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Live Online Sessions

Live online sessions are real-time, synchronous learning opportunities delivered via tools like Microsoft Teams Meetings. These can include lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, and Q&A sessions. They are most effective when used as an active learning experience, fostering interaction with your students, through discussion, activity and application of concepts. Use them to engage in seminar-like classroom learning experiences that develop understanding and build your relationships with students through real-time shared experiences.

Live online sessions:

  • Offer flexibility and inclusivity, enabling participation regardless of location.
  • Support interaction, collaboration, and immediacy of feedback.
  • Complement asynchronous activities (like watching recorded content, participating in a Discussion Board activity) for a balanced online learning experience.
  • Facilitate community-building and social presence in digital teaching spaces.

Use the Microsoft Teams Meeting tool. This is integrated into your Blackboard Course allowing you to schedule course-related online sessions and meetings within your Course. See

This Presenter Checklist takes you through preparing and facilitating an effective live online interactive session using the MS Teams Meeting tool, as well as outlining good practice following a session.

Engaging Students

An online session without interactivity at its core can easily become a passive learning experience for students. An effective live online session could incorporate some or all of the following components:

  • Short segments of teacher-led presentation
  • Discussion using audio and video between students and teacher, or using text-based chat moderated by the teacher
  • Small collaborative activities to collect ideas and opinions, such as collective use of whiteboards and annotation
  • Breakout group exercises where students are separated into smaller rooms, to research and discuss something together
  • Small presentations from students on their application of topics or theory in scenario-based exercises
  • Voting and poll-based feedback exercises on questions or topics
  • Use interactive tools (chat, polls, whiteboards, Padlet)
  • Plan regular pauses for Q&A or reflection
  • Include collaborative tasks in breakout groups
  • Use icebreakers and check-ins to build rapport
  • Encourage students to use cameras if comfortable, but be mindful of digital equity

For practical guidance to help you engage your students in online sessions, see: Incorporating learning activities into live online sessions (also provides help to use interactive tools, including whiteboards, polls and breakout groups).

Accessible and inclusive sessions

Ensure sessions are accessible and inclusive by:

  • Providing slides and materials in advance via Blackboard.
  • Using clear, legible slides and verbal descriptions of visual content.
  • Enabling automated captions where possible (e.g. in Teams).
  • Offering recordings via YuJa for students unable to attend live.
  • Allowing participation via chat for those who can’t use microphones.

Further practical guidance: How can I make my live sessions accessible? 

Using live online sessions for specific scenarios

Examples / Case Studies

  • School of Law: Uses live online sessions for live debates with breakout rooms and polls to encourage participation.
  • Institute of Education: Regularly schedules drop-in Q&A sessions on Teams alongside asynchronous activities, boosting student confidence and module engagement.
  • Henley Business School: Combines live webinars with YuJa-recorded pre-session material and interactive Padlet boards for student feedback and peer-sharing.

Want to know more?

See: MS Teams Meetings for T&L for access to all relevant ‘how to’ staff support guides.

 

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TEL help & support

If you have a query about anything related to technology enhanced learning, have a suggestion for an addition to this site, or find a broken link, please contact the TEL team via the DTS Self Service Portal or by emailing dts@reading.ac.uk.