Active Learning Ideas

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Active Learning Ideas

• WebCT

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Level 1 Web supported / Web-presence

• Web supported (Web-presence) courses are courses
  where basic materials about the course and / or
  instructor are placed on a web site to provide
  ease of access to course information.

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Level 1 Web supported / Web-presence (Examples)

• Online Course MaterialsMaterials/Handouts/Grades
  
• Course materials/handouts and grades can be
  accessed from the web. Examples include
• Course syllabus
• Instructor Information
• Course handouts
• Grades
• On-Ground Activities
• All course activities, discussions, tests, etc.
  occur in the on-ground course (face-to-face).

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Level 1 Web supported / Web presence
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Level 2 Web-enhanced courses

• Web-enhanced courses follow a traditional
  curricular design but incorporate various online
  activities to enhance learning and support class
  management and delivery.

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Level 2 Online Course Activities

• Email or Discussion Board
• Email or the Discussion Board is used for
  communication and possibly handing in short
  assignments.

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Level 2 Email Example

• Prior to class time students
• send an email to the instructor (or post to the
  discussion board) their pre-class writing
  assignments, a short paper.
• The instructor responds to these messages or
  postings in class.
• No online interaction is involved.

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Level 2 Email Example

• Students would
• Describe in their own words some idea from the
  reading
• Give personal examples and state their
  prospective on the topic
• State the part of the assignment they had the
  most difficulty understanding (their muddiest
  moment)

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Level 2 Email Example

• Benefits for Students
• Informs the student what the professor finds
  important
• Insures that students are prepared for class.
• Helps students to master the material at a deeper
  level.
• Putting ideas into their own words transfers the
  information they have read into long term memory.
• Students construct knowledge when they create
  their own examples
• Benefits for Instructors
• Instructor scans documents before class and so
  has a better idea of what students understand

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Level 2 Web-enhanced courses
OnlineActivities
On Ground Activities
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Level 3 Hybrid / Blended / Web Centric courses

• Courses in which a significant portion of the
  learning activities have been moved online,
• Time traditionally spent in the classroom is
  reduced but not eliminated
• A deliberate curricular design that includes the
  blending of the best pedagogy of in-person
  instruction with the best pedagogy of
  technology-enriched online experiences to meet
  course learning objectives
• Creates an educational atmosphere that promotes
  active learning.

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Level 3 Hybrid / Blended / Web Centric courses
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Level 4 Web-based / Full web courses

• The majority of class interaction and management
  takes place in the online environment
• May include synchronous and/or asynchronous
  learning activities
• May require proctored exams and may include
  opportunities for face-to-face orientations, but
  there are no physical class attendance
  requirements.

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Level 4 Web-based / Full web courses
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Level 4 Creating Learning Modules

• Learning modules are usually designed around
  teaching a particular concept. Check out some
  of the learning modules (objects) posted on the
  MERLOT web site, http//www.merlot.org.

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Level 4 Content Module Settings

• A content module may be set to become available
• After a certain date
• When a student completes a certain quiz
• When a student completes a certain quiz and earns
  a grade greater than a specific percentage.
• When a student uploads an assignment to an
  assignment drop box.
• To only a specific student(s)

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Level 4 Creating Learning Modules

• A link to file that introduces the topic.
  (PowerPoint presentation with audio narration
  converted using Impatica or a video)
• A link to a web page containing a text
  transcription of the presentation or video.

• A link to a file containing a reading, or a
  reference to a reading, that provides more
  in-depth information about the topic.
• A link to the glossary tool
• A link to a image database

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Level 4 Creating Learning Modules

• A link to a web address outside of the course
• A link to CD ROM content
• A link to any type of file. (Students may need
  additional software or plug-ins to view or
  manipulate the file.)

• A link to a file that contains assignment
  directions.
• A link to the Assignment Tool
• A link to the Quiz Tool

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Assignment 1

• Identify the level of online-ness you want to
  create for each of your courses
• Request course shells - http//www.mtsu.edu/webct
  support
• Browse through WebCT Support web site
• Make sure that you read the information found
  through the link, Maintenance/Backups.
• Make an appointment with Faculty Instructional
  Technology Center, staff or take Intro WebCT
  course

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Active Learning Categories and Associated Tools

• Communication/Collaboration
• Email
• Discussion
• Student Presentation Tool
• Student Homepages

Communication/Collaboration (Email, Discussion,
Student Presentation Tool, Student Homepages)
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Active Learning Categories and Associated Tools

• Rote-Learning
• Self Tests Quizzes that are not graded and can
  be taken multiple times
• Respondus
• StudyMate Modules
• Quandary

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Active Learning Categories and Associated Tools

• Simulation
• Impaticized PowerPoint or PowerPoint presentation
  in original form
• Flash Animation
• Video

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Active Learning Categories and Associated Tools

• Presentation of New Topics
• Readings
• Online audio enhanced presentations
• Impaticized PowerPoint presentations
• Video presentations

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Active Learning Categories and Associated Tools

• Gaming/Role Playing
• Text based
• discussion board
• Flash-based
• Many other programmed tools

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Active Learning Categories and Associated Tools

• Student Evaluation
• Quiz Tool
• Assignment Tool
• Student Presentation Tool
• Discussion board postings and associated rubric

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Assignment 2

• Create
• A detailed plan for one of course at the level of
  online-ness that you specified in assignment 1.
  
• A general plan for taking that same course to the
  next level of online-ness.
• Share this plan with an, Instructional Technology
  Specialists.
• Share your plan with another faculty member who
  teaches the same subject as you or a faculty
  member who you feel comfortable sharing with.

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Evaluating Student Learning Projects

• Assign projects that require students to utilize
  and synthesize concepts they have learned in
  other course activities.
• turn in these projects through the assignment
  drop box or by uploading them to a public or
  private student presentation area in WebCT.
  http//www.mtsu.edu/webctsupport/students/stu_tips
  _presentation.htm
• Individual Student Projects
• Group Projects

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Evaluating Student LearningQuizzes

• Question types
• multiple choice, matching, short answer, and
  paragraph. Multiple choice, matching, and short
  answer
• Link to images with missing labels.
• Students type in multiple short answers each
  worth a portion of the total question value.
• Link to audio files.
• Students listen to the audio file and answer
  questions..
• Site license For Respondus and StudyMate

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Evaluating Student LearningGrading Discussion
Postings

• Develop a grading rubric that
• Encourages class discussion
• Makes the composition of postings pleasant and
  informative
• Is not overwhelming for the instructor to use
  when it becomes time to grade

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Assignment 3

• Create assignments and assessments for your
  course. Create at least one quiz, one discussion
  board grading rubric, and one student project.

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Disabilities / Accessibility

• After storyboarding Learning Module activities
  revaluate them to make sure all activities are
  accessible to students with disabilities.
• Develop pages that are accessible to "all" users
  who may want to access them. http//www.mtsu.edu/
  sdennis/accessibility/index.htm

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Assignment 4

• Evaluate each of your course activities for
  accessibility issues. Make a plan for resolving
  these issues.
• Read through each of the handout appendices
• Download and install MTSU eLearning site license
  software and install on you computer. (PC users
  only.)