How's it Done?
The core of active learning or student engagement is interaction, getting students to move beyond the passive intake of content and into an active development of knowledge. The following is a few different examples of interactions broken up by interaction type.
Student & Faculty Interaction
A few examples of student↔faculty interaction include
- providing feedback on assignments
- participating in discussion forums or chats
- sending frequent announcements
- providing online office hours
- reaching out when students are struggling
- delivering current and relevant content that's aligned with the course's learning outcomes
Student & Student Interaction
Interaction between students can include course-related collaboration and interaction as well as more informal social interaction, which can increase students' comfort with each other and with the online environment. Student↔student interaction activities include
- group projects and presentations
- class discussions
- group case studies
- peer instruction
- peer review assignments
- synchronous meet ups
- collaborative brainstorming
For resources and tips for successful implementation, check out our module on Strategies for Successful Online Group Work.
Student & Content Interaction
Student↔content interaction includes students' concrete interactions with the course materials. It includes but is not limited to
- interactive textbook/publisher activities
- embedded quizzes with feedback
- reflection activities based on reading/lectures
- simulations