There are many barriers to teaching with active learning strategies online, but as long as you are aware of them, they can be overcome.
Will be able to apply knowledge learned in losing control when in fact students need to apply their knowledge as they participate in the classroom
Limitations and misconceptions seem to be the pillar of the educational community these days. My classes are on ground with an online component and keeping the student active is always a struggle for both portions. I have had students in class wanting me to lecture (talk at them) for hours but when you ask them questions they can't even tell me what I just said. My course is mostly critical thinking and when they sit for any quiz or exams the questions are not directly from the lecture but they have to critically think in order to answer. I am a content expert so story telling, case studies and games like jeopardy are a few things I do to keep them engaged. These strategies forces the student to be accountable in their learning process. I have also found that being direct and letting the students know what the expectations are for the course from the start I find keeps them on tract.
I agree that students need active learning to achieve learning. The difficulty is that many of today’s students are looking to “get the degree/diploma they paid for” while not necessarily wanting to learn all they can. Many are there for the minimum so they can have a degree, often not in what they want to do. Herein lies the difficulty with online activities. Students appreciate the easy access but want the easy”A”. So to bridge this gap, we really need to drill down the “what’s in it for me” for the student and the expectations. Use technology well and make sure students are held accountable to the expectations. Make students want to come to class!
In this section I learned various active learning techniques for example, an instructor can make a short video as a case study for a particular problem or issue.
I enjoyed reading the section about "Self-actualization, based on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,." This is defined as "'fulfilling one’s individual potential' or giving the “'individual a desire or motivation to achieve budding ambitions.'" In my classes, I want to help students reach their potential. When we explain why we use active-learning strategies and what is in it for the students, we will likely get buy-in and see successful outcomes.
Incorporating active learning activities into an online classroom can give the students the opportunity to build upon what they know. As an instructor, I will try and incorporate active learning to support what they have learned online. In addition, as an instructor, I must reiterate to the students the importance of being responsible and accountable for their own learning.
Limitations for active learning need to be revisited by accrediting agencies. Many schools would probably be open to adjusted hours or alternative educational assessments, but they are hampered by accreditation requirements. Also, educators already spend their own money to facilitate their classes, so it can be hard to utilize some engagement activities when the resources are not being provided.
There are definitely misconceptions about how difficult it is to teach online content, and I do agree that often those instructors who teach online only do not get the same level of recognition from institutions as face-to-face instructors get. I find it much more time-consuming to prepare for online instruction than it is for an in-person session. Instructors who successfully convert their content into active online lessons need to be recognized, and it would be great if these instructors were asked to share their experiences with all faculty, as more and more of the student experience is moved online.
To utilize different methods of keeping the students engaged in the online environment. Also technology issues can be a problem so always have a back-up plan for technical difficulties.
Technology plays a big role into motivating students to learn. It engages to students more, makes them want to be in class, especially the new generation, they are all about tech. Its a new way of teaching
I love the idea of self-reflection and would love to incorporate this into my online learning class. This will really give online students the opportunity to think about what they learned and how they can apply what they learned.
There could be some pushback when incorporating active learning into your teaching. Setting expectations early and revisiting them may help with the adjustment to this new style of learning.
Breaking the lecture into 15 minute segment, then having the class identify the highlights of the segment would be a good way to see if they identify the key topics. Perhaps a short video case-study that covers the relevant material would be good. I worry about the time aspect; I could see classes extending beyond the class end time and this might frustrate students.
Comment on Samuel Beaumont's post: Insightful entry. Getting students to redefine their approach to course work seems to be a crucial component as an instructor in the active learning model.
I would like to use role play in my classes. Another thought, divide the class into teams and race to write on the board things/concepts they learned from the last classtime. This will engage the student and they will be able to critically think about the concepts taught.
Comment on Samuel Beaumont's post:
Agreed. It is up to the instructor to relay what the expectations are for their students. This may be the first time the students are taught how to critically think and problem solve. This will set the tone for the students college career and they will have these skills to build upon.
I believe in the importance of active learning; however, I have always thought it depends on the subject matter and end goal. Although it takes extra time to prepare for active learning on the instructor's part, it is worth it when I'm teaching my Ethics course.
I have more fear trying to make it work for my more scientific courses in our accelerated program. My students take boards at the end of our program where part of their score comes from factual, rote information. The other half is filled with case studies and critical thinking where active learning has benefited.
I have implemented Jeopardy, Scavenger Hunts, Videos, etc., but at the end of the day there is large part of information that simply has had to be memorized. This is what I struggle with.
I think lecturing has worse limitations than active learning. Students may think they want lectures, but this forces them to also do much of the learning at home. In the active learning environment students may feel some reservations, but it helps them to find out what they don't know they don't know. Sometimes, that can be a little frustrating to be staring at something one does not know the answer to, but I feel this is much better to experience with community. This is instead of being stuck at home, alone, frustrated. As a facilitator, I feel that is one of my main jobs: to help students deal with frustrating time before the material "clicks." I always try to encourage them to keep working till it "clicks."
course flexibility is important to the students.
