Do You Require Students to Have Their Video Turned On During Class?

[natsmy]

Hello all,

I'm trying to get some feedback to see if anyone requires students to have their video turned on during class. 

The class is required attendance, however, I have noticed in the past that students will often logon with no video, and if I call on them, they are never there, usually for the entirety of the class.  This is a math class that they don't want to be at, and usually are mad about being at because it's a low level college math class. 

I would like to require video being on but not sure how much push back to expect -- thoughts?

Thank you.

[SusanNiemeyer · Accepted solution]

I teach at a community college, and we can only encourage students to turn on their cameras during Zoom sessions. We cannot mandate it due to student privacy concerns. I would suggest that you inquire about your institution's policies.

[SusanNiemeyer]

That being said, I think there are some ways that you can encourage students to stick around.

1. Rather than take attendance at the beginning of class, call out the names in the middle or towards the end of the class. If the students don't answer right away, mark them as "absent."
2. At some point in the middle of the class, tell the students to write their name in the Zoom chat as proof of their attendance.  
3. At some point in the middle of the class, have all of the students "raise their hands" as proof of attendance.
4. Put students in break-out rooms to work on problems together. Take note of which students don't "join" the break-out rooms and mark them as absent.
5. Try Zoom polls and/or other interactive activities.
6. Have the students take Quizzes or submit Assignments on Canvas during your class time. 

Make sure that you explain in your syllabus that attendance is required and that you may take attendance at any point during the Zoom session. And, let your students know if they "disappear," they will be counted as "absent."

[natsmy]

While these are all good to see if students are still active in the class during class time, they don't address my initial issue of having their video on during class, which is my real problem.  Thank you for these ideas, though, I am going to try to incorporate some of them this semester.

[SusanNiemeyer]

Again, I think you need to inquire about your school's policies regarding camera use. My community college district has made it very clear that we cannot require it.