Integrating Interactivity into Online Courses

1
Integrating Interactivity into Online Courses

• by
• Diana ZilbermanAugust 21 FOTTC

2
Integrating Interactivity into Online Courses

• I Rationale - why we should do it
• II Strategies - how to do it
• III Faculty Training - how to encourage
  implementation

3
Integrating Interactivity into Online Courses
Part I Rationale

• What is the pedagogical value of
• interactivity?
• Interactivity in conventional classrooms
• versus interactivity online

4
Part I Rationale Why Interactivity?

• interactivity in the learning process
  adheres to the constructivist cognitive
  theory by which learners create their own
  knowledge

5
Part I Rationale Interactivity appeals to all
learning styles because of its emphasis on
learning by doing.

• visual, aural, or kinesthetic
• sequential or simultaneous (multi- task)
• concrete or abstract preferential

6
Part I Rationale Strengths of the conventional
classroom (although its teacher-centered)

• high level of teacher-student interaction
• high level of student-student interaction
• ideal at demonstrating and teaching concepts
  and application
• real time feedback
  (Niedrauer, 1998)

7
Part I Rationale Possible drawback of the
online course (although its student-centered)

• minimal student-student interaction
• timeliness of feedback
• difficulty in teaching concepts and
  application(Niedrauer, 1998)

8
Challenges for online courses
introducing more interaction

• student to student
• student to instructor
• student to content

9
More challenges

• bringing the benefits of the conventional
  classroom into the distance education setting
• drawing on technology to bring innovative ways to
  promote interaction
• encouraging the traditional instructor to make
  the transition from an instructor-centered to a
  student-centered setting

10
II Strategies How to include student to
student interaction

• post student pictures, short biographies, and
  favorite web sites
• make first assignment meet your fellow students
  
• for example, each student to e-mail to two others
  in the class and a cc to instructor (no
  instructor reply necessary just inventory)

11
II Strategies How to include student to student
interaction

• threaded discussion
• ask provocative, open-ended questions
• encourage/make mandatory student to student
  responses
• respond fast and enthusiastically to first
  postings
• invite your school administrators to participate
  in discussions

12
II Strategies How to include student to student
interaction

• chats
• work great for brain storming sessions
• good to initiate group projects
• exciting
• informal

13
II Strategies How to include student to student
interaction

• peer review
• require two or more student feedback on
  assignments/projects
• encourage/require subsequent revisions
• group projects

14
II Strategies How to include student to content
interaction

• encourage web-based research
• require students to check websites reliability
• encourage students to share website discoveries

15
II Strategies How to include student to
content interaction continued
16
Whats in it for me?

• encourage student input regarding content of
  assignments and projects
• benefits
• makes course more relevant
• allows students to integrate life experiences
  into the course
• motivates students to be more invested

17
II Strategies How to include student to content
interaction

• encourage student input regarding format
  of assignments and projects
• allows students to showcase special talents
• encourages creativity

18
II Strategies How to include student to content
interaction

• allow/encourage students to self-assess their
  learning and/or work

19
II Strategies How to include student to
instructor interaction
20

• include instructor picture and about me
  information keep it updated
• make first assignment easy
• respond to technical questions
• include controversial statements to trigger
  students reaction

21
III Faculty Training - how to encourage
implementation of interactivity in online
courses

• ask faculty these questions
• can the interactivity of my conventional class be
  applied to the online course?
• what kind of interactive exercise is possible
  only on the online course?

22
Conclusion

• interactivity is a sine qua non condition of the
  online course
• it is central to online courses
• the online course should not be a mere
  information delivery tool
• interactivity mut be built in the course design

23
Web-based distance learning is evolving its own
pedagogy.

• pedagogy is unique to the
• technology
• faculty are still learning about and
  experimenting with ways to facilitate
  interactivity in online courses

24
The End...

• And remember, a student-centered course means
  that the instructor is not
• Cognitus Magnificus,
• but
• Ducere Mentorus Maximus
• (adapted from www.learnscope)