Engaging Higher Education Students Online with Active Learning
Sometimes in keynotes I give, there’s literally nothing that isn’t available for free somewhere on the internet. This may not be the most popular statement to please the public, but it is simply the reality today.Dated video lectures and assigned reading materials are not enough to attract students.
Therefore, it is important to include an element of active learning in my online courses, and I try to do this in every class I teach. For example, let’s say I’m teaching a lesson on search engine optimization. Instead of just reading about SEO, I want them to actually practice SEO techniques with dummy online content such as landing pages, blog posts, videos, and podcasts. I want you to not only explain what a great Google ad is, but use a simulation to walk you through the entire process of creating an ad, bidding on keywords, and predicting your campaign’s return on investment.
Metaverse AI and generative AI are useful tools for active learning. Students are recognizing the growing role of artificial intelligence in many industries and are increasingly demanding learning experiences that integrate AI in some way. Integrating AI tools greatly increases the attractiveness of the program. Speaking of AI, another benefit of prioritizing this kind of active learning is avoiding the argument that students use AI to cheat on written assignments.
Digging deeper: How can generative AI be used in higher education?
Keep subjects current to keep students engaged
In some subjects, such as mathematics, art history, and philosophy, the basics and foundations remain largely the same from year to year. Meanwhile, other areas popular with students such as business, marketing, communications, and healthcare are constantly changing. Therefore, what should be taught is constantly changing. Creating online course content and using it year after year is not enough. You need to continually update and create new content that reflects what is happening in your workplace.
Fortunately, there is a way to avoid having to change the core content of your course every year. I can continue to do a series of major lectures that only add updated supplements while taking other measures to keep up with the latest news. Every week we send a curated list of links to news and updates. I read and watch all the time so I can stay on top of what’s going on in my field.
As an alternative or addition to this weekly list, you can create a short YouTube video each week summarizing the latest developments your students should be aware of. These do not need to have a high production value, as they are not intended to replace the main lectures, but merely supplement them with new and up-to-date information.
read more: Learn how to create a sense of community with hybrid learning.
Build community and personal relationships with students
Community and relationships form very easily and naturally in the physical classroom, but we all know that replicating that is a major challenge for online learning. It became clear that careful and sustained effort was required to build a sense of
Among the tools we use to foster community in each class is our Slack workspace. Each workspace has different channels, such as discussion questions, polls, and information about careers and internships. A workspace is not required. No relevant points, about a third of my students don’t use their workspace at all. But for those who want that sense of community, the space is there.
