Continuing the topic on how to create a thriving social community on OpenLearning, this week, I will discuss activities that course creators can initiate to enhance interactivity in their course.
Online learning systems have traditionally entirely relied on submission drop-boxes or quiz-like assessments. The future of instructional design, or learning design, looks very different.
More advanced systems have started to introduce isolated interactive experiences with simulations and virtual environments.
While this is all possible on OpenLearning, the platform takes an additional step of encouraging teachers to create activities that facilitate community interaction.
You can incorporate activities that provide interactive collaboration and sharing with the tools provided to keep students immersed and engaged in your courses.
Sounds too good to be true?
Here are some activity ideas to actually make this happen:
Example: Build something and exhibit it. Experience something and share it.
Example: Build something and then categorise it with things others have built. Discuss pros and cons of each others contributions. Compete, achieve recognition, then help others. Note that we refer to competition that fosters an attitude of helping each other to achieve new heights, rather than pitting against each other.
Example: Teach each other something. Let a student teach a topic.
Example: Find something interesting and show it to the rest similar to a show-and-tell.
Example: Write the next part of a story, continue off from where someone else left off.
Example: Decide on favourite examples, praise what’s good about what each other has shared.
Example: Collect people’s experiences on an issue/scenario.
Example: Write resources or a textbook together or brainstorm and then compare/filter the ideas.
Example: Find someone to show your thing to, they do something to it, and give it to someone else.
Example: Take on a persona, act out a scenario together.
Active learning experiences that are fun and meaningful are key to not only engaging your students, but also transforming them.
This will not only result in happier, motivated students but will also lead to increased completion and engagement rates within your online course.
Have you applied one or two of these methods in your course? Share your experience in the comment sections below!
Topics: Course Design Tips
