In the virtual classroom student engagement is related to the social presence and is crucial to creating a successful learning environment (Dixson, Greenwell, Rogers-Stacy, Weister, and Laluer (2017). Dixson et al. cite Kuh (2003) defining online student engagement as the time and energy that students put toward their learning and a sense of being personally connected with classmates and instructors (Kehrwald, 2008). Dixson et al. (2017) state that prompt feedback from instructors in the virtual classroom allows the student to learn from prior mistakes while completing new assignments. Strong social presence or engagement in the virtual classroom the higher students are satisfied and promote more student engagement. One technology used in the virtual classroom is the Blackboard. Students interact with each other and the instructor by participating in discussion post and sometimes they are broken down into groups to complete projects. One technology that does not have the same engaging effect in the virtual classroom as it does in traditional classes are powerpoints. Not all powerpoints in the virtual classroom are narrated. Powerpoints presented in this manner leaves the student having to research the information further at times. Because time is limited, the student may click through the powerpoint and then move on without a clear understanding.
Work Cited
Dixson, M. D., Greenwell, M. R., Rogers-Stacy, C., Weister, T., & Lauer, S. (2017). Nonverbal immediacy behaviors and online student engagement: Bringing past instructional research into the present virtual classroom. Communication Education, 66(1), 37-53. doi:10.1080/03634523.2016.1209222
Good Afternoon Ernethia,
ReplyDeleteGreat job on you post for the week! I really like the changes you made to your blog along with the addition of incorporating an image to engage readers. Ferriman (2013) describes virtual classrooms as “an online classroom that allows participants to communicate with one another, view presentations or videos, interact with other participants, and engage with resources in work groups” (para. 4). One of the universities that I attended used Blackboard then in my last semester transitioned over to Canvas, although I preferred one over the other, they were both great tools for the long-distance learner. I am in agreeance that the use of these types of tools creates flexibility for both instructors and students and allows for conversation on module topics to propel forward through the use of discussion board posts or blogs. Vollery and Lord (2000) identify that “the internet is a major technological advancement reshaping not only our society but also that of universities worldwide, in light of this, universities have to capitalize on the internet for teaching, and one progressive development of this is the use of online delivery methods” (p. 216). I understand your point with the limited information that PowerPoint slides produce in some institutions if narration or the notes page is unavailable as it could cause students to invest either more time in researching or they may completely disregard the material in an attempt to save time. Great job on your blog post for the week and I really like the format changes to your site.
Have a wonderful weekend!
V/R,
Falynn
References:
Ferriman, J. (2013, December 12). Characteristics of a virtual classroom. Retrieved from https://www.learndash.com/characteristics-of-a-virtual-classroom/
Vollery, T., & Lord, D. (2000). Critical success factors in online education [PDF file]. The International Journal of Educational Management, 14(5), 216-223. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7385/a4d195d7dcf2c066c0fb0ce618dd3d584823.pdf
Since students learn in different ways, it is important to provide as many avenues as it takes to gain participation and interest. As we have found in our studies, learning occurs when the student is engaged and interested in the topic.
DeleteErnethia, I agree that traditional Power Points can be incredibly dull, which is why I LOVE your intro- the automated welcome. Did you go to a particular site to construct that? Very engaging.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteI used Sparkol VideoScribe.