Description Learning retention can be encouraged and reinforced through the integration of real-life examples and artifacts into course material (Chrestensen, 2007). A simple way to do this in an online course is to include a section of the course that references real-life examples. These examples should be directly related to the learning objectives and content …
Continue reading “Integrate Real-World Examples in an Online Course”
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Content,
Course Design,
Critical Thinking,
Discussions,
Learning Activities,
Real-World Application
Description Online discussion boards offer students an opportunity to engage with their peers and instructor in a course outside of the classroom. The discussion boards are often used to replicate a classroom discussion and have many positive benefits. It is relatively straightforward to setup and facilitate online discussions where students weigh in on a certain …
Continue reading “An Alternative Strategy for Using Online Discussions for Learning Course Content in STEM Courses”
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Assessment,
Discussions,
STEM
Description Students want to know what will be on the test. But faculty want students to focus on authentic learning rather than simply scoring well. Our strategy addresses both desires. Good course design involves alignment of course and lesson objectives with relevant activities and assessments. It is imperative that students be provided with this “roadmap” …
Continue reading “Encourage Metacognitive Learning by Visualizing Objectives”
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Academic Integrity,
Alignment,
Cognitive Theory,
Connectivism,
Content,
Discussions,
Formative,
Learning Activities,
Learning Objective,
Learning Presence,
Metacognition,
Peer Learning,
Scaffolding,
Social Presence,
Visual
Description Online debates have been found to elicit higher levels of cognitive presence in online discussions versus the more traditional question-and-answer format (Zydney, deNoyelles, & Chen, 2014). This can be explained in several ways. In a debate, students must argue for or against a position, with the intention of persuading others to assume the same …
Continue reading “Incorporate Online Debates to Stimulate Critical Thinking and Engagement”
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Assessment,
Critical Thinking,
Debate,
Discussions,
Engagement
Description Discussion forums are commonly used in online courses because benefits are multiple. However, instructors and students may find it daunting to read tens or hundreds of posts. One way to make online discussions less overwhelming is to allow alternative means of expression. Instead of writing, students may be encouraged to use images, voice, and …
Continue reading “Support Students to Use Multimedia in Discussion Forum”
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Accessibility,
Assessment,
Discussions,
Multimedia,
Video
Description According to Facing History and Ourselves (2017), “a journal is an instrumental tool for helping students develop their ability to critically examine their surroundings from multiple perspectives and to make informed judgments about what they see and hear. Informal writing, such as journaling can serve as a way to formatively assess the student. Additionally, …
Continue reading “Use Mind Watch Journals to Reflect and Connect to Content”
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Assessment,
Discussions,
Journaling,
Reflection
Description In order to build the scaffolding for learning, students need to acquire knowledge to build from. Lectures and chapter reading assignments can make current Instructional Designers cringe, but often times it is a time-efficient strategy to deliver content. What the authors of Make it Stick illustrate so well is that often when learners listen …
Continue reading “Use a Reflective Online Discussion Activity to Help Students Solidify Learning”
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Active Learning,
Assessment,
Constructivism,
Discussions,
Feedback,
Lecture,
Peer Learning,
Piazza,
Questioning,
Reading,
Reflection
Description As faculty, we are always trying to both stimulate student engagement and assess learning. One method for increasing student engagement that has been gaining in popularity is engaging students in role play activities. These activities can vary in scale from large, multi-day events (such as Reacting to the Past) to smaller activities contained within …
Continue reading “Use Role Play to Increase Student Engagement in Online Discussions”
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Collaborative Learning,
Discussions,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Role Play
Description Online discussions are most effective when students engage in higher order thinking, taking time to reflect and compose original posts. Instructors play a key role in purposefully designing discussion forums that move “student discourse out of the margins of thinking to deeper levels of thought” (Williams, Jaramillo, Peski, 2015, p. 46). The post-first discourse …
Continue reading “Post First Discourse”
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Critical Thinking,
Discussions,
Interaction
Description Asynchronous discussions are often utilized in online courses and while they can be effective toward creating and sustaining a learning community, they are not effective if not optimally designed. It can sometimes be difficult for students to converse in a way in which knowledge is co-constructed, and a way in which students can constructively …
Continue reading “Implement Tuning Protocol to Improve Online Discussion Peer Replies and Assignment Quality”
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Assessment,
Course Protocol,
Discussions,
Interaction,
Large Classes
