With post-secondary institutions increasingly adopting online course offerings, there is much to learn about how video camera usage during online synchronous group work affects students’ learning experience and relationship building in digital environments (Hammond, 2017; Kleinsasser & Hong, 2016). Kalman et al. (2020), for instance, found that students in their upper and entry-level chemistry courses enjoyed being able to see everyone, leading to increased motivation to pay attention, attend class, concentrate, and do well. In this presentation, we will discuss the role of the video camera feature in synchronous online group work to promote positive relationships between students and the relevance of having those positive relationships for an enhanced learning experience at collective (group) and individual levels.

This study addresses the existing debate surrounding whether turning on video cameras should be a requirement in synchronous learning and provides perspectives of instructors and students related to video camera usage when working online with others. Opponents of the requirement to turn on the video camera cite reasons including privacy issues (Cobo & Vargas, 2022), student discomfort pertaining to personal appearance, their physical location being seen in the background, social norms, and unreliable technology (Castelli & Sarvary, 2021; Kalman et al., 2020; Nicandro et al., 2020; Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė et al., 2022). Reasons for not turning on the video camera in synchronous learning contexts are valid as they particularly pertain to self-efficacy and socioeconomic factors. Yet, justifications for enabling the video camera are also relevant as it can be used as a tool for cooperation, interaction, self-discipline, and self-control, in addition to helping increase learners’ motivation, sense of belonging in a community, and communication efforts (Falloon, 2011; Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė et al., 2022). Exploring undergraduate and doctoral students’ perceptions of the significance of the video camera in synchronous learning, Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė et al. (2022) found students felt less inclined to participate when their cameras were off, which resulted in a weaker student–teacher relationship. 

In this study, 22 semi-structured interviews were performed with 12 students and 10 instructors enrolled in two Western Canadian postsecondary teacher education programs with online course delivery. Findings indicate that having the video camera on was important for participants to feel connected to group members, understand their needs, support them or rely on them. This means that enabling the video camera in synchronous online group work helps build positive relationships that can lead to an improved learning experience. However, there are many reasons that could influence a student’s decision for not enabling their video camera source during a synchronous group meeting or activity and, if forced to, this could negatively affect social interactions and relationship building. For instance, in relation to the reasons for not turning the video cameras on, all arguments presented by study participants pointed at issues related to culture or personal preferences. Therefore, the interpretation of the findings suggests that a successful teaching-learning process is characterized by a double movement: it allows the student to take ownership of their own learning in an active and autonomous way and, simultaneously, encourages the student to positively engage with his or her own learning process and environment. This means that the students’ voices should always be heard, and diversity should be both acknowledged and respected by all parties for the construction of positive relationships in online environments and the promotion of enhanced learning experiences.

This qualitative inquiry draws from a larger multiple case study examining how instructors designed group work in post-secondary online teacher education courses. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were completed with 12 students (pre-service teachers) and 10 instructors from two Western Canadian teacher education faculties offering online courses. All interviews were performed over Zoom utilizing a protocol consisting of open-ended semi-structured interview questions asking students and instructors about their perceptions of using technology for online group work, how group work can help students become more connected with each other, what challenges they have experienced when developing group work in online courses, among others. Professional transcription was utilized, and participants engaged in transcript validation for increased data reliability (Merriam, 1995), accuracy and accountability (Liao & Hitchcock, 2018). After that, the data were analysed through two cycles of coding (Miles et al., 2014) for a more detailed understanding of themes that emerged from the interviews. During these cycles, critical reflection and reflexivity occurred through ongoing team meetings. Multiple members of the research team participated in transcript analysis and used strategies to ensure intercoder reliability and reduce bias in data analysis. In addition, an audit trail was documented, including coding methods and the creation of a codebook containing a description for each code (Miles et al., 2014). Coding methods used during the analysis process will be further elaborated on in the presentation. One of the themes that emerged from the data analysis related to video camera usage during synchronous online group work, which is prioritized in this paper. During the coding process, researchers noted participants’ positive or negative perspectives (e.g., feelings, opinions, and consequences) associated with the video camera on/off when working online in their groups. The careful and detailed data analysis process allowed for the identification of participants’ feelings, opinions, and consequences associated with video camera usage when working online in their groups. Analysis of the collected data allowed for the identification of relevant elements of discourse that were coded into four categories: reasons for video cameras off; consequences of video cameras off; consequences of video cameras on; and feelings associated with video cameras off. Quotes will be shared to illustrate each category.

Overall, participants reported that not seeing others while synchronously connected and working together makes it hard to create positive relationships between peers and between students and instructors. That said, findings suggest that students should be encouraged to be heard and seen on video in synchronous online group work whenever possible as it has the potential to enhance their motivation and overall learning experience, in addition to promoting social connectedness and a sense of belonging to that learning environment. However, in this presentation, we will emphasize that students must also be respected in their limits, needs, and diversity, especially when there are valid reasons not to turn on the camera. Not acknowledging this could hinder the establishment of positive bonds with peers, instructors, institutions, and the students’ own knowledge-building processes. The findings of this research contribute to the understanding that teaching and learning are complex phenomena and that many elements influence them, including the context and emotional aspects of all those involved in those processes. This study also contributes to the literature related to video camera usage in online learning environments and is particularly relevant to the current educational scenario given that the online delivery of courses is growing fast in post-secondary institutions. The results serve to inform universities and instructors to design online courses with synchronous group work, advancing the practice and profession of teaching. This study was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Development Insight grant.

Castelli, & Sarvary, M. A. (2021). 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, 11(8), 3565–3576. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7123 Cobo, C., & Vargas, P. R. (2022). Turn off your camera and turn on your privacy: A case study about Zoom and digital education in South-American countries. In Pangrazio, L., & Sefton-Green, J. (Eds.). Learning to Live with Datafication: Educational Case Studies and Initiatives from Across the World. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003136842-3 Falloon. (2011). Making the Connection: Moore’s Theory of Transactional Distance and Its Relevance to the Use of a Virtual Classroom in Postgraduate Online Teacher Education. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(3), 187–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2011.10782569 Hammond, M. (2017). Online collaboration and cooperation: The recurring importance of evidence, rationale and viability. Education and Information Technologies, 22, 1005-1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9469-x Kalman, R., Esparaza, M. M., & Weston, C. (2020). Student views of the online learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of upper-level and entry-level undergraduate perspectives. Journal of Chemical Education, 97, 3353– 3357. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00712 Kleinsasser, R., & Hong, Y.-C. (2016). Online group work design: Process, complexities, and intricacies. TechTrends, 60, 569-576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-016-0088-6 Liao, H., & Hitchcock, J. (2018). Reported credibility techniques in higher education evaluation studies that use qualitative methods: A research synthesis. Evaluation and Program Planning, 68, 157-165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.03.005 Merriam, S. B. (1995). What can you tell from an n of 1?: Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning, 4, 50-60. https://www.iup.edu/pse/files/programs/graduate_programs_r/instructional_design_and_technology_ma/paace_journal_of_lifelong_learning/volume_4,_1995/merriam1995.pdf Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: a methods sourcebook (4th ed.). Sage. Nicandro, V., Khandelwal, A., Weitzman, A. (2020). Please, let students turn their videos off in class. The Stanford Daily. https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/06/01/please-let-students-turn-their-videos-off-in-class/ Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė, Ž., Valantinaitė, I., & Asakavičiūtė, V. (2022). ‘Should I turn on my video camera?’The students’ perceptions of the use of video cameras in synchronous distant learning. Electronics, 11(5), 813-825.