Using Technology to Enhance Student-to-Student and Student-to-Content Interaction in Online Courses: Reflections and Insights from the Online Course Development Program

Abstract

For online learning to be successful, research has shown that students need to interact with their peers and the content to gain more meaning from their online courses. Learner to learner interaction is vital to building community in an online environment, which supports productive and satisfying learning, and helps students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as feeling like part of something larger than themselves (Dixson, 2010; Lock, 2007; Swan, 2002). In one study, students who high levels of interaction with one another in their online courses reported high levels of satisfaction and learning (Swan, 2002). Learner to content is also important to creating a thriving online learning community (Dixson, 2010; Lock, 2007; Zimmerman, 2012). Zimmerman (2012) found that interaction with the course content is essential because it can contribute to successful learning outcomes and course completion. This poster presentation will showcase a course that recently went through the Online Course Development Program, EDUC 344.NO1 online course and the various ways technology enhanced the interaction between students and the interaction between the students and the course content. This poster will first identify relevant and focused content materials from podcasts, TedTalks, other videos, VoiceThread presentations, and other materials. Using up to date and various content mediums help students stay focused on the content to break up the monotony of reading textbook chapters and listening to lectures every week. The poster presentation will showcase how students used the content to interact with their peers through various technology (Padlets, VoiceThreads) by both small group and individual activities. References Dixson, M.D. (2010). Creating effective student engagement in online courses: What do students find engaging? Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 10(2). 1-13. Lock, J. V. (2007). Laying the groundwork for the development of learning communities within online courses. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 3(4), 395. Swan, K. (2002). Building learning communities in online courses: The importance of interaction. Education, Communication & Information, 2(1), 23-49. Zimmerman, T. D. (2012). Exploring learner to content interaction as a success factor in online courses. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(4), 152-165.