I'm used to running workshops in person, where it's easier to interact with attendees and gauge whether folks are following along.

Now that most workshops are being run remotely, I'm curious what strategies facilitators are using for maintaining student engagement.

Some ideas I'm considering so far:

• Keep lectures short, and get students doing stuff quickly. If there’s a lot they need to know, break it into chunks. (Talk a little, they work a little, talk a little more, etc.) Only explain content that students will need to successfully complete the next exercise.
• Have a moderator watch the chat and call out questions or areas of confusion.
• Use polls to get a quick pulse on whether students are following the material or they're lost.
• Provide opportunities for students to share their work with each other, via a virtual "gallery walk." (Students add links to their projects to a shared Google Doc. They spend a few minutes looking at other people's work and leaving comments about things they like.)

Are there any other tools or tricks you've used (or seen an instructor use) to keep learners engaged?

For folks who have participated in a remote workshop, what did you like/dislike about the experience? (Think less about the content and more about the way it was taught.)