Keeping Students Engaged
As this module pointed out it it wise to keep students engaged in the classroom in the virtual world the same as the physical classroom for retention. I find that having a high presence in the classroom; being involved in discussions giving feedback on assignments and launching further questions all help the students to be more engaged. If I want students to be active then I need to model that behavior.
Jacob,
Thank you for sharing your insightful experience.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
In my experience making the material relevant in the live chat sessions is critical to maintaining student engagement. If the material is delivered flatly or in manner where the student cannot relate to it (or apply it to their particular environment) they are unlikely to absorb it and be interested. As such, the first and second live sessions can be critical to student engagement. If you lose them early on they are unlikely to return to the live sessions or (if they do) pay attention. Asking students about their experience and environment and then applying the material to those situations helps the students understand the material and allows them to get some context and relevancy.
Very good - As you indicate, the relevancy, presentation and scenario-based instruction are all three good tools for enhancing student engagement.
definately a plus point tecnique and in addition to that , picture presentation , case discussion , case scenarios can also be included in their learning process
I like your example of how you maintain a strong presence in the classroom and how you keep your discussions "alive" through praise and encouragement. However I do have a challenge with my class for this quarter regarding their weekly assignments. It appears that I have students that will not take advantage of the course resources. The resources that are available would aid the students in getting higher scores on their weekly assignments and on their exams. I put a lot of time and effort into grading the weekly assignments and including feedback. Since the student only has one opportunity to submit their assignment, I encourage them to ask questions before their submission, especially if they are having trouble with a particular concept or problem. Only a few take advantage. Any suggestions
It is a great teaching technique to use real world examples that the students might find themselves in where they information or skills you are teaching would be critical. I find that many times students don't understand why they are taking general education courses but by telling them how this information might be helpful in their work setting, they seem to be more interested.
That is a good idea and one that I hadn't considered. Is there a good place to online to do polls during a chat session?
I try to bring in an true to life example of what the topic is that I will be covering. This helps to show the students a real live scenario for why this is important or how this might be used. Using this kind of like a demo helps to keep them involved to a point, but having additional tool such as polls helps to keep them from doing other things while listening to the chats.
Great ideas Robert. Is there a specific example you can give us of a game you use during the live chats?
There are a number of methods that I use to keep students engaged in the online environment. I like to post attention-grabbing announcements on a regular basis to keep students informed of important dates and events. I also use polls and games during live chat sessions to keep the students engaged during online lectures.
Terrific suggestion Mark. That is a great way to get students engage and keep them engaged!
I keep students engaged by being very responsive and asking follow up questions to points they make in DB posts. This typically generates a strong string of discussions from other students!
Mark McMullen
I will have to check it out. Thanks Jennifer!
I signed up for a subscription to animationfactory.com and it has been great!
I really like the idea about the animation. Do you create them yourself or do you find them online?
I agree with this statement! If I expect students to be active in the classroom I need to lead by example. I maintain a strong presence on the discussion board as I see that as a great opportunity to create the feel of “live classroomâ€. I respond to student posts each day, asking questions and offering real world examples to further the discussions. I find that my interaction there sparks interaction among the students as well. Another technique I use is a personal email to students who are excellent contributors on the discussion boards. I send them an email with a “great job†animation and thank them for their contribution. They seem to really like that! I believe it is important for me to post an announcement each day (with assignment guidance, supplemental materials, chat agendas, reminders and recaps, etc). I use animation and visuals to get the attention of the students. I also make it a point to respond to emails in a timely manner (generally within a couple of hours). I cannot expect students to remain excited and engaged if I don’t demonstrate my own enthusiasm :)
You are so right Beth! We can set the example by communicating our excitement about the subject to our students and make them excited about what they are learning.
I completely agree. If we, as instructors, do not show our interest in and motivation to teach the course, why should we expect our students to show an interest in doing the work and completing the course? We must lead by example and show our students that we have not become jaded by our college degrees, but we still have the drive to continue learning in our field and help them to learn more as well.
Giving practical examples is a great way to engage the students. I would also recommend providing examples that relate directly to the occupation the students will be going into. This is especially helpful with general education courses or other courses students don't always see the direct correlation to their future occupation.
Every interaction with students helps them feel less alienated and more involved. Many of our students are extremely isolated from society!
