Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

If a student can access a particular technology tool, it can be used for learning! Instructors can bring popular technological tools that learners use outside the classroom into the educational process.  Taking advantage of Web 2.0 technologies is a great strategy for engaging learners. According to, Durrington, Berryhill, and Swafford the critical elements of an engaging online course include; structured learning environments, interactive discussions, peer-to-peer interactions, and problem-based learning.  New strategies and tools for communication help students to demonstrate ideas by using multiple forms of media all facilitated within online courses.

Each tech tool works differently within a learning environment and may have varying benefits or advantages.  According to Siemens, the instructors’ role is to evaluate the appropriate level of interaction and guidance to help each student navigate course resources and experience academic success.  In the digital age, many students are experienced with technology in their personal lives; students are more knowledgeable of popular social networking tools.  The instructional design can take advantage of social or personal use of technology to engage students in an educational setting.

Engaging learners requires a new approach to instruction, classroom structure, and learning experiences.  The ideas of Durrington, Siemens, and other educational physiologist can help instructors determine technological tools and best practices for increasing interaction among learners.  The dynamics of teaching and learning are changing thanks to new innovations in digital tools that facilitate knowledge and skill building, becoming available to instructors and students.  It’s not hard to find common technological tools that can be used in order to achieve the goals of engaging learners.

Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Participation in a collaborative learning community can be assessed using traditional ways of measuring learning goals and by using a wide range of web-based learner analytics.  This method of assessing collaborative efforts aligns with George Siemens strategies for assessing collaborative learning communities and for creating and maintaining successful online learning communities (Siemens, 2008).  We can improve distance education by creating a collaborative environment with a sense of community.  Expecting participation and assessing collaborative efforts helps students to build rewarding learning experiences.  Instructional design strategies can increase engagement and reduce the feeling of isolation within distance education.

Instructors can meet the needs of all students by applying “fair and equitable assessment” to varying levels of skill and knowledge.  Working in learning communities can be an interactive experience when both synchronous and asynchronous tools are used.  Innovative tools, such as Web 2.0 technologies, provide exciting new possibilities for assessing collaborative learning.  Together, students and teachers can recognize measurable learning goals and set clear objectives for class participation.  Collaborative efforts are essential to gaining knowledge and furthering skills; instructors facilitate the learning process to motivate the learning process of students who may find cooperative grouping more challenging. 

If a student fails to network or collaborate, in the manner established within the learning community, he/she will not succeed in the online learning environment.  Other members of the leaning community may support a struggling student by moving towards more synchronous interactions that can help in small groups or one on one.   The instructors’ role is to continually differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students.  Doing so may include several options for evaluating participation and assessing collaborative efforts.  Constructivist and Connectivism learning theories support the use of educational technology to add flexibility within the online learning environment.