A reader sent the article below, which describes the successful implementation of various hand signals in university classes taught via video.
Developed from one researcher’s experience using hand signals as a lifeguard, a group of students experimented with using the signals in class to “show agreement or dissent, to display concern or care, to congratulate someone, or…to ask a question.”
The group that used the signals reported feeling more connected to the group, more enjoyment of the seminar, and “found it easy to exchange ideas” at a higher rate than the control group.
I have a couple of guesses as to why the hand signals had this effect.
- By introducing the signals, the instructors explicitly acknowledged that everyone was sharing a virtual setting, and that new and supplemental communication methods were needed. The act of acknowledging this and setting up some processes gave everyone on the call a level of input and engagement usually absent from virtual meetings and classroom settings.
- One of the toughest hurdles of a virtual platform is that only one person can be heard at a time. The signals give everyone a way to “chime in” without talking over one another.
What do you think? Have you found yourself looking for new ways to connect via video? Tired of being talked over?
You can read the article here:
https://phys.org/news/2021-04-video-success.html
h/t to Craig for sending this article!
