scholarly journals A Multimedia-Rich Platform to Enhance Student Engagement and Learning in an Online Environment

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Scott Bledsoe
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Effective Practices ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Psychology Class

Utilizing multimedia tools such as videos and audio clips can be an effective way to promote student learning and engagement in online settings. This study explores the implementation of a photo-rich comprehensive counseling center environment through which students of a semester-long online graduate psychology class learned about important research methodology concepts. Student feedback is provided along with implications for student learning in future online course endeavors. This multimedia course design was the recipient of the 2013 Sloan-C Effective Practices Award.

Utilizing Twitter and #Hashtags Toward Enhancing Student Learning in an Online Course Environment

2018 ◽  
pp. 1217-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Scott Bledsoe ◽  
Dave Harmeyer ◽  
Shuang Frances Wu
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Research ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach

The authors offer an answer to the research question, To what extent and in what ways is Twitter helpful to student learning when group hashtags are created and used in collaborative educational environments? Sixty-two students in a spring 2012 graduate online Research Methodology course worked individually and in groups to create discussions on topics of interest through Twitter posts and student-created hashtags. Student participants answered nine qualitative and quantitative questions concerning the Twitter/hashtag exercise and used collaborative blog pages to reflect on their experiences. A grounded theory approach was applied to classify data generated from the nine questions and blog postings. An analysis of the study's data resulted in the discovery of the following four themes: access to information, communication, class engagement, and general feedback. Based on these themes, nine recommendations are offered for maximizing the use of Twitter in an online environment for increased student engagement and learning.

scholarly journals Bridging Disciplines with a New and Interactive Online Course: Drug & Nutrient Interactions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 604-604
Author(s):  
Sara Police ◽  
Jessie Hoffman,
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Due Dates ◽  
Nutrient Interactions ◽  
University Of Kentucky ◽  
Student Cohorts ◽  
Graduate Certificate ◽  
Nutritional Sciences

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this project was to design, develop and implement an online two-credit course, Drug & Nutrient Interactions, as an elective for a new online Graduate Certificate in Applied Nutrition and Culinary Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Methods Drug & Nutrient Interactions was designed to meet the needs of select student cohorts: undergraduate Pharmacology minors, graduate students enrolled in the Masters in Nutritional Sciences program, and online graduate certificate students. Faculty within the Dept. of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences and the Division of Clinical Nutrition were consulted to identify curricular gaps and to avoid redundancy across programs. Instructional designers were consulted to identify evidence-based best practices in online course design and teaching. Results Content of the Drug and Nutrient Interactions course is structured within four thematic modules: 1. Introduction to Pharmacology and Food & Drug Interactions, 2. Exploring Drug-Nutrient Interactions, 3. Genes, Bugs & Time, and 4. Current and Future Directions in Nutrition & Pharmacology. Each module is three to four weeks in duration, to span a 14-week semester. Each week, students’ tasks include reading, watching, writing, and reviewing content related to the student learning objectives. Methods to promote student engagement with the content recur week-to-week, to ensure consistency for students’ experience. An eBook was written by the instructors to provide a current and interdisciplinary review of the intersections of nutritional sciences and pharmacology in the course. In lieu of proctored online exams, module-level assignments assess students’ achievement of learning outcomes. Drug & Nutrient Interactions launched in fall 2019 with nine students enrolling and completing the course. Course analytics track student engagement by logging page views and participation. Increasing students’ page views and participation align with due dates for module assignments. Therefore - in spring 2020, deadlines were shifted to a weekly timeline to foster consistent engagement. Conclusions Instructors should explore various methods to foster student-content, student-student and student-instructor engagement in an online learning environment. Funding Sources This course project was funded by a UK Online award & an Alternative Textbook grant.

scholarly journals ‘Incentivised reading’- Using an online VLE to measure engagement and attainment in student learning.

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 74-86
Author(s):  
Louise Helen Beard
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Student Motivation ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Online Assessment ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Online Assignments ◽  
High Engagement ◽  
Study Student

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) can be used as a resource repository but also as an environment to encourage independent student learning. Customised online assignments that can be assembled by the lecturer can be found in teaching resources such as Mastering Biology, developed by Pearson Publishers. In this study, student engagement in both summative and formative assignments was measured, and student attainment and qualitative feedback on the use of Mastering Biology was collected.During the period 2010-2017, the online VLE Mastering Biology was used to create online summative assignments and promoted to the students as ‘incentivized reading.'The results showed high student engagement in summative online assessment (94±3.2%) but lower engagement in formative online assessment (34±10.9%) and DSM assessment (36±3.5%) across all years. Student attainment increased after the introduction of Mastering Biology, in coursework (+13.2%), exams (+12.5%) and total module scores (+10.6%). Importantly, student feedback was also very positive about the implementation of Mastering Biology.This study suggests that students display high engagement with the summative online assessment. Lower engagement in formative assessment could be due to differences in student motivation. Lack of engagement in this assessment could be used to identify disengaged students and intervention and extra support could be given.

Designing and Teaching for Student Engagement in Online Courses Through UDL

2020 ◽  
pp. 314-329
Author(s):  
Ruby L. Owiny ◽  
Elizabeth Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Design For Learning

Any course must be goal-focused and consider the needs of all learners. However, online courses require instructors to be proactive in planning for learning. Recruiting and sustaining engagement in an online course must be carefully considered and planned for during all learning modules or units. This chapter addresses how to keep students engaged by considering their affect, the general way students feel toward their learning. Affect impacts motivation, which in turn can impact how a student persists in a course. The Universal Design for Learning principle of engagement addresses the affect through three guidelines. These guidelines are explained in this chapter with potential barriers to student learning and motivation explained as well. Furthermore, possible solutions are provided to give readers examples of ways in which they might reduce or remove barriers to engagement in their online courses.

Designing with care

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Robinson ◽  
Maha Al-Freih ◽  
Whitney Kilgore
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Ethics Of Care ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Theory ◽  
Course Experience ◽  
Caring Relations

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore how care theory and the ethics of care are explained by students in the online environment to clarify the factors that are more relevant in establishing and maintaining caring relations in online learning context.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing naturalistic inquiry, the researchers interviewed online students and coded transcripts using multiple coding methods within two phases of analysis. Noddings' framework for ethics of care was utilized to identify strategies and practices that enhance each of Noddings' elements in an online course experience.FindingsThe findings of this exploratory study provide evidence on how learners perceive being cared for and highlight specific instructor behaviors and course design elements that support the emergence and maintenance of a climate of care in an online learning environment. Indicators of all four elements of Noddings' framework were present in the interviews. Within the themes of each element, strategies and practices to enhance each element in an online course experience are further explained.Research limitations/implicationsEstablishing a climate of care, whether in traditional or online learning, leads to more inclusive learning experiences that are responsive to the needs of all learners. This study brought to light some of the factors that are more relevant in establishing and maintaining caring relations in online learning context.Originality/valueThe findings of this study add to the literature on the role of emotions in an online learning as viewed through the lens of care theory. The findings highlight some strategies and behaviors that promote a climate of care in an online environment from a learner's perspective.

Strategies for Engaging Students in the Online Environment

2020 ◽  
pp. 305-326
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Whiter
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Student Interaction ◽  
Online Learning Environment ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Instructional Technologies ◽  
Course Content

Creating an engaging course environment requires a conscious effort from faculty to utilize course design, teaching methods, and instructional technologies that foster high levels of student interaction. Instructional technologies paired with effective pedagogies are making student engagement in online environments rich and meaningful. The use of instructional technologies is linked to student engagement in the online learning environment. Utilization of instructional technologies should address three major types of interaction: student interaction with course content, the faculty, and their learning peers. The use of instructional technologies to engage students can also increase students' motivation for their learning by increasing student value for course content. This chapter addresses specific strategies for utilization of course design, pedagogies, and instructional technologies to incorporate student interaction and develop and maintain students' motivation in their learning.

scholarly journals Flipping a Dental Anatomy Course: A Retrospective Study Over Four Years

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud M. Bakr ◽  
Ward L. Massey ◽  
Helen M. Massa
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Dental Education ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
First Year ◽  
Dental Anatomy ◽  
The Impact

Flipped classrooms have been successfully used to increase student engagement and support student learning in a range of educational fields, including health education. These advantages for student learning supported implementation of the flipped classroom in introductory sciences and preclinical courses in dental education. We report on a 4-year retrospective study which compared two methods of delivery of a first-year dental anatomy course. The first method used the traditional method, consisting of face to face contact teaching hours, which was compared to a partial flipped classroom, where lecture contact was maintained but practical classes were flipped. A series of online videos demonstrating different practical tasks such as wax carving and tooth identification. An online digital library and online quizzes for self-reflected learning were developed and trialled. Students’ Evaluations of Course (SEC) and students’ overall performance in practical and theoretical assessments were used to evaluate the impact on student engagement and success, respectively, after implementation of the modified course offerings. This study evidences the success of the transition to a partially flipped course design. Careful design and consideration of implementation of the flipped classroom method in dental education are recommended to ensure that there is reliable availability of online resources and dedicated teaching staff for construction of resources and delivery of relevant in-class activities.

scholarly journals How to measure student engagement in the context of blended-MOOC

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadiyah Almutairi ◽  
Su White
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Single Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
High Quality Education ◽  
Blended Course

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a model of measuring student engagement in a blended-massive open online course (MOOC) context. MOOCs are those that are delivered, usually by leading universities, with a promise to provide free high-quality education to an unlimited number of learners. They offer an opportunity for “blended” course design, where instructors can integrate MOOC content within face-to-face educational activities and components.Design/methodology/approachThree internationally recognized existing frameworks, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), UK Engagement Survey (UKES) and Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ), were combined into a single model. The model was confirmed by a panel of 35 expert practitioners. A trial evaluation using the model was carried out on 13 students who had participated in a course that had adopted a blended-MOOC format.FindingsThe confirmed model has nine indicators which provide information about distinct aspects of student engagement.Originality/valueIt is considered to be the first model designed to measure student engagement within the blended-MOOC context.

scholarly journals Measuring Student Engagement in the Online Course: The Online Student Engagement Scale (OSE)

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia D Dixson
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Observational Learning ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Student Behaviors ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Learning Behaviors ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Engagement Scale

Abstract Student engagement is critical to student learning, especially in the online environment, where students can often feel isolated and disconnected. Therefore, teachers and researchers need to be able to measure student engagement. This study provides validation of the Online Student Engagement scale (OSE) by correlating student self-reports of engagement (via the OSE) with tracking data of student behaviors from an online course management system. It hypothesized that reported student engagement on the OSE would be significantly correlated with two types of student behaviors: observational learning behaviors (i.e., reading e-mails, reading discussion posts, viewing content lectures and documents) and application learning behaviors (posting to forums, writing e-mails, taking quizzes). The OSE was significantly and positively correlated with application learning behaviors. Results are discussed along with potential uses of the OSE by researchers and online instructors.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document