Hi April,
I design online courses and one of the components I include is a direct engagement strategy. That means I have a component each week where students and instructors will interact in some meaningful way. Some weeks work well with a live Zoom lesson, but others are better suited to discussion board interaction. When I design a live lesson, the focus is on student participation. I do not believe in having an instructor lecture for 45 - 60 mins for online lessons. Why would a student show up for that when they can just watch a video archive. Planning for meaningful student participation is key, something more substantive than asking if there are any questions occasionally. Think workshop.
Best of luck!
