Engaging Online Learners | Origin: EL141
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Engaging Online Learners
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
The numerous and diverse means of engaging the student body. The means and method need to be tailored for the audience. The topic at hand should be well addressed.
I have learned that there are several different ways to engage students. I have learned the setting, time of day, general interest in the subject matter, and willingness to learn all impact the learning experience and the teaching technique and strategies that will be used. I believe it is with time, experience, application, and feedback from the students and faculty that my teaching strategies will be enhanced. Thank you all for your wonderful discussion on this topic!
Comment on Bethany Berkowitz's post:
This is something I’ve had to learn — and continue to refine — even two years into being a lead instructor. Engagement and trust-building truly make the difference in an online learning environment and can directly influence a student’s success. Why? Because it’s incredibly easy for students to disconnect and get pulled into distractions.
I’ve experienced this myself while taking this course. Messages from my boss, incoming texts, the dog moving around, and hearing my wife upstairs — all of it pulled my attention away and forced me to replay sections of the material. It was a real reminder of what our students face daily.
When students have genuine buy-in, they’re more likely to push through those distractions and stay engaged. I believe that consistent, early, and direct interaction with each student helps build that commitment. The distractions will always be there, but with the right level of connection and motivation, students are far more likely to stay focused and succeed.
I’ve realized that while I’m already taking several effective steps to support my students, there are still areas where I can grow to become even more effective. Currently, I make it a point to reach out to students before their start date with a welcome email and, when possible, a personal phone call. Throughout the course, I also provide breakout sessions where students can discuss topics or challenges they may not feel comfortable addressing in the main classroom setting.
Looking ahead, I’d like to place greater emphasis on discussion boards and team-oriented activities. Discussion boards can be an excellent way to engage students in course-related topics, while also creating space for lighthearted, fun interactions that build community and lasting memories. Incorporating more team-based tasks can also promote collaboration, help students build stronger connections with one another, and encourage a more open, supportive learning environment.
I have learnt the importance of establishing social environment for online learning
To improve motivational engagement in online classes, I would set clear goals, foster social interaction through discussion boards and group work, use interactive and multimedia content, and provide regular, personalized feedback. Students can boost their own motivation by establishing routines, setting personal goals, taking breaks, and rewarding their achievements.
I learned a lot regarding different strategies to keep online learners active and interest through motivational engagement. Very helpful module!
I learned the importance of maintaining students engage through diverse strategies that promote motivation and participation. also the importance of effective feedback !
Outreach is important for engagement, acknowledge the student's presence. We also need self-reflection on engagement utilization and it's individual effectiveness.
I learned that many of the things I use in my online classes is what was talked about in this module.
I learned that it is necesary to engage learners to retain their attention and that there are so many ways to achieve motivaitonal engagement , thru videos ,activities
I have only done online teaching and that was during COVID. I found it very hard to clinical teach online, but we had no choice so myself and my students made the most of it.
Comment on Jennifer Burr's post: I also use a lot of personal experience, the students are really engaged when you use real life examples. I have tons from the hospital I use to work at.
For my healthcare classes, I utilize a variety of visual aids and personal experiences.
It is important to self-reflect and determine areas being done well and opportunities to improve. There are many ways to engage learners online.
It is important to maintain active engagement with learns throughout online courses to promote interest and motivation of students.
From this topic I learned that engaging online learners requires more than just uploading content to an LMS. It involves interactive activities, social engagement, and motivational strategies that make students feel connected and supported. For example, discussion boards, shared wikis, and introductory activities can help build community, while content chunking and timely feedback keep students motivated and reduce procrastination
Student engagement is key to success.
Keeping everyone in the class engaged and making sure the content being discussed is relevant to the topic at hand.
