According to a report published in the MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, instructor-generated video can have a positive influence on student satisfaction with, and engagement in, online courses. But not all videos are created equal.
Research conducted by the American Academy of Neurology also reveals that “watching videos helps boost brain plasticity,” or the ability of the brain to undergo physical changes at any age. Learners who were trained to perform a particular task through videos performed better than those who learned through images and text, the researchers found—and they concluded that video has a “higher impact on the brain.”
Learn 8 high-impact strategies here.
Category Archives: Student Engagement
5 Ways Younger Students Can Be Successful in Online Programs
Discover 5 ways younger students (ages 18-24) can be more successful in taking online courses. Learn ideas about geographic access to student support needs.
Read full article here.
Rubrics for Assignments in Online Courses
An important aspect of an online course is grading assignments and providing feedback. This is especially true in an asynchronous course where there is no real-time interaction between the instructors and students. Once a student completes a learning activity, the instructor teaches via the grading of the assignment and provides clear and helpful feedback to the student.
Read full article here.
Link: 7 Trends That Will Revolutionize Online Learning
The idea that online learning could actually be better than face-to-face instruction has gained credence in recent years as new technology solutions promise to make the educational experience more personalized and engaging. Has that time finally arrived? Here, eCampus News looks at seven trends that have the potential to remake the world of online learning.
Read full article here.
Infographic: Student Mobile Workspaces
A visual overview of student reliance on mobile devices versus institutional and faculty priorities for learning.
94% of higher education leaders agree that students should have access to applications and data anywhere, on any device, but 55% said their institution does not provide this level of access to students today.
[embeddoc url=”https://blogs.uoregon.edu/edtechknowledge/files/2015/11/CitrixStudentMobileWorkspacesInfographic-17vcaz8.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]
Link: 7 Things You should Know About Video Communication
Educause (2013)
Live video communication is becoming a staple in educational venues, where instructors employ it for office hours, online courses, presentations by special lecturers, just-in-time learning, or coordination with researchers in the field. It can offer a convenient venue for faculty meetings, staff liaising, and project planning when not all parties are on-site.
Read the full article here.
Letter to the Editor: Online Learning Success Depends on Student Effort
“Online learning is not for everyone — not for all students nor all faculty. It takes the ability to motivate oneself and the expectation of doing work on your own. Some researchers have identified a trait they call “learning presence,” which is a combination of self-efficacy and self-regulation, and found that it is needed for students to succeed in online classes.
Students need to begin an online class with the expectation of doing at least the same amount of work as they would in a face-to-face course. The standard is that students should spend two to three hours per week outside class for every hour in a class. So for a three-credit hour course, students should be spending nine to 12 hours per week in total. The same standard is used for online classes; even though there typically is no “class time,” students should expect to spend approximately 10 hours each week on the class in a regular term.”
Read the full article here.
Discover the Weekly Number of Hours Online Students Study
Instructors and students new to online learning often wonder about the optimal weekly number of hours needed to succeed in the course. This article reveals guidelines set forth by Arizona State University.
Read full article here.
Link: The Market is Sending a Message About Modalities; Are We Listening?
Online education did not develop with the intention to replace traditional education; it is a modality in response to a market need. It should be supported with infrastructure that suits the medium and the learners, which often differ from place- or “building-based” learners.
The market is pushing education to offer alternative modalities. Are we strategically planning on delivering high-quality products with exceptional service infrastructures, or are we forcing the proverbial square peg in the round hole running online options with building-based services?
Link: College Reinvents “Shop” Class for the Digital Era
This fall the University of Illinois will open a space for collaborative repair of consumer technologies called the “Illini Gadget Garage.” Students and faculty who bring in broken devices will work alongside Gadget Garage staff to repair them, ideally learning a set of transferrable skills. This effort is part of a sustainability initiative that includes a focus on extending the life of consumer electronics.
Bethke, Ron. “College Reinvents ‘Shop’ Class for the Digital Era.” eCampus News, October 13, 2015.
Also see the University’s article on the Illini Gadget Garage.