Active Learning in Virtual Education [Infographic] (original) (raw)

Active Learning: Engaging Students to Maximize Learning in an Online Course

2017

Student engagement is key to successful teaching and learning, irrespective of the content and format of the content delivery mechanism. However, engaging students presents a particular challenge in online learning environments. Unlike face-to-face courses, online courses present a unique challenge as the only social presence between the faculty and the student is via the Internet. In a recent poll conducted by the authors, 100% of the respondents considered student engagement a challenge regardless of the number of years they have been teaching online. This paper explores various strategies that can be incorporated into the design of online learning courses to foster a high level of student engagement based on multiple pedagogies. In addition, 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 where students actively participate in learning activities and are contributors to lively discussions. Perspectives on various mechanisms of student engagement that are founded in classic active learning pedagogies and enhanced with new technologies are presented in this paper, including perspectives on the design of courses to facilitate student engagement as well as best practices of design and delivery of online courses. Finally, this paper emphasizes the importance of deliberate course design in the pursuit of actively engaging students in online course settings.

Active Learning in a Virtual Environment: Miriam College's Experience in Teaching Online Facilitation

2014

A critical literacy of faculty members in 21 st century teaching is the heutagogical competence in information and communication technology underscoring the capacity to handle classes in virtual learning environments. Miriam College, a women's college in the Philippines, has conducted four online classes on teaching online facilitation to 87 faculty members and staff. The course aims to enable traditional classroom teachers to handle a blended or online class. The course utilized social constructivism and connectivism as its teaching and learning frameworks and active learning as a teaching approach as afforded by a virtual learning environment. A content analysis of all forms of engagement in course activities presents an informative picture of the quality of learning among the teacher learners along vital teaching and learning precepts. This paper aims to contribute to the experiences of traditional classroom teachers who are faced with the challenge of digital educational tec...

Student engagement in virtual space

2020

In this paper, a university course (subject or unit of study) that currently enjoys positive formal student reviews is used as a case study to demonstrate how theoretical knowledge about student engagement is effectively put into practice. This investigation identifies key aspects that have contributed to the positive student feedback with particular emphasis on student engagement online, or in virtual space. The investigation involves identifying what is considered good practice with respect to student engagement and then benchmarking the case study course against this. A key contribution of this paper is the presentation of practical examples demonstrating how the current theory is effectively realised in practice. The conclusion was that the course complied with key elements of what is considered good practice and successfully engaged students. Other practitioners may use the examples in their own context to help inform the practice of engaging students when teaching in virtual s...

Introducing a Virtual Classroom in a Master Course: Lessons Learned

The paper presents empirical research investigating the effect on the learning activity when the ordinary classroom setting in a university college master course is substituted with a virtual classroom supporting synchronous e-learning. To obtain good learning results in the virtual classroom, we hypothesised that changes to various aspects of the learning activity would be required. Applying activity theory as a framework, we identified such changes in the learning activity of our case in two virtual classroom test sessions: an ordinary lecture and a formal examination in the form of a student presentation. Our findings include a set of considerations that we suggest should be made if a virtual classroom is to be taken into use by a community of learners normally basing their learning activity on face-to-face interaction in a traditional classroom.

Just by being here, you aren't halfway there: Structured active learning and its integration in virtual learning environments and assessment

Science & Justice, 2022

Flipped learning with the incorporation of certain elements of gamification aims to improve student engagement, motivation and attainment. In this study we present an analysis of two approaches used in consecutive years on two modules. A traditional flipped learning approach "standard learning" where material is released weekly online and there are supporting tutorials and an end of term assessment; and a "structured active learning" strategy where a more scaffolded approach is applied, requiring participation to progress. In this approach students' work on the virtual learning environment and in tutorials could be used to contribute towards their end of term assessment (no more than 10% of the module credit), connected to a learning outcome on the breadth or range of topics. Students received feedback in rubric form throughout the topic, to see their progression. It was found that for module 1, over 90% of the students had accessed the pre-released material by week 2 in the structured active learning approach while this level of engagement was only reached in week 5 using the standard approach. Participation in learning events was far better using the structured active learning approach when compared to the standard approach, for example rising from 40% to 78% in week 2. The second module, with a different cohort of students, followed similar trends with the active learning approach attracting higher levels of engagement and participation far earlier in the term. Following the increased engagement, the structured active learning approach was beneficial in assessment with improved grade profiles. B.J. Jones, K. Sturrock, Just by being here, you aren’t halfway there: Structured active learning and its integration in virtual learning environments and assessment, Science & Justice, 2022, [in press] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2022.05.005

Faculty's Examination of Virtual Learning Strategies to Communicate With Students

Fostering Effective Student Communication in Online Graduate Courses, 2018

Faculty's examination of virtual learning strategies to communicate with students is essential. Virtual learning is an innovative way to work with student s in higher education. The purpose of this effort is as follows: a) note strategies that can enhance the communication process with students and faculty during the virtual learning process; b) provide a review of contemporary research on virtual learning and activities; c) provide narratives from faculty in higher education that provide virtual learning environments and effective communication strategies to students. Authors from multiple disciplines provide their perceptions of virtual learning and some challenges or experiences in implementing activities to communicate with students in higher education. Their perception of using this type of learning with students is shared and common themes are discussed. In all efforts, there is a discussion of the benefits, purpose, and implications of this type of learning. Recommendatio...

ACTIVE LEARNING METHODOLOGIES IN ENGLISH CLASSES: INTERACTION IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

Alfa, São Paulo, v.67, e17221, 2023

The coronavirus pandemic has intensified the creative use of technological resources that significantly promote dynamic communication among learners. This study investigated the contribution of active methodologies in remote English language classes for the interaction between basic level learners. Based on this goal, we analyzed the resources that promote the linguistic development of students through interaction in virtual environments, based on studies on active methodologies on learning, interaction and teaching of foreign languages and sociocultural theory. Data were generated from an online questionnaire applied to students, interactions in the Google Classroom environment, and the field observation journal of synchronous interactions in Google Meet and were analyzed in the light of grounded theory. By contrasting the instruments, we obtained three global categories that emerged from the comparison and contrast between them: flexibility, autonomy, and interaction. The categories showed that creative tasks developed through active methodologies, such as video production, autonomous activities such as prior access to video classes and flexible tasks such as the activities available in the weekly forums, allowed learners to identify possible errors regarding the use of the language and collaborate with colleagues, solving problems collaboratively and answering questions. The results confirm the contributions of active methodologies in the online environment.