Online and Hybrid Learning Come Alive: How We Can Move From a Passive to an Engaged Community of Learning

Dr. Laurie Yates

Eastern Oregon University

Where/Who Are Our Students?

• Online: at least 30% (Friedman & Friedman, 2011; Hoskins, 2012)

• Traditional and non-traditional students• Trends: online and hybrid• “Online is a culture to the Millennial generation.

Yet to most colleges, it is a delivery method” (Pacansky-Brock, 2013).

Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere

THE CHALLENGE

Teaching in an Online Environment

• Asynchronous environments• Sense of isolation/disconnection• Reduced channels of communication• Retention• How to engage and motivate students?

Develop a community of learning?

Student Engagement• Student-Student, Student-Teacher, Student-

Subject• Goals: Students develop skills and abilities

– Problem solving– Critical thinking– Communication– Collaboration– Ethical judgment– Navigation of the Internet to find useful

information

DIFFERENT CHALLENGES CALL FOR DIFFERENT

SOLUTIONS

• “Technology should not be integrated into college learning for the sake of using cool new tools to engage tech-savvy students” (Pacansky-Brock, 2013)

• Prepare students for a successful life in our digital, interconnected, collaborative society.

Best Practices: Teacher Presence• Frequent feedback• Timely grading• Quick response to student questions/problems• Interest in getting to know students• Communication using several methods• Adaptive and flexible • Incorporated life experiences• Fun, energetic

(Baran, Correla, & Thompson, 2013)

Techniques and Tools

• Visual and audio feedback• Video announcements and lectures• Well organized and visually pleasing LMS sites• Virtual office hours, communication with

students (phone, chat, email, video, social networks)

• Meaningful and engaging discussions

Content and Feedback• Jing

– http://www.techsmith.com/jing– Free and paid upgrade– Video recording of computer screen/5 minutes– Screen capture

• Camtasia– Fee discount for educators– Video screen capture and editing– http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html

• Voice Thread and Audacity (audio record & audit)

• Announcements Welcome to Marketing Strategies

• Feedback on assignments Feedback on Advertisement Critiques

• Virtual classes or group discussions

Producing Videos

• YouTube– Free– http://www.youtube.com– Private or public

• Windows Movie Maker• iMovie for Mac

Participatory Learning Environment• Poll Everywhere

– http://www.polleverywhere.com– Limited to 40 responses: free for educators– Text messaging, Twitter, web browser

• Experiential– Digital simulations– Games

Communication

• Skype• Google Hangout• Social Media

– FaceBook– Google+– Twitter

Conclusion

• Using today’s communication tools to reach today’s students

• Disruptive technology– Print– Radio– TV– Internet/Web 2.0

• Teacher presence

ReferencesBollinger, D. U. & Armier Jr., D. (2013). Active learning in the online environment: The

integration of student-generated audio files. Active Learning in Higher Education, 14(3), 201-211.

Bound, H. (2010). Developing quality online dialogue: Dialogical inquiry. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 22(2), 107-119.

Callaghan, N. & Bower, M. (2012). Learning through social networking sites: The critical role of the teacher. Educational Media International, 49(1), 1-17.

Chen, P. D., Lambert, A. D., & Guidry, K. R. (2010). Engaging online learners: The impact of Web-based technology on college student engagement. Computers & Education, 54, 1222-1232.

Cole, M. (2009). Using Wiki technology to support student engagement: Lessons from the trenches. Computers & Education, 52, 141-146.

Dyment, J., Downing, J., & Budd, Y. (2013). Framing teacher educator engagement in an online environment. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(1).

References

Friedman, L. W., & Friedman, H. H. (2013). Using social media technologies to enhance online learning. Journal of Educators Online, 10(1).

Hoskins, B. J. (2012). Connections, engagement, and presence. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 60, 51-53.

Liaw, S., Huang, H., & Chen, G. (2007). Surveying instructor and learner attitudes toward e-learning. ScienceDirect, 49, 1066-1080.

Pacansky-Brock, M. (2013). Best practices for teaching with emerging technologies. New York, NY: Routledge.

Waycott, J., Bennett, S., Kennedy, G., Dalgarno, B., & Gray, K. (2010). Digital divides? Student and staff perceptions of information and communication technologies. Computers & Education, 54, 1202-1211.

Thank You