Maximizing Engagementin

Online Instruction Vis-A-Vis Classroom Experience

Measures of EffectiveInstruction In Higher Ed

On-line learning in view of the Chickering, Gamson & Angelo

writings on educational effectiveness in teaching and

learning.

1. Active Learning is More Effective than Passive Learning

Class Room• Presentations• Small-group

discussions• Peer activity

Online• Students given

ability to post PP• Discussion Board• Chat Room activity• Internet work

Online is active by its very nature

2. Focused Attention & Awareness of Important Learning Goals

Class Room• Syllabi Statements• Mini-Quizzes• Applied Activities• Key Point Lists• Focused Handouts

Online• Same as Classroom

PLUS (review-able)• Discussion Board• Posted Support

Materials• Links• Chat Room Topics

3. New Knowledge Meaningfully Connects to Prior Knowledge

Class Room• Examples• Illustrations• Media• Review

Sessions• Experience

journals

Online• Same items as Classroom• PLUS ability to move among

all materials, lectures and media modules easily to review, connect, integrate.

4. Unlearning What is Known Can be Harder than Learning Anew

Class Room• Before presenting

new information, find out what students know

• Use relevant student experience

• Provide good counter examples, illustrations, and data.

Online • Same as classroom

PLUS• Online student-teacher

confidential journals• Boards for the sharing

of student experiences• Numerous websites &

Online Newsletter, etc.

5. Feedback Early & Often and the Need to be Able to Self-Assess

Class Room

Feedback on assignments

• Peer response• Office hours

Online Same as classroom BUT• Peer feedback can be ongoing

and iterative.• Teacher feedback can be

ongoing & easy to post comments on brief posted assignments.

• Commonly needed feedback can be written a single time and posted.

Immediate Feedback

(me) I wanted to let you know that I realize it is hard at first but you need to stop just reading the comments and jump on in. Chat points require participation. Hope to hear more from you next week.

(student) yeah, i guess i got caught up with each others comments, well im gonna get in with a different chat time so that i can participate and ask more questions, this weeks was alot tougher for me to get the readings in because of the many quizzes i've got this week, but im looking forward to the next chat..

6. Information Organized in Personally Meaningful Ways

Online Electronic Delivery Enables

(1) Multiple approaches and organizing systems by Instructor, as appropriate to course.

(2) Students to have access to materials they can download, file and organize in personally meaningfully ways.

7. Gaining Skills &Knowledge takes Much Time & Much Effort

Class RoomProblematicStudents often

think of class room courses as segmented.

Learning can be discontinuous

Online Possibilities • Course experiences can be

ongoing, iterative and seamless• Reinforcement can be ongoing• Multiple interactive and individual

engagement opportunities allows more organic flow of knowledge

• Periodic intensified pursuit of understanding at student-directed pace

• Breaking lectures into smaller modules enables student-determined internalization.

8. Balance Intellectual Challenge & Instructional Support

Class Room Issues

Limits of in-class time-frame, office-hours or handout materials.

Online PossibilitiesOnline study groupsEmailed questions at time of

confusion during lecture or reading.

Students more readily consume & revisit “handouts”

Added links and video support or other supplements more easily delivered/consumed.

More customizable teacher interaction points.

9. Applying/Transferring Skills to

New Context Needs Much Practice Class Room Issues

Difficult pedagogy:

Need many examples of concepts & principles.

Need to move between general & specific.

Need to highlight comparisons and contrasts.

Online OpportunitiesSimilar challenges BUT

Pedagogy eased by technology:

Can post unlimited number of examples, written, pictorial, filmic & web-based.

Can provide multi-modal demonstrations of general-to-specific and specific-to-general.

10a. Teacher-Student Interaction is a Powerful Factor in Learning

Class Room Techniques

• Call students by name

• Facilitate participation

• De-emphasize competition

Online Opportunities• All student input appears with

name so no “learning period,” no student unrecognized.

• Free-flowing chat (not being called on) aids participation without competition.

• All aspects are participative PLUS

• Course participation is logged so no mistakes in who contributed how much.

10b.Teacher-Student Interaction

Class Room IssuesOngoing focused attention

is rarely feasibleStudents who are shy or

have language usage issues are often least likely to initiate interaction

Many students do not feel comfortable going to office hours

Online OpportunitiesFacilitates frequent

focused interaction with relatively small student groups.

Relative privacy lessens shyness barriers

Students can reach teacher more easily when both are online (Who is on line feature)

8 students--6 minutes (Names are false)

10:23 PM: Deena: i understood most of them but i had trouble understanding Macro- system

10:23 PM: Sam: the system is like a snowball where they build off each other10:23 PM: Annie: i thought it was interesting how many different systems we are

affected by & are part of10:23 PM: Joshua: The Macro System was difficult to grasp for me as well.10:23 PM: (Instructor): The micro may be easiest to picture because it is our

everyday interaction setting10:23 PM: Annie: i dont think i am 100% clear either10:24 PM: Yin: It's funny because it really does go from specific to general, because

we know the detail of our microsystem, but very little of our macrosystem10:24 PM: (Instructor): The macro system involves the big societal realities like

economy, politics, laws.10:24 PM: Jim: I thought macro was they type of overall society we're born into10:25 PM: (Instructor): Right Jim10:25 PM: Jim: yeah, but not the specifics. we can only see what is given to us10:26 PM: Yin: For the longest time I knew very little about macrosystem because i

was a sheltered turtle. MORE

continued

10:26 PM: (Instructor): SO, for example, The economy (macro) affects the micro (your school) because the State budget wont let us pay for extra class sections

10:26 PM: Jim: that sounds familiar ;)

10:26 PM: Joshua: Thank you, that clarifies it

10:26 PM: Annie: ohhhh, ok

10:26 PM: Marta: Ok I was thinking smaller things like race & religion within families

10:26 PM: Marta: Yes...I couldn’t think of the word

10:27 PM: (Instructor): We were also going to talk about achieved roles -- like being a student and ascribed roles like being a daughter.

10:28 PM: Yin: are you talking about role theory?

10:28 PM: (Ins): BUT the kind of social system you live in defines what it means to be those things.

10:28 PM: Marta: So, in a way, both of those are part of the macro system because being a woman or a student will be different in different societies....right?

10:29 PM: Joshua: I would think so. MORE

End of example

10:29 PM: (Instructor): SOOOO there are girlfriends and boyfriends and sweethearts and wives and husbands and intimates --- but our society changes what it means to be these things

10:29 PM: (Ins): HEY Marta, we were on the same track!

10:29 PM: Peggy: I see the bigger picture now.

10:29 PM: Yin: yes, because being categorized woman is different than being a student

10:29 PM: Jim: and being a woman in the US is a lot different than being a woman in Japan, for example

10:29 PM: Annie: ic

Which brings us to the next point …

11. Student-Student Interaction is

Powerful Factor in Learning

Class Room Techniques• Small group discussions• Group projects• Peer feedback BUT• Hard to guide multiple

groups simultaneously• Hard to assess relative

input by group members

Online Possibilities• Chat is interactive• Study groups form

naturally in chat rooms• Peer message and

response on discussion boards

• Online assignments can be collaborative AND

• All input is logged by name and time.