Traditional classroom environments (F2F) make it much easier to implement active learning. Online teaching requires much more planning in order to allow for the flow of instruction to include active learning strategies. When doing these active strategies online, it is important to note that our learners will do them in the following format: Reading, reflective writing, displaying, doing. I really loved the idea of students finding places and examples of things (the health class example with the defibrillators) and posting those in the course. Finally, I agree that rubrics are a teacher's best friend! Everyone is starting out on the same page in terms of the teacher's expectations and the student's responsibilities for the assignment or even for the entire course.
As instructors, we will need to try our best to make the learning environment fun. We also need to explain the "why" to students for completing various assignments to get buy-in from the. It is essential that you communicate with students frequently and consistently. If need tips on integrating technology into your classroom, it is suggested that you collaborate with the instructional designer. Finally, assessing students is very important, but them knowing the parameters of what you are assessing is even more important.
Incorporating multiple modalities in order for students to be able to access the informaiton will help keep students engaged. Getting them to be more accountable by providing rubrics will alleviate some of the instructor aggrevation.
Rubrics helps teacher's promote the consistant guidlines and applications of learning and it also helps students keep track of where their at in their growth.
Gloria, I found that engagement is very important for online learning. Making sure your are implementing learning activities either at the beginning of easch session as a review or at the end to see if the students did retain the material that had been presented, this can be via a discussion
Rubics can eliminate stress stress in assessment.
Active learning engagement must be promoted and encouraged. Some students need help coming out of their shell. Positive feedback on the students work is always helpful and lets them know that even though there is no F2F the instructor is paying attention.
Reply to Jane Brady's post: I had the same problem.....the students were just logging in using audio. I gave everyone extra credit if the logged in via video. After the first initial video loggin was complete it was never an issue again.
I have learned that there are may ways to add active learning to my classes. I need to give them mot information in the beginning and not just prior to the event or collection time.
I will be using the rubric method a whole lot more now. I think this is a lot better way to do an assessment on a student.
It also will help them to see what we are looking for.
The most important thing is to utilize all the tools available and incorporat it in the online course, it is time consuming at first but in the long run beneficialf or the student.
I have been learned there are several things to consider when incorporating active learning techniques for an online course. Provide active learning will be implemented in the course, use inspirational notes throughout the term, set high standards and expectations for the students from the beginning; provide targeted feedback; and explain how to use knowledge not just memorize it. I think feedback is extremely important for a learner, it not just grade assignments but help student understand the clean point and encourage them to think and recognize learning subject better.
There are many suggestions for tools that are useful for Reading, Reflective writing, Displaying, and Doing that I plan to incorporate for PBLs in my classes next school year. I also plan to include more rubrics in periodic surveys of weekly progress toward completion of those PBLs. Those things will help to enhance what I already am doing.
I've used rubrics for several years it helps elimate any reason for the student not to see what is being assessed for the assignment and is very beneficial to the active learning environment and CTE classroom.
Encouragement keep each student active has been very helpful in my classes. Students reviewing eachothers work is also very helpful in keeping the learning energy strong.
I use many Powerpoint presentations in my online courses; I now know that there is an app called "Brainshark" that can help me to create voiceover recording for my Powerpoint presentations.
My main takeaways from this section is that traditional teachers must be open to more active learning styles and utilization of different assessment methods. As always, the OJT method of "Prepare, Present, Try out, and Evaluate" is still valid today regardiless if you continue using the traditional teaching method or if you are transitioning to the Online or Hybrid methods. Students have to learn by doing whether that is in a classroom/lab or online however the effectiveness of which one is best, I believe, is yet to be determined for CTE and vocational trade fields. I am excited about trying hybrid methods of teaching and incorporating more student-centered learning strategies.
A recent forced transition has led me to teach online. In my field- more is F2F online and students tend to hide behind a picture of themselves rather than engage. Inerestingly after one student took it down the rest followed and now we are all engaging.
Seth Soronnadi
I like this point "Highlight All good teaching involves assessment. This includes courses using active learning techniques. Rubrics can assist instructors in adequately grading students’ learning in this academic environment and assist students in understanding the expectations."
I learned that rubrics can help alleviate assessment stress.
I have learned the rubric is so helpful for the student they can visualize what they need to incorperate and what is expected. The instructor can concentrate on activve learning.
