Strategies to Support, Motivate & Engage Online Learners
Control Content
Build in success
Design modules so that it is necessary for students to log in regularly
Assessment Strategies
Communication & Socialisation Strategies
Students can feel overwhelmed if faced with too much material leading to anxiety. Anxiety leads to disengagement so careful control of content is necessary for success(Schwer & Lewis 2013)
Collect data and use it
Additional Resources
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Feedback
Moore (1991) asserts that there is a psychological and communication gap when students undertake online learning. In order to combat this there must be high amounts of dialogue or communication between the learner and the instructor. It is very important to address this at the beginning of the programme. Ideas to combat this include.
welcome emails or texts
having online students introduce themselves to their peers
Discussion groups
group work
blogs
click to edit
Challenges to retain motivation and engagement of online learners versus face to face teaching.()
Asyncronous
Preparation
E-Learning ladder (Moule, 2007)
Pre-assess your students readiness for online learning
Carpe Diem-5 Stage Model
- Access and Motivation
- Team Building
- Information Exchange
This first step of the Gilly Salmon model is an essential foundation to the framework
Individual Assignments
Authentic
Meaningful
Relevant
Varied
Online Group Assignments
Create structure of positive interdependence.
Allow adequate time
Provide ongoing feedback
Provide constructive feedback
Social Presence - “Designing an environment that promotes social presence has been shown to lead to greater group cohesiveness and higher level critical thinking" Haythornthwaite (2006)
Provide Rationale for setting group tasks
Helps model workplace practices
Helps build a sense of community
Helps build feelings of belonging, commitment to group goals and trust
Design Carefully - what is the desired knowledge/learning outcome?
Collaborative action - no single hand is visible in the final product
Coordinated Action - where each persons contribution is identifiable
Performance - utilise rubrics
Link performance to effort
Monitor performance
Intervene if necessary eg by developing a self improvement plan in conjunction with the student
Level of cooperation and interaction can be assessed by participation analysis and structured network analysis
Importance of a framework with clear steps to engage and motivate students throughout.
- Knowledge Construction
Giving your students your students the opportunity to have success in an assessment or assignment early on in the programme will build motivation and encourage engagement (Schwer & Lewis 2013)
If students are not logging in regularly follow them up to see if they are in difficulty. Engagement is a predictor of learning(T4LT Kirkwood)
Time management
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Promote an information sharing culture through File Sharing Technology, mind mapping and discussion boards
https://edshelf.com/shelf/paulinerooney-collaboration/
Intrinsic motivation can be fostered where courses are competency based rather than grade orientated (Schwer & Lewis, 2013)
Build in choice and flexibility
Personal Responsibility
Designing online courses which offer choice and flexibility to the learner that will help motivate the learner and increase success (T4LT Kirkwood)
Set clear expectations
Learning Contracts
Netiquette
- Review
Encourage students to be learning focused rather than grade focussed
polls
Live classes
Theme emerging: More difficult to pick up on ques from students. Many tutors note the lack of eye to eye contact to establish a level of understanding.
Webinars
References
Use Verbal Persuasion (but remember to be realistic about student abilities)
text
discussion areas
Moule, P. (2007) Challenging the five-stage model for e-learning: A new approach. ALT-J: research in learning technology, 15 (1). pp. 37-50. ISSN 0968-7769 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/4792
Salmon, G. (2016, February 8), Carpe Diem - 5 Stage Model. [www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCnUgfeuoc]
See extensive work by Prof. Jean Mandernach, Centre for Innovation and Teaching, Grand Canyon University
Lewis, J. and Schwer, M. (2013, May 21) []
T4LT (2011, February 2013) []
Tobin, T. J. (2018). The eLearning Leader’s Toolkit for Evaluating Online Teaching. In Leading and Managing e-Learning (pp. 235-251). Springer, Cham.
Haythornthwaite, C. (2006). Facilitating collaboration in online learning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 10(1), 7-24.
Bart, M (2010, September 20), How to Design Effective Online Group Work Activities, Faculty Focus
Kelly, R. (2012). Five Factors that Affect Online Student Motivation. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/five-factors-that-affect-online-student-motivation/
Mc Carthy, J. Feedback 101. Retrieved from http://www.feedback.mccarthywebsites.com/
U of S, G. (2012). <yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" force-default-style="">Teaching Online Vs. Face-to-Face</yt-formatted-string>. Retrieved from