FOLIO's 9 Tips for Engaging Students Online
Keep students actively engaged w/ you, classmates, & content
Dear Colleagues,
The F
ostering Online Learning Improvement and Opportunity (FOLIO) working group at UMBC has gleaned and synthesized
ideas from PIVOT, the Undergraduate Student Success Committee, the Faculty Development Center,
and fall faculty gatherings to develop 9 Tips for Engaging Students Online. The tips in this short document are intended to be broadly applicable, and many require little effort to implement. So as you prepare
for the spring semester, you may find some of these suggestions helpful
toward keeping your students actively engaged with you, their
classmates, and the course content.
Meanwhile,
the Faculty Development Center will host several upcoming synchronous
sessions on engaging students online. Register today at the links below.
Best,
Kerrie
Engaging Students Online Part 1: Chat and Polling √ §
How do we engage the whole class without relying on video?
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 · Noon - 1 PM · Online · REGISTER HERE
How do we engage students as a whole class without relying on video? Students may
have good reasons for keeping their video off, so it’s important to
measure their engagement through other means, including polling, chat,
and discussions. In this session, faculty panelists will share their
experiences, lessons learned, and strategies to successfully engage students online.
The panelists represent a diverse set of disciplines and teach courses
ranging in size from 30-300. Many of the strategies they will be
describing are not discipline-specific and are adaptable to any course.
Panelists include Kristen Anchor (MCS), Tamra Mendelson and Mercedes
Burns (BIOL), and Tanya Olson (ENGL).
Engaging Students Online Part 2: Gamification √ §
Energize your online classroom & motivate students to engage
Wednesday, February 10, 2021 · Noon - 1 PM · Online · REGISTER HERE
How
can you energize your online classroom and engage students through
games and gamification techniques? Well-designed games for learning
motivate players to work through challenging problems that require them
to engage with concepts, take calculated risks, and reflect on the
learning process--collaboration and/or competition can heighten this
enjoyment (Gee, 2007; Smith-Robbins, 2011). Join us as we explore
general principles about using games for learning, specific examples
from UMBC colleagues, and applications to our own online classrooms.
Faculty panelists will present examples designed to engage students,
motivate them to learn, and create social connections as they
collaborate or compete to demonstrate their learning. The strategies are
not discipline-specific and are adaptable to many courses. Panelists
include Kerri Evans (SOWK) and Caitlin Kowalewski (BIOL).