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Online Learning | Feature 6 Ways to Be a Better Online Teacher --- check out #3 for a creative 'active-learning' activity that has students tweeting as various characters as they read texts from the Crusades.

Folks who study student retention and success in community colleges are well-acquainted with the concept of "high-impact practices." They're a set of measures that have been shown through empirical research to make positive differences in student outcomes. The list of high-impact practices usually includes learning communities, service learning, writing-intensive courses, undergraduate research, internships, and capstone courses, among others.

+ useful bibliography in one of the comments

Many ideas for incorporating active learning into on-campus and online classes.

Abstract: The growth of online learning within education has corresponded to an increase in use of asynchronous discussion. Asynchronous discussion is a form of interaction that is mediated rather than directed, and is characterized by a time lag in the interactions between discussants. In this paper we conducted a brief narrative review of the literature on asynchronous discussion. We argue, initially, that discussion is necessary, but not sufficient, for successful pedagogic outcomes-especially in the case of online learning. We identified areas of agreement within the literature on what can be considered the key factors for successful asynchronous discussion.

Interesting blog post about how VR is being used in nursing education - having students experience the world from the patient perspective. Curious how this approach might be used in courses that we're developing - public health, etc?

"Specifically, students who reported being highly engaged connected ideas from other courses, changed their understanding of a topic or concept, found connections between their learning and societal problems, and had fun. . . . "What students in online classes seek is connection--to oneself, to others, and/or to course material."

"Teaching positively means that we intentionally consider how we can enhance learning environments, while at the same time increase the ways learners can be successful. Teaching positively aims to not only motivate learners but rather emphasizes how to increase their personal ability to achieve the course learning outcomes."

In the WCET Frontiers blog, Dr. Katie Linder summarizes findings of the Ecampus Research Unit's collaborative national study with 3Play Media.

"Rethinking the variety of voices and formats will not only be better for engagement, but also for learning. Rather than presenting information in scripted bullet points like an old-fashioned e-learning module, we should experiment with formats like debates, conversations, open-ended inquiry and stories in online courses. This will require students to extrapolate key points, synthesize what they've heard, and sometimes leave with more questions than clear take-aways."

"To humanize online teaching is to create a situation where strangers can meet by the campfire, discuss what is important to them, and depart with the sense of connection, despite the darkness, and a feeling of community. It is that feeling of authenticity."

Article about a study of online class sizes: The bottom line is that larger class sizes are ok for courses with CLOs on the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy, and smaller (s.

"A student survey instrument was created that captures student perceptions of the instructional characteristics of their course, their learning, and their satisfaction with the course. The data collected from the student survey was merged with data from institutional student information systems (e.g., demographics and course grade)."