A man on his laptop involved in a zoom meeting

Remote Gathering Quality Practices - Opportunities and Challenges

Imagine that you are sitting at your computer right after the second remote gathering. Out of the fifteen people in your class, only seven showed up this week. You are trying not to feel bad, but you are also not quite sure what is causing you to feel this way. You teach Sunday School in your ward, and you planned your seminary class lesson much the same way. But the learners in your seminary class did not take part in the discussion very much. It was hard for them and for you. You take a moment and ask yourself these questions:

• “Did I do something last week that turned people off to this class?”

• “Why did so many have their camera off?”

• “I felt like I did a lot of talking. What can I do to change things for the better?”

• “What can I do to get more students to take part in the discussion next time?”

This scenario happens more often than you might think. Good online teachers ask themselves these questions all the time. It is normal to want to provide the best experience for your learners and to think about what could be better. If you have had a similar experience and asked similar questions, it means that you care about the learning experience and want to improve it.

Do You See Yourself Doing This?

Now let’s try this scenario again with some changes. Imagine that you finished your third remote gathering of the course. Here’s what was different:

• Thirteen people attended.

• Most had their cameras on.

• Instead of a “lecture and listen” lesson, you asked the class many questions.

• To start class, you used an in-class poll to ask a question about the discussion.

• You put questions in the chat and gave the learners time to think about their answers before writing them in the chat.

• Before the remote gathering, you sent a message to your class. You invited them to read some supplementary material and ponder two preparation questions.

• You prayed to recognize natural places in the discussion to testify of eternal truths discussed.

Can you see how the second scenario is a more meaningful and engaging experience? Do you see yourself planning and facilitating this kind of discussion?

Can the Spirit Be a Part of the Remote Gathering?

Take a moment and think about these questions:

• What challenges does the remote gathering bring to the learning experience that might hinder the Spirit’s presence?

• What opportunities does the remote gathering offer that might allow the Spirit to be felt more freely?

The Spirit can and should be a part of the remote gathering. It can be a place where He can testify of the truths and principles of the gospel. Your experiences with your students in the remote gathering can inspire them to deepen their conversion to Jesus Christ. Read this online student’s thoughts and feelings about an online institute lesson experience that includes the remote gathering:

A African woman sits on a chair for a picture. She has on a light purple shirt. She appears to be holding a baby on her back using a custom African wrap. She is in a living room, with computer equipment

“The lesson that has had the greatest impact to my life is on marriage. The lesson has made me to understand that I don’t need to have all the gold and diamonds of this world in order to be married, and it has really given me the confidence to be bold. I have really been blessed through this course, and it has made me to become more eager to talk to people about the importance of marriage, especially my colleagues at work.”

What do you learn about the impact the Spirit had on this student’s life through the online institute lesson, which includes the remote gathering?

Icon: Report

Discuss with Your Supervisor

Ponder the following items and how they might apply to your teaching. Prepare to discuss these questions with your local Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) supervisor:

• Discuss one or two things that you feel make remote gatherings difficult.

• Ask your supervisor to observe one of your remote gatherings. Invite them to attend live, or invite them to see a recording. As he or she observes, ask your supervisor to identify one or two principles of remote gathering that could be improved.

• The remote gathering can be a place where students feel welcome and where the Spirit can testify to them of truth. Ask your supervisor to share with you an experience when this happened to them.