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Active Learning: Engaging Students To Maximize Learning In An Online…
Active Learning: Engaging Students To Maximize Learning In An
Online Course
Abstract
Student engagement is key to successful teaching and learning, irrespective of the content and format of the content delivery mechanism.
The role of collaborative student engagement tools for the design and delivery of online courses is discussed as well as the role these tools play in creating an atmosphere
1. Introduction
Student engagement is not only a challenge in traditional face-to-face classrooms but also, and debatably
more so, in online courses.
Typically, active learning is not associated with online or blended learning environment
Several strategies for effectively incorporating and practicing active learning in non-face-to-face settings
including
the use of well-conceived discussions
group work and creating a collaborative environment that encourages and fosters a community of learning.
Some of the key components in online courses are the design of instructional material for the content delivery student assessment of material, discussion management, time management and frustration handling.
2. Background on Active Learning
Allen and Tanner (2005)
have described active learning as “seeking new information, organizing it in a way that is meaningful,and having the chance to explain to others”.
Studies have shown that employing such methods of active learning improves both students’ learning and their attitudes towards learning (Vygotsky, 1978; Chickering,
Gamson, 1987; Armbruster et. al, 2009)
Active learning strategies have been
shown numerous times to promote student engagement nd have a significant impact on student learning when implemented effectively throughout the course.
In fact, Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives is one of the most widely used ways of organizing levels of
expertise (Bloom et al., 1994; Gronlund, 1991).
domains of educational
activities:
Cognition, Affective, and Psychomotor
Bloom’s higher order cognitive skills, such as application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation, demonstrate a deeper comprehension of material.
strengthened through active
learning strategies such as visual learning, cooperative learning, debates, drama, discussions, role-playing and
peer learning/teaching (Bonwell & Eison, 1991)
Integration of Active Learning into Online Courses
Integrating active learning into course material is crucial to engaging students, regardless of the environment.
These activities should be based on higher level thinking, such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation of
Bloom's taxonomy.
The suggestion of doing activities beyond the traditional lecture to improve student engagement has met with resistance
The recognition of the role student engagement plays in facilitating learning is a pivotal recognition and necessary
starting point.
3. Strategies to Incorporate Active Learning in an Online Course Design, Development
and Delivery
(1) building a community
(2) clearly outlining course expectations
(3) utilizing online tools for interaction
(4) promoting the exchange of ideas
(5) providing timely and relevant feedback
(6) creating an environment that is student centred
4. Significance of Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Collaboration across borders and disciplines is a norm (Khan, 2011).
The concept of multidisciplinary teams spread across geographic boundaries working together using technology has been very slow to be adopted in higher education (O’Brien, Soibelman, & Elvin, 2003; Kaufman, & Brooks, 1996).
Online courses provide an opportunity to build a rich environment of collaboration.
Collaboration also takes advantage of the fact that groupwork has been identifiedto be beneficial to student learning in an online environment
Varying disciplines with different cultures and ethnicities can work together
Students ranked their proficiency in hard skills, such as requirement elicitation and product design, higher
Soft skills such as communication, teamwork, rules of professional engagement, presentation and respect for diverse viewpoints were practiced in addition to the technical skills related to their professions
Higher education’s organizational structure creates boundaries between disciplines, interdisciplinary
collaborations foster “innovative integration of multiple fields of study” with far reaching goals and outcomes
Successful academic & industry collaborations can enhance use of technology, cross-disciplinary work, and establish a community atmosphere within the course participants
5. Accessibility of Course Materials
Mobile eLearning applications increase accessibility to the course materials.
Mobile learning is considered an
extension of online technologies and is largely dependent on cloud-based services to eliminate the resource
restriction of mobile devices.
Mobile learning provides students with access to course resources while on the go and is designed to allow real time access to the online course via mobile devices
The advantages are that it
provides access to learning anytime and anywhere adding accessibility to learning
The challenges are that the mobile devices have limited resources such as viewable area, limited memory and
processing power
6. Creating a Community of Learning
One of the most important components of online learning is to provide a forum for the development of a
community.
Have a statement of clear expectations of the students and the instructor at the beginning of the course.
One way to provide expectations is through the use of a recorded welcome to the
course.
Creating activities that engage students in critical thinking and thinking outside the box help create a community of learning
Students can encourage each other by
participating in the various activities.
Discussions offer a great opportunity to design activities that increase student ownership and participation in the course
The syllabus plays an important role in defining a relationship between faculty-students and the peers
Another way of creating transparency in the faculty students- relationship is by the use of rubrics.
Another significant piece in the development of a community of learning in an online course is communication.
the exchange of information in verbal and
written forms
7. Engaging the Classroom Through Discussion
A growing body of literature has shown that discussions are beneficial for promoting student engagement and
developing critical thinking skills.
Improving communication skills and enhancing students learning
Some benefits of online
discussions over classroom discussions include convenience, additional time for students to reflect on
discussion prompts and responses, increased participation and a greater sense of community
Online discussion allows instructors more time to interact with students without the time
restriction imposed by face-to-face-classes
Dixon (2014) proposes three elements to be considered for online discussions to be successful
pre-assessment,
relevance
assessment criteria.
There are several tools and strategies to promote active learning and student engagement
using small groups
debates
assigning different roles
Some tools for use in online discussions include learning management systems
video chat tools ( Google Hangout )
discussion boards ( Moodle, Blackboard and Piazza )
forum
8. Use of Effective Assessment Methods
As in face-to-face classrooms, both formative and summative assessment can be
useful in online classes
Instructors need to use a wide range of
assessment techniques and should avoid using redundant methods
Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a system to evaluate the curriculum, not only for assignments, but also to evaluate assessments as well as to identify where content is introduced and how content grows in difficulty throughout the course.
The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) (1987) provides a set of best practice principles for
assessing student learning.
assessment should be viewed as a vehicle for educational improvement and is effective when learning is reflected as multidimensional and longitudina
Designing effective rubrics is key to successfully assessing outcomes in any course.
The Quality Matters Higher
Education Rubric, fifth edition, 2014 provides a set of general standards
course overview and introduction, competencies, assessment, instructional materials, technology, support, and and accessibility to
ensure students achieve the desired learning outcome.
9. Challenges Facing Active Learning Integration in Online Courses
online course development requires a lot of planning and specialized training
a significant amount of time is required for developing an online course
the bandwidth of the internet can cause the internet connection to slow down causing congestion and frustration for the faculty and students
frustrations can arise among faculty especially in cases where college administrators do not
recognize the increased workload on the faculty
Lack of resources including technology and
personnel can cause dissatisfaction among faculty
Resistance to interactive online instructional techniques
10. Conclusions
Despite the challenges faced in developing and delivering effective online courses, participation in online
courses is becoming widespread
Various mechanisms can be used in the design of an online learning
environment that potentially foster a high level of student engagement
It is important to recognize that,
regardless of the tools being utilized, designing an effective online course involves careful planning,considerable resources and dedicated time commitment as well as experience and expertise in teaching and
learning.