Tips for Engaging Students Online

Most teachers have apprehensions about online learning, particularly its supposed lack of interaction and rigor, the time commitment needed for it, and the need for the instructor to be tech-savvy.  An instructional designer from Chicago helped some of our Ateneo faculty dispel these misconceptions about online learning.

Kate Daniels, an instructional designer and education consultant who has worked with DePaul University and the Loyola University of Chicago, offered some important and refreshing insights about engaging students in online courses.

For the seminar, Daniels drew from both theoretical knowledge and her own practical knowledge from having developed numerous online courses.  The seminar, organized by the Ateneo SALT Institute, focused on the principles of good instructional design for online courses and valuable practical tips and tools.

Here are some broad tips that teachers can use when doing an online course:

1. Aim for “High Structure, High Dialogue.”
   Some online courses fail because they do not provide enough structure for the content  and interaction with instructor and other students. Daniels quotes Michael Moore: “[Successful online teaching] provides the appropriate opportunity for, and quality of, dialogue between teacher and learner, as well as appropriately structured learning materials.” Online courses should not only be a repository of videos, lectures, and readings. It must also foster a community and the instructor must make his or her presence and expertise felt.
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2. Create a predictable rhythm for students.
   Whenever working with students online, it would be ideal to level expectations from the very start. It is particularly important to provide structure to the time students devote to their online course. It might be possible for teachers to post a discussion question on a reading on Monday, give students time to read until Wednesday, and have students answer the discussion prompt on Thursday.  Such rhythm can help students keep pace with each other.
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3. Chunk content.
   We all now have shorter attention spans, and it’s important for content to be chunked in bite-size pieces. A teacher might provide a short reading on one page and then transition to a quick video on the next page. It also helps to have knowledge checks or activities during different points of the course.
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4. Make use of free tools.
   With a little resourcefulness and creativity, an online learning designer can find a lot of free tools that one can use for online courses. You can create a video with just a computer and a voice recorder on hand. Teachers can also use discussion boards found on learning management platforms, digital flash cards with Tinycards, Quizlet, and StudyBlue, synchronous meeting rooms with Google Hangouts or Zoom, or polling tools like Poll Everywhere and Mentimeter.

   

Despite an abundance of such online resources, Daniels emphasizes that there is no silver bullet to address all concerns. However, Kate does encourage making the most of tools that are already so readily available.

Among the participants were faculty members from the Loyola Schools’ Education Department, Theology Department, Chemistry Department,  the JGSOM School of Business, as well as from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health.  Representatives from the Pathways to Higher Education were also in attendance. It was held at Rizal Library’s CTC 101.