Plan ahead, considering amount of time to allow for the activity, logistics involved in grouping or pairing students, and careful wording of instructions.

Assign reasonable, yet tight time allotment for each aspect of the learning experience.

Move quickly from one phase of the activity to the next, i.e., from the setup and instructions to the student processing to the reporting.

Watch the time and announce "2-minute warning" or other intervals appropriate to the length of the activity.

Give clear and specific instructions, providing printed instructions for each student, when appropriate, and going over them in class.

Put time limits on feedback reports and make the feedback process efficient. Appoint roles or ask for volunteers for group recorder, reporter, etc.

Hold students accountable for out-of-class assignments and preparation so they're ready to contribute to the activity during class.

Conduct group work during class time as much as possible so you can facilitate.

Use a variety of Active Learning strategies and avoid patterns that become ruts, such as repeating an activity every class period.

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Give very clear and specific instructions.

Allow time for asynchronous interaction, taking into account students in varying time zones.

Be specific about deadlines for feedback, including the date, time of day, and time zone.

Take advantage of the diverse options for interacting electronically, i.e., email, threaded discussion, attachments, class folders and drop boxes.

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