By request, I am reposting this information about using Appointment Slots for scheduling meetings with students. The post was originally published on November 9, 2014. Enjoy!
Because it is advising week, and because I had a request (thanks, Emily Morash!), this post is all about automating the process of setting up meeting times with students. I’m using the Appointment Slots feature in Google Calendar that is available to anyone with Google Apps for Education. Appointment slots allow you to create periods of time, “slots,” that you are available, share your appointment slot calendar with students, then students select the times that work best for them. This tool cuts down on monotonous and not terribly productive email communication to schedule meeting times, and it allows students to take responsibility for scheduling meetings with you. With all the time you will save, you may even be able to offer more meetings times!
I created two short (2min) videos showing how Appointment Slots work:
- Create the appointment slots in your regular Google calendar. Watch the video.
- Share the appointment slots with students and they sign up for a time. Watch the video.
- Appointments show up in your calendar and the student’s calendars as regular events.
There are many options for using this tool: office hours, advising, oral exams, small group work, research paper feedback, and more.
The Google documentation available here provides more step-by-step instructions if you prefer written instructions to a video. Let us know how this works for you!