Rubrics make expectations and completion of the assignment very clear for students.
Engagement is the key to success in the active learning environment. I will be looking to use more group activities in the classroom which cause the students to do research as a group, develop a presentation, deliver the presentation, and have another group provide feedback.
The section reviewing low risk engagement strategies was the most helpful. I have spent some time thinking about ways to use these strategies in my course this year. First, I want to make sure I relate the content to students' lives. I want to ensure the student sees some relevance to "real life" in what they are learning. I also want to ensure I share examples of good work to model and aspire to. This was always very helpful to me when I was a student. Lastly, I plan to give targeted and personal feedback on assignments. This will not only help the student learn but will also cultivate the personal relationship that helps students learn and grow.
I definitely think I would be a better instructor if I communicated more frequently with my students throughout the week.
There are different types of strategies for engaging a learner such as reversed instruction, periodic pausing, flipped-classroom, and using mobile technology. The last three are elements I am more comfortable in developing courses around to help facilitate engaging learners.
Active learning also helps widen their perspectives by bouncing off one another's opinions as they work in groups.
Choose 2-3 active learning activities to use in a class. I love to teach students who are prepared for class and ready to discuss points of leaning vs. be lectured. Giving student opportunities speak and present to other students items they have learned increase understanding and application in real world scineros.
I already give personalized and encouraging feedback as I believe in specific kinds of feedback. Since I grade English assignments, when I receive a paper, I make sure the student knows what they did well. If something is incorrect or has issues, I always word it as though the paper needs to be addressed. Pulling the negativity away from the student themselves to focus on their work makes them less likely to feel targeted or rejected by feedback when it's really there to help them improve!
This section provided a lot of good ideas for incorporating active learning into the classroom. I specifically liked the cartoon/comic strip/storytelling idea.
Using rubrics for assessment is a great tool to save time and help me be sure I'm covering everything the student should receive feedback about to achieve course objectives.
In active learning, it is important that we communicate early and often the demands of the students. Many of our students have not yet had experience working in situations that require prolonged and consistent excellence. It is our responsibility to create momentum within them
I really like the Checklist to Critique Your Group Project and plan to use it to help guide students when they develop projects collaboratively.
Comment on James Dowdalls's post: I would love to know more about this, James.
Quick feedback is something that I always try to do. I also answer emails and texts quickly. It is good for online students to know that the instructor is there for them and cares.
Rubrics are essential and teaching should be student centered.
With my experience at online education, I have very rarely proposed group activities. This lesson helped show the importance of using group activities and has pushed me into considering to do it more often.
Hello:
More and more institutions are discarding the traditional teaching-learning process, in which a teacher gives instructions to a group of students, while they respond passively.
Currently, it is considered that students should be active elements and co-creators of their own academic process, and the role of teachers should evolve from directing to guiding and facilitating.
It has been proven that meaningful learning is best consolidated thanks to experiences that give rise to collaboration, communication and teamwork.
I appreciate the idea of student-centered learning, and using technology and understanding our capacity within those confines allows us to be more creative than ever before.
I am provided with a basic overview of the background and history of the popular instructional method called active learning. Active learning it calls for a change of attitude on the part of students and the instructor in order to be successful. This method differs from traditional educational methods such as the lecture model. Active learning has a definite place in education especially in the online learning environments. It is used to support teaching outcomes like critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills and knowledge acquisition that all instructors wish for their students. But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages as it can make students enthusiastic about learning.
Online instructors should incorporate three to five active learning strategies into their courses, aligning them with the learning objectives to create a natural and seamless learning experience for students. They should also proactively engage students, maintaining instructor presence to increase motivation. Additionally, instructors should communicate periodically with students, provide incremental deadlines, and explore "reverse instruction" and the "flipped classroom" to enhance active learning in online education, using students' familiarity with mobile technology for a more engaging experience.
