Online communication can be an important source of unpredictability. Office InterActors course depends on the online synchronous activities which measure up to 50% of the entire set of activities. Despite the written scenario and the plans for the face-to-face activities online communication and collaboration as well as the different level of competences of participants, all these can create chaos unless tutors are on top on these unpredictable situations.

1. The first rule about dealing with unpredictabiltity is DO NOT STICK TO THE PLAN UNLESS IT WORKS. Tutors can very well "give in" to new ideas and opportunities if they see the course of action leads to something relevant for all participants involved. Changing tracks from time to time can even be refreshing for students and activate them.

2. Another idea for coping with "the unexpected" is to always have A SET OF ACTIVITIES AS BACK-UP for those students who work faster and finish before everyone else. Giving students the opportunity to look further on to other ways of valorizing that very activity and its product can be a very good way of guiding them to take on their own personal responsabilities within the course.

3. BRAINSTORMING ideas when the initial plan is in need of obvious change will collect everyone's efforts and will give students the feeling they have all contributed to the smooth implementation of the activity. This also enhances the feeling of ownership and motivates students to put all their efforts in the idea they provided.

4. Make use of PERSONAL EXPERIENCE both yours as a tutor and that of the students and make them feel confortable sharing their ideas in an informal language. Being able to use their personal experience from various fields within the course will build on their self esteem and will encourage the shy ones to be more engaged in the action of the course. Being corrrect is not the purpose - SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS AND ABILITIES is.

For this to hapen participants need to feel confortable and safe. Unpredictability can show them that classes are not all up to the tutor but that their opinions and suggestions count just as much.

In the end, THE UNEXPECTED can turn out to be just what you would expect from an interactive international course Such as Office InterActors.