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engagement strategies

Facilitating Online Social Presence

Introduction

Students report greater satisfaction in online courses where they perceive instructors to be active and engaged—that is, “socially present.” In the absence of their physical presence, online educators must establish a strong virtual presence with students to foster and sustain connectedness for the duration of a course. These connections are key to building a strong community of learning, which is a motivating factor for all learners. Read on for three straightforward strategies you can use in your online classroom to ramp up your social presence and foster connection with your students.

Create a Social Presence Plan

Developing an online course takes plenty of time and a great deal of planning. Once your curriculum is developed, your learning materials are chosen and vetted, and your class is constructed and published online, you might think your work is done. Good news: much of it is! To ensure all your efforts pay off when it’s “go time,” don’t forget to create a social presence plan that maps out how you will build, foster, and sustain meaningful and consistent engagement for the duration of your course. This plan might include strategies for items such as:

  • Posting Announcements: How often will you post? What type of information will you share? How will you share this information (written, audio, video)? What announcement content can you create ahead of time so it can be repurposed each term?
  • Giving Feedback: What level of feedback will you offer your students? Which assignments will you target for customized feedback? How will you deliver this feedback (written, audio, video)?
  • Participating in Discussions: When will you enter the conversation? As the subject-matter expert, how can you further a discussion without smothering it? How will you encourage more participation from group members? How will you intercede if group members get off track?
  • Holding Synchronous Office Hours: How will you structure office hours to encourage participation? How can you purpose office hours to achieve particular goals (e.g., live working sessions, interactive Q&As, collaborative problem-solving, etc.)?

Customize Announcements

Published right at the top of all Canvas courses, course announcements are located in a high-traffic area that is convenient for learners to engage with every time they log in to a course. Take advantage of this “prime real estate” by regularly using announcements. Doing so is an easy way to increase your presence and build a rapport with your students. Here are different types of announcements you might use in your course:

  • Regular Weekly Announcements: Start students off on the right foot by letting them know what’s to come in the week ahead. You can also highlight important due dates.
    Screenshot of weekly announcements in a Canvas course
    Screenshot of a list of regular weekly announcements posted in a Canvas course
  • Content-Specific Announcements: Hook students into a new unit or lesson by posting an enticing introduction that grabs their attention. Inject your energy and expertise into a topic by offering concentrated bursts of content-rich information that relates directly to what students are learning. Sell learners on “What’s in it for me?” and increase their interest in your topic by explaining how they will benefit from what’s being taught.
    Screenshot of a content-specific announcement
    Screenshot of a content-specific announcement
  • “Lesson Wrap-Up” Announcements: Extend student learning by wrapping up what’s just been covered and connecting it to the real world. Students want your subject-matter expertise—here’s a great chance to weigh in.
    Screenshot of a "Lesson Wrap-Up" Announcement
    Screenshot of a “lesson wrap-up” announcement
  • Solutions-Based Announcements: Offer helpful hints to students as they work through their assignments. Posting homework help and worked examples for students to reference as they complete their work is a fantastic way to guide their learning.
    Screenshot of a Solutions-Based Announcement (Homework Help)
    Screenshot of a solutions-based (homework help) announcement
  • “Just-in-Time” Announcements: Broadcast logistical updates as needed to alert students to important information that will affect them. Examples include updates to course content, technical issues, grading information, etc.
    Screenshot of a Just-in-Time Announcement
    Screenshot of a “just-in-time” announcement
  • Connection Announcements: Connect course content to the real world. Adult learners want to take what they’re learning in class and apply it to their lives and professions. Use announcements to show them how those arenas connect. Additionally, use announcements to connect your students to relevant job and professional development opportunities and/or resources that encourage them to engage with the subject matter more in-depth outside of class.
    Screenshot of a Connection Announcement Highlighting Additional Opportunities for Students Outside of Class
    Screenshot of a connection announcement advertising additional opportunities to students

Bonus Tip: Enabling the commenting feature on your announcements will encourage additional student-to-teacher and student-to-student interactions, which helps build community!

Give Prompt, High-Quality Feedback

Ensure that the feedback you offer to students is prompt. Being prompt in your replies will teach learners that they can rely on you to be present and responsive, which models professionalism and builds trust. Whether returning student calls, replying to questions in discussion forums, responding to student emails, or grading assignments and giving feedback, your timeliness matters to students so they get the information they need to make progress in your course.

Similarly, the quality of your feedback matters. Adult learners desire your expertise. They want your feedback to reflect on, learn from, and inform their current and future academic and professional efforts. Though it might be tempting to allow Canvas to auto-grade assignments, leaving students tailored comments, questions, insights, and suggestions for improvement is better for their learning. Giving customized feedback (via text, audio, or video comments in Speedgrader) is yet another way to beef up your presence in the course as learners can interact with your comments and respond.

Bonus Tip: Saving commonly used feedback for reuse (in a Word document, Excel file, etc.) is one way to make the grading process quicker. Just don’t forget to review and edit what you’ve written each time you copy it into Speedgrader Comments to ensure it’s accurate and fine-tuned for each student.

This article is based on a conference presentation by Kerri Patton and Terry Tao entitled “Facilitating Online Social Presence,” which was presented at the UW Extended Campus 2022 Collaborative Online Programs Faculty Symposium, May 24-25, 2022, Middleton, WI, United States. https://ce.uwex.edu/faculty-symposium/

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A Framework for Increasing Critical Thinking, Student Engagement, and Knowledge Construction in Online Discussions

Many faculty at UW Extended Campus use discussion strategies to engage their students and push them into higher levels of learning. From research, we know such strategies are necessary because most discussions do not naturally lead to higher levels of thinking (Darabi et al., 2011). Many instructors we have talked to have noticed this problem in their own courses—discussions can often feel like busywork or small talk. To achieve deeper discussions that show evidence of critical thinking and promote student engagement, research shows that your best bet is to provide the structure to make that happen (Brokensha & Greyling, 2015; Jarosewich et al., 2010). How do you create that structure? The Framework for Student Engagement and Critical Thinking can be used to provide the structure and support that will guide students into a deeper and more meaningful discussion and engage not only with the content but also with their peers. This five-component framework, developed out of research performed by Laurie Berry and Kristin Kowal (Berry & Kowal, 2022), can be used as a guide to help you add more dimension to your discussions.

High-Level View of Framework
The Framework for Student Engagement and Critical Thinking

Framework Component 1: Detailed Instructions and Clear Expectations

What is it?

Just like we can set up someone for success on a cross-country road trip with a good map, we can set up students for success with detailed instructions and clear expectations on how to approach the discussion. Research shows that when clear guidelines are in place, students can reach higher levels of learning (Gao et al., 2009). As instructional designers, we might see a discussion prompt where the instructions are clear enough so students will know what to do and where. However, the part worth pointing out is that the instructions and expectations can go further than one might think. For example, we can enhance a prompt that asks students to participate in the activity (post, reply, and how often) with information about why we are doing it (purpose statement) and specifics of how to be successful in the post. It’s not that most of the instructions are unclear to begin with, but that it’s useful to add a little more direction and detail to start off with since we’re in an asynchronous environment and have limited time. Back to the map metaphor, it’s the difference between a general map that would serve the purpose well for meandering or spontaneity, versus a map with identified tour stops pointed out for someone that has limited time or specific travel goals. The aim is to get students to show evidence that they are thinking more critically. Therefore, adding a purpose statement and criteria for success encourages students to push further and move beyond superficial discussion. An example of how you might include this is shown below.

Example

Below is what clear and detailed instructions might look like in a course:

Example of Instructions

Framework Component 2: Share Thought Process

What is it?

The next framework component invites students to share their thought processes in their posts. This is comparable to the think-aloud process, which you might already be using in your courses, or to showing your work, like when solving a math problem. Urging students to share their thought processes of how or why they might have arrived at the answer or conclusion can uncover more detail and depth, which, in turn, can create more opportunities for meaningful discussion. The following is an example of language you can include in your instructions: “Show evidence of critical thinking by sharing your thought process in doing the activity for all to see.” This framework component encourages students to share their thought process from the start.

Example

An effective way to illustrate this would be to apply it to subject domains. For example, students discussing a programming problem on the discussion board would not only provide solutions, but also why they proposed their answer; students working on a case study in a management course would be prompted to share not only their opinions or solutions but how they arrived there. We are asking students to make their thinking visible, not just their solutions.

Framework Component 3: Prompt Discussion with Questions

What is it?

The third framework component asks students to pose questions to invite more discussion with their peers. Asking students to probe deeper and include questions or share reflections in their posts can uncover areas that they may be struggling with or thinking about. Include language like the following in your instructions: “Ask questions of others in your post or reflect on something you may be struggling with or thinking about.”

By directing students to do this, you will invite others to easily join in the conversation and allow students to engage with both the content and each other. Using this technique, you may even notice the discussion includes elements of problem-solving and critical thinking, which are strong indicators of the students digging deeper into a topic. It can be rare to see students asking questions in their posts. However, when students post questions, it opens the door for others to easily join in the discussion.

Example

Students discussing optimal health and wellbeing might pose questions such as, “How can I best design a wellness program to ensure others will have the time and energy to use it?,” “How does technology impact an individual’s health and wellness?,” or, “Why does the environment play a role in one’s overall wellbeing?” Prompting students to pose questions to their peers not only invites conversation but enables the opportunity to share solutions.

Framework Component 4: Weave Evidence into Post

What is it?

You may have noticed this, but often when students are directed to use sources within a discussion, they merely post a link at the bottom of their post without referencing or citing it in the body of the discussion. This framework component instructs students to weave evidence or sources into the body of the discussion to allow you and others to quickly identify where or how they learned the information rather than assuming the information is tied to something they may have read. While you want to encourage students to form their own thoughts and opinions, you also want them to be able to support their thinking with evidence. To urge students to cite their source of information within their discussion itself, include language in your instructions such as: “Post an opinion or solution from your point of view and weave in your found evidence to support it.” or “Remember to reference the resources used to provide the evidence.”

Example

Students discussing individuals whom they think portray leadership or powerful influencer characteristics would state their personal claims while weaving in trusted sources to support and justify their thinking. An example post might be, “Oprah Winfrey comes to mind when I think of powerful influencers because according to Evans (2016), she exhibits the following characteristics…” While we are asking students to share their personal thoughts and opinions, we are also asking them to identify and support their reasoning.

Framework Component 5: Reflection

What is it?

It can be powerful to ask students to reflect on how they might have changed based on a learning experience. Adding a reflection component to your discussions can illuminate where construction of new knowledge has occurred. We recognize that including this component will take more time for students, but it is helpful for them to be able to synthesize not only their thoughts but also the thoughts and perspectives they gain from others. In a discussion post, you can include a reflection component with questions like these to uncover any kind of transformation that has happened during the activity: “Did you learn anything new? Did you change your mind about anything? How have you deepened or expanded your own thinking?”

Example

Students discussing their personal sense of purpose and developing a strategy to help them achieve their goals might include statements such as: “I never thought of it this way, maybe I need to go in a different direction or involve myself in a new community.” or, “I never thought of myself being in this particular role, perhaps this is something I need to consider if I do want to pursue this in more depth.” Encouraging students to reflect on the activity could lead them to creating new connections to both the content and to themselves.

Summary

The process of digging deeper and constructing new knowledge commands a level of attention from students that signifies their engagement. Whenever students can interact with content in ways that allow them to construct new meaning, they form a deeper connection to the content itself and are able to interact more meaningfully with others (Brokensha & Greyling, 2015; Galikyan & Admiraal, 2019; Jarosewich et al., 2010; Wang & Chen, 2008).

Download a PDF handout of the Framework for Student Engagement and Critical Thinking to use as a resource.

References

Berry, L. A., & Kowal, K. B. (2022). Effect of role-play in online discussions on student engagement and critical thinking. Online Learning, 26(3), 4-21.

Brokensha, S., & Greyling, W. (2015). Dispelling e-myths and pre-empting disappointment: Exploring incongruities between instructors’ intentions and reality in asynchronous online discussions. South African Journal of Higher Education, 29(4), 50–76.

Darabi, A., Arrastia, M. C., Nelson, D. W., Cornille, T., & Liang, X. (2011). Cognitive presence in asynchronous online learning: A comparison of four discussion strategies. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 216–227.

Galikyan, I., & Admiraal, W. (2019). Students’ engagement in asynchronous online discussion: The relationship between cognitive presence, learner prominence, and academic performance. The Internet and Higher Education, 43, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2019.100692

Gao, F., Wang, C. X., & Sun, Y. (2009). A new model of productive online discussion and its implications for research and instruction. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 21(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.0201.05

Jarosewich, T., Vargo, L., Salzman, J., Lenhart, L., Krosnick, L., Vance, K., & Roskos, K. (2010). Say what? The quality of discussion board postings in online professional development. New Horizons in Education, 58(3), 118–132.

Wang, Y.-m., & Chen, V. D.-T. (2008). Essential elements in designing online discussions to promote cognitive presence – A practical experience. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3-4), 157–177.

Demystifying Online Group Projects

Introduction

Heather Herdman photo
Heather Herdman, PhD, RN

I was one of those students that always hated group projects because I invariably ended up with somebody who didn’t do their work and I figured I could do it better myself…I always thought students would feel the same way. But I was encouraged to try it out and it’s been great.

Like many students and instructors, Heather Herdman, PhD, entered into the fray of online group projects with trepidation; but, with input from other colleagues in the program and instructional designers, she made the commitment to give it a try.

We all know that students have responsibility for making group work successful and instructors have little control over what students do or don’t do, but we also have a responsibility to provide the best environment for the group work to occur. As instructors, there are things we can do to change the conditions of group work and impact the trajectory to increase the likelihood of success. Today we’re going to take a close look at Heather’s approach to this project as a way to uncover keys to successful teaching with online group projects.

You can think about your work related to online group projects as fitting into three phases: planning, designing, and doing.

Planning

An online group project that isn’t well planned is going to become an unstable learning experience. Students will be more frustrated, asking more questions and offering more complaints. This serves as a reminder that we really need to think about which course or unit objective can be met with a group project. In Heather’s graduate-level course there is a clear connection between the group project and a career in health and wellness. When we asked about the goal of the course, Heather said,

Students should be able to both analyze someone’s research and also conduct research. In health and wellness employment situations graduates will have to work with teams. They have to work with people from different departments, often with people that have very different backgrounds. You’ve got to have a way of bringing those people together. So this course’s project is kind of a nice way to introduce people to the fact that you’ve got to learn to work with people that may come at things from a very different perspective than you do.

As we dive deeper into this case, you’ll see that Heather does an excellent job of explaining this connection to students.

Spending time upfront planning and designing your group project makes it easier to implement. You make it easier for yourself to manage the course and for students to succeed. It is critical to know why the group project is part of the course, because making sure it’s really clear in your mind will help when it comes to communicating the value of the project to students.

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OERs: A Curator’s Perspective

It’s a busy time around here! With the fall semester starting and new competency-based program development in full swing, everyone is working hard to deliver the best learning experiences possible. Back-to-school season is exciting but challenging for learners, instructors, and those of us in supporting roles. Part of that hard work is curating learning resources—open educational resources (OERs). Today’s post will explore how some of our faculty are approaching OERs.OER logo

In the midst of all this preparation, I’ve recently heard conversations about how important thoughtfully curated learning resources are to a student’s success, and it occurred to me it might be interesting to look back at the transcript of a conversation I had with Kim Kostka about using OERs. Kim and her colleagues Tom Neal and Tony Millevolte assembled and annotated an array of OERs for one of our Flexible Option competency sets.

Here are some of the highlights from my conversation with Kim.

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Course Momentum

In this post, read about an online course that has great pacing and momentum to keep students engaged until the end. What follows is a description of five momentum-building activities from the course, as well as an interview with the instructor. Erin Ratelis developed and currently teaches HWM 335: The Worksite Health Environment.

Five Activities That Build Momentum in HWM 335

1. Photographs on the Discussion Board

Momentum buliders: Photographs of a road and a description of the photographs written by the instructor
Discussion Board Photo Activity (Author: Erin Ratelis)

What it is: Students take photographs of their health environment and post them to the discussion board in the first activity of the course. Erin shares what her environment looks like as well.

What I love about it: This activity does double-duty: an intro to the health environment and a social connector. By sharing their living environments in the context of the course, students are bridging the social gap that often comes with asynchronous online learning. This builds momentum by starting the course off with an activity that is exciting to students and inspires them to learn more in the weeks to come.

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