Read time: 3 minutes
In this post, we’ll discuss the most common reasons why students do not use their cameras, and share some strategies to equitably encourage students to turn their cameras on during Zoom classes and engage in the class.
Shouting to the void?
Hybrid or dual delivery (where some students are face-to-face and others participate online) has become the new normal for higher education. Zoom classes are often the default as it is perceived to be the closest online option to face-to-face classrooms, but in many cases students do not turn on their own cameras and can be reluctant to speak.
Teachers used to engaging a room full of students in a classroom are faced with black screens, and lacking the social cues that face-to-face contact provides, such as nodding, smiling, or looks of confusion, boredom, or interest. These cues provide real-time feedback to teachers that they can use to responsively adjust their teaching. Teaching staff often report they feel like they are “talking to themselves”, and have a negative experience if not receiving feedback from students during class (Castelli and Sarvary, 2020).
Reflect and Share:
Why do you think it is important for students to have their cameras on? How does it benefit them—and you as the teacher?
You are welcome to use the comment function below to share your thoughts with us.
Why students don’t turn on their cameras
In a survey of undergraduate biology students (Castelli and Sarvary, 2020), the following reasons were used for why students did not turn on their cameras:
- Not comfortable seeing themselves on camera
- Not in a suitable location (working from home without a proper work space)
- Poor internet access
- Not wanting to cause distraction if need to move away from camera or are interrupted
- Didn’t see the reason to turn on their cameras – wasn’t needed
- No other students had their cameras on
The authors note that these factors (don’t have a home office, poor internet access, etc) disproportionately impact minority groups.
It’s important to note that having cameras turned off is often interpreted as being disengaged, when this is not necessarily the case. For example, an introverted student may prefer to leave their camera off and be reluctant to speak over the microphone but still be highly engaged.
Reflect and Share:
Q: What is your experience with Zoom cameras and students in your classes? What factors impact the decisions to have cameras on or off?
You are welcome to use the comment function below to share your thoughts with us.
How to encourage the use of cameras (in an equitable way)
Tip #1: Communicate your expectations
Discuss with students when and why you would like them to have their cameras on. For example, they might not need to have cameras on during lectures, but should have them on during discussions. Explicitly state when you’d like students to turn on their cameras.
Tip #2: Upskill students to use virtual backgrounds and hide self-view
A virtual background hides the details of where the student is and can help with privacy. It can also be really helpful to hide “self-view” so that you don’t have to see yourself on the Zoom call. You can even download ANU Zoom backgrounds.
Here are some guides:
Tip #3: Scaffold students to participate
Start small and build up to having students use cameras more. Options can include: having students respond using the Chat, or chatting together in small breakout rooms to start. Once students are more comfortable using their cameras, they can be used more and for longer period, and with the whole class.
Tip #4: Find other ways to get feedback from students
The key to encourage students to interact is to design for interaction. A one-way type of teaching such as a lecture doesn’t require students to participate and thus they are more likely to leave their cameras off. Encourage students to ask questions using the Zoom chat feature, the reactions (such as thumbs-up), the Raise Hand feature, or use the Whiteboard in Zoom.
We’ll share a post in the upcoming weeks looking at these types of tools in detail.
Tip #5: Accept that sometimes it is not possible for students to have their cameras on.
Just remember: having a camera on does not necessarily equate to engagement. Be explicit about the benefits of having cameras on but also consider the reasons why students might not. As students are adult learners, it’s not appropriate for university educators to force them to use their cameras if they choose not to.
In our upcoming posts, we’ll look at tools for engagement, designing activities in Zoom, and consider how other online teaching strategies can help with Zoom fatigue and give students more flexibility in their learning.
Resources
Frank R. Castelli and Mark A. Sarvary. “Why students do not turn on their video cameras during online classes and an equitable and inclusive plan to encourage them to do so.” Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Issue 8 2021. https://doi-org.virtual.anu.edu.au/10.1002/ece3.7123
Suzanne Degges-White. “Zoom Fatigue.” Psychology Today, April 2020. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/202004/zoom-fatigue-dont-let-video-meetings-zap-your-energy
Celia Ann Evans. “To See or Not See: Managing the complex issue of Zoom cameras.” Times Higher Education, 14 May 2021. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/see-or-not-see-managing-complex-issue-zoom-cameras
Patrick Lowenthal, Jered Borup, Richard West, and Leanne Archambault. “Thinking beyond Zoom.” Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. Vol 28, No 2, 2020. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/216192/