Synchronous Online Learning

“I’m driving!” the student said when asked why they did not respond to online polls and did not have their camera on during the online learning session. Engagement is quintessential to learning. Students are challenged to avoid distraction — those happening in their environment and those happening on their devices. A “cameras-on” learning environment is one of many ways faculty may try to promote engagement and reinvent traditional classroom management and monitoring strategies. However, requiring that cameras be on during synchronous online learning sessions or course meetings has its drawbacks as well as benefits. We need to consider co-creating new norms, best practices, and community standards in the midst of the camera use debate. CAMERAS ON PROS AND CONS Teaching primarily in a face-to-face delivery model allows faculty to look out on a sea of faces and see and hear the general classroom vibe. In an online learning session, where the screen often contains empty boxes with mute icons, faculty may experience an eerie sense of aloneness and uncertainty about what’s happening on the other side of the screen. The benefits of having cameras on can be traced to social learning theory and the social nature of learning itself. Seeing both faculty and peers can serve as a counter to passive learning and promote reciprocal communication, helping to build trust and community through visual cues (Pi et al., 2024). On the other hand, requiring cameras to be on can be linked to issues of equity, privacy, and the cognitive aspects of learning, including ties to student mental health. The digital divide persists for some students. They may not have devices with cameras, they may lack high-speed Internet, and they may also be uncomfortable showing the spaces where they live or learn. Some students may experience discomfort when seeing their own faces and mannerisms. Having cameras on can actually add to the cognitive load of learning and become more of a distraction than a benefit. CONVERSATION AS AN OPPORTUNITY The camera use discussion can open opportunities to discuss and co-create learning communities with an emphasis on the building of accountability for active learning. Adult learners may benefit from the “why” of cameras on as a meta-cognitive facet of learning to learn. Simply requiring that cameras be on can feel like an authoritarian throwback to classroom management techniques of the past, rather than the personalized learning we value today. The norms, best practices, and classroom management techniques of the digital era are not yet culturally or scientifically established. But calling students into the conversation and offering screen breaks and platforms that allow for a “hide-self” option may enable students to benefit from the social aspects of seeing fellow learners without the cognitive drags (Turner, 2022). Context is always king in that not every online learning experience or even portions of a learning experience will benefit from cameras on. Faculty may want to consider shifting contexts, especially for longer learning sessions, by offering camera breaks and using strategies such as breakout rooms, polling, and collaborative problem-solving. Variety may alleviate the temptation to multitask or tune out. CONCLUSION The camera-on or -off discussion goes beyond just the visual aspect of synchronous online learning. It extends into student accountability for their own engagement, respect for faculty and peers, and understanding of the social benefits of learning. Although the contexts of use can open opportunities for co-creation of when and for how long cameras are used, most students will find common ground (such as not driving when they are supposed to be participating). Privacy, equity, and recognition of individual student needs are essential to autonomy and student dignity. Co-creation and exploration of community norms, though, may also help establish a sense of shared success in learning and chip away at the sometimes lonely and alienating aspects of online learning.