that their questions and comments are being "heard"?  And will be responded to appropriately as time and technology permit?  [Role of Voice of the Chat... and beyond?]
6. Under what circumstances is it best - or unavoidable - to run an online synchronous session entirely on your own?  
7. Under what circumstances is it most important to have some kinds of support for the individual who appears to be in charge of an online synchronous session? 
8. What kinds of support roles might best be taken by professional colleagues of the leader/presenter/facilitator of an online synchronous session?  Colleagues who have expertise within the subject area of the session? Colleagues who have expertise, experience with online synchronous sessions?  [Which kind?]
9. What kinds of support roles might usefully be taken by students/participants in an online synchronous session?  
10. What kinds of expertise and/or previous experience would you recommend for students/participants to be successful in these support roles?
11. What kinds of support roles might usefully be taken by "Silver Cloudians" [semi or full retirees from higher education] in an online synchronous session?  
12. What kinds of expertise and/or previous experience would you recommend for Silver Cloudians to be successful in these support roles?
13. In what ways, if any, can someone take an effective supportive role for an online synchronous session without the awareness, permission, or guidance of the leader/presenter?  I.e., in a "mega course", what kinds of support for students could be provided effectively by "adjuncts" unaffiliated with the course leader and the course leader's institution?

IMAGE selected by Steve Gilbert 20120906

Photo of "Mourners lay down flowers outside Oslo's main cathedral on 25 July 2011."  by Asav

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Mourners_in_Oslo_25_July_2011_Horiz_01.JPG/512px-Mourners_in_Oslo_25_July_2011_Horiz_01.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMourners_in_Oslo_25_July_2011_Horiz_01.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Mourners_in_Oslo_25_July_2011_Horiz_01.JPG

By Asav (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license."