Voices in the Feminine - Digital Delights

"Converting an existing classroom course to an online format can be a tricky, time-consuming undertaking. The easy way out — simply moving the content and lecture portions to an electronic means of delivery — is what leads to e“Learning” at its worst: slide after slide of bulleted information and loss of engaging activities and the contributions of individual instructors.

What’s a better way to go? Look for ways to capture the richness that a good instructor brings to the classroom, such as responsiveness, a sense of humor, interesting stories and examples, and immediate feedback. Also, when considering moving a classroom course online, approach it not just as converting one form to another, but as an opportunity to improve the existing product. This is a chance to leverage technology for what it can do."

Abstract

The concept of student engagement has become somewhat of an enigma for educators and researchers, with ongoing discussions about its nature and complexity, and criticism about the depth and breadth of theorising and operationalisation within empirical research. This equally applies to research conducted in the field of educational technology and its application in schools and higher education. Recognising the inherent role that technology now plays in education, and the potential it has to engage students, this paper draws on a range of student engagement literature and conceptualises a provisional bioecological framework of student engagement that explicitly includes technology as one influential factor. This paper first proposes a definition of student engagement and provides an exploration of positive student engagement indicators. It then presents a bioecological framework, and the microsystemic facets of technology, teacher and curriculum are further explored in their relation to fostering student engagement. Based on this framework, implications for further theory-based research into student engagement and its relation to educational technology are discussed and recommendations for educators are given.

Abstract

Managing one’s time and setting boundaries while teaching online are essential for continued job satisfaction and effective teaching. Online teaching offers attractive flexibility, but instructors report high teaching workloads, feeling isolated, high stress levels, and a poor work-life balance. By utilizing assumptions about online learners set out in andragogy theory, the practical application of the Community of Inquiry Framework, and considering work-life balance theories, the online instructor can effectively set boundaries that support their own work and simultaneously focus on students’ success. We propose that instructors can define their work and set boundaries on the online classroom by prioritizing engagement, developing assets to help students guide themselves, managing time, and using efficiency strategies. In this practitioner-focused article, we identify common barriers to effective time and task management in online education and, based on both research and practice, we provide additional tips, tools, and strategies for preparing online courses, teaching them, and grading student assignments—all intended to assist online educators in their pursuit of work-life balance.

A “good course” is one which meets the following five criteria:

1. Challenges learners to higher-level learning

All courses require some “lower-level” learning, i.e., comprehending and remembering basic information and concepts. But many courses never get beyond this. Examples of “higher-level” learning include problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, and creative thinking.

2. Uses active forms of learning

Some learning will be “passive,” i.e., reading and listening. But higher-level learning, almost by definition, requires active learning. One learns to solve problems by solving problems; one learns to think critically by thinking critically; etc.

3. Gives frequent and immediate feedback to students on the quality of their learning

Higher-level learning and active learning require frequent and immediate feedback for learners to know whether they are “doing it” correctly.

4. Uses a structured sequence of different learning activities

Any course needs a variety of experiences to support different kinds of learning goals. But these various learning activities also need to be structured in a sequence such that earlier experiences lay the foundation for complex and higher-level learning tasks in later experiences.

5. Has a fair system for assessing learning

Even when students feel they are learning something significant, they are unhappy if their assessments do not reflect this. Take care that quizzes and similar items are fair, are soundly constructed, don’t include “gotcha” questions, etc.