Description One of the primary concerns of online learning reported by students is feelings of isolation (Abrami & Bures, 1996). Instructional media such as online conferencing could help students feel connected and decrease the sense of isolation (Rourke, Anderson, Garrison, & Archer, 2001). Typical Web conferencing tools allow instructors to communicate with students via text, …
Continue reading “Set up an online conference for student orientation”
Related Tags:
Collaboration,
Course Orientation,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Synchronous,
Web Conferencing
Description It can be difficult to build a sense of community in an online course (Moskal et al., 2010), especially in mathematics where written work is usually somewhat limited. I find that regular class discussions provide a considerable benefit in this process. But the practice that has most effectively improved connections between students and between …
Continue reading “Student video presentation of homework”
Related Tags:
Assignment,
Interaction,
Social Presence,
Student Created Content,
Student Presentation,
Video
Description In the 21st century modern education is becoming increasingly complex due to the technological environment within which it operates. This new environment offers exciting new possibilities but also raises challenges. Low cost, ubiquity, accessibility and ease of use are all potential affordances, which are making social media technologies an attractive option for transforming teaching …
Continue reading “Use Google educational apps to foster online collaborations”
Related Tags:
Collaboration,
Gmail,
Google Application,
Google Calendar,
Google Docs,
GTalk,
Interaction,
Social Media
Description Use of mobile communication technology in the higher education setting is still a relatively new area of study. On brick and mortar campuses, students who have face-to-face interaction with their professors and peers can often be seen texting or “tweeting” between classes or in class. Such mobile messaging usage in class can be very …
Continue reading “Use mobile communication technologies to increase students’ feelings of connectedness and instructor support”
Related Tags:
Connectivism,
Interaction,
Online Teaching Persona,
Social Media,
Social Presence
Description A debate is a formal competition between two teams, usually with three members each, arguing a discussion statement known as “the moot”. Shaw (2012) believes that debates stimulate critical thinking and can be a highly effective way to actively engage students in research in the online classroom. Student-generated debate presentations can become a welcome …
Continue reading “Use online debates to enhance classroom engagement”
Related Tags:
Assessment,
Communication,
Computer Mediated Communication,
Debate,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Rubric
Description Researchers agree that students retain more when active, student-centered learning techniques are employed and that fun and engaging learning experiences foster higher information retention (Bonwell and Eison 1991). When teaching large classes online, this can be difficult, but faculty still want to create an environment that is personal and interactive (Carbone 1998). Faculty want …
Continue reading “Use pop culture to energize online discussions”
Related Tags:
Discussion,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Popular Culture
Description The goal of a GIST statement is to write a summary in a given amount of words (i.e 20 words, 15 words, 10 words). GIST is an acronym that stands for: Generating Interactions between Schemata and Texts (Cunningham, 1982; Herrell, 2000). The instructor can determine the amount of words when writing the GIST statement. …
Continue reading “Using GIST statements for summary of learning content”
Related Tags:
Concept,
Critical Thinking,
Discussion,
Engagement,
Formative,
Interaction,
Participation,
Reflection,
Visual
