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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on August 7, 2018. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved.

Just as all students are different, so are all instructors. We need to ensure we are implementing instructional technology tools that fit our teaching style, availability, and technology skill level. If any instructor wishes to incorporate a new technology tool, it is vital we first assess the tool's "goodness of fit" for both student population and course content. An instructional technology tool with a "goodness of fit" for a particular course and student group demonstrates that the tool was not selected haphazardly, regardless of its impact on the classroom. Rather, the tool was selected because it complimented the instructor's teaching style and is a theoretically sound match for the instructional need.

Eight common online classroom needs and examples of vetted tools deemed as "fit" for college learners are described below. It is important to note the options available to meet each need. This helps you choose tools that will best fit your particular course(s) and teaching philosophy. Here are some "fit" web 2.0 options for different classroom needs.

Need: Current study tools are not working

Technology tools such as Quiziz or Socrative provide learners the opportunity to complete the quiz through their phone or tablet without the need of a separate sheet of paper. Furthermore, technologies like these also offer different features that can make them a fun way for students to take practice assessments. The tool can also help to reduce quiz anxiety as the assessments can be set to allow students unlimited retakes and can provide a chance to see how they scored in comparison to their peers.

Need: Student need for connection

Video biographies can be created quickly and easily with iMovie, Zoom, Flipgrid, or any other video software. While this may not seem like a big deal, with all the virtual distance in the online classroom, putting a name to a face, and showing that you are a real person can go a long way. These simple techniques allow the students to make a connection with you as the instructor. Creating something simple such as a welcome video is also a great way to personalize your classroom.

Need: Text-only teaching is not working for some students

Technology tools can be a great way to offer students additional choice in how they wish to receive the content. It has become very easy for instructors to add video lectures or even podcast-like audio lectures with technologies such as Zoom, Loom, iMovie, and more. Video and/or audio lectures offer another chance for students to develop a connection to their instructor by seeing and/or hearing them. These can also be listened to in situations where it may be difficult to read; such as a during a drive home in rush hour traffic. Hearing our voice or seeing our facial expressions may provide some students with additional feedback on what we are emphasizing that week as well.

Need: The classroom needs pizzazz

Technology can add an element of gamification, which can be used to "spice things up," increase motivation, and offer students another way to engage in the content. Tools like Quizizz, Socrative, Kahoot, and Jeopardy use a gamification approach, allowing students the opportunity to compete against one another. Others, like Google Docs, Goose Chase, or Classcraft allow students to work cooperatively to compete against other classes or to "beat the teacher." Integrating these types of technologies can make rehearsal or application of content more enjoyable, potentially enticing more students to partake.

Need: Some content needs expansion or support for student understanding

Technologies such Moovly, which allows users to create animated videos, can be a fun way for an instructor to differentiate instruction beyond the standard video lecture. Other technologies such Comicmaster can allow instructors to create comics for content. Virtual poster sites such as Glogster can be used as a hub for additional instructor materials. Glogster allows instructors to embed pictures, videos, links, etc.

Need: The students who have mastered the content need more

Additional technologies can be created for those higher achieving students who have no problem mastering class content. These could include gamification techniques that were mentioned earlier as well as other technologies that can allow students to go deeper into the content. For example, an "Introduction to Psychology" instructor may have honors students create an interactive timeline with Timetoast.com or Sutori to show the connection between influential psychologists and major historical developments in understanding the mind, including psychologists not included in class material. In another example, a virtual interactive poster such as Glogster can be used as a repository for expanded materials.

Need: The normal grading feedback just isn't enough

Loom and Screencast-O-Matic are excellent tools to provide surprisingly quick, visual and auditory assignment feedback. These tools allow for screen sharing and video conferencing. This provides the student with an opportunity to see their instructor embed feedback and point to various items directly on a worksheet or essay while explaining the rationale for the error or edit in need. The student can also hear the instructor's tone and see their facial expressions. The instructor can also use an avatar or opt to turn off the recording of their face to direct the student to focus on the screen share feedback.

These screen share videos are not meant to be perfected with editing. Any editing or rerecording will make the videos too time consuming to create. Thus, you want to treat it as a traditional class where you would just make the correction commentary and keep moving. Screencast-O-Matic and Loom both allow student access to the completed video via a "share" web link. The video is only accessible to those with the link, making the feedback private for the student. This link can be pasted directly within the student's submitted assignment, in the general comments next to their grade within the classroom portal, or even as a reply to a student in the "individual forum" of the course. Providing screen share grading feedback can be a great way to grade essays, big projects, or even worksheet assignments that are typically tricky to provide feedback with text alone.

Need: The need to get one or more people together at the same time

You may not have time to hold synchronous meetings. However, if you can hold a synchronous meeting, it can be another good option to help students and connect with them. Zoom is a great tool for live conferencing; it allows for screen sharing and free meetings up to one hour. Some students really like this, but it can be hard to plan for since many students take online classes due to time constraints.

Regardless of the technology, it must resolve the need, benefit students, align with your personal teaching philosophy, and be implemented without eating too much into your grading time. If anything, the tool implemented should help alleviate student misunderstandings, enrich the curriculum, or boost student connection to the course. Any of these three results could lead to higher rates of student mastery of material and better quality assignment submissions.

John Steele is an associate professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Sarah Robertson is an online professor, and Samia Humphrey is a professor of communication at Grand Canyon University.

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Samia Humphrey, Sarah Shough, and John Steele

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Technologies for Serving Different Learning Needs

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We need to ensure we are implementing instructional technology tools that fit our teaching style, availability, and technology skill level.

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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Faculty can help students study effectively by giving them games from different apps that reinforce course information.

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By 2025, students entering college campuses will be mobile natives - that is, born after the first iPhone came to market. Technology-infused learning is not just a best practice, it's imperative to the survival and relevance of higher education institutions.

Our global survey says embracing educational technology is critical for maintaining student engagement. But digitizing the status quo won't be enough. How can faculty continuously leverage technology to transform pedagogy to be more engaging, innovative, and inclusive? These six strategies offer help.

Default to the Digital

The pandemic forced coursework online out of necessity. Now digital learning is the expectation, no matter the modality. Even if courses are held in person, all content and communication should be delivered online through a LMS for students to access anywhere, anytime.

Think Mobile First

Socioeconomic disparities impact engagement. Optimizing courses for mobile access can help to solve this issue, as research shows mobile phones are the primary technology tool used across all student income levels.

Prioritize Connection over Content

Creating meaningful, interactive experiences between faculty and students, and connecting students with one another will be critical to continued student engagement in hybrid and remote courses alike.

Create a Digital Campus

To ensure the engagement of remote students, use innovative tools to create a digital campus beyond coursework. Offer virtual tutoring, office hours, and library reference desk meetings to give off-campus students the feel of on-campus connection.

Innovate with HyFlex Learning

HyFlex environments are student-centered and offer equitable access to content. Giving students the option to move between modalities based on their learning needs and location expands participation and reduces barriers to enrollment.

Expand Mental Health Resources

Psychological well-being is a leading factor for student success in every region we surveyed. Institutions can leverage technology to expand access to mental health resources including virtual counseling, staff mental health training, and student mental health apps.

Using technology in all learning ecosystems is critical for maintaining student engagement. Read more insights on what students around the world rank as top factors in their success and engagement.

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By 2025, students entering college campuses will be mobile natives - that is, born after the first iPhone came to market. Technology-infused learning is not just a best practice, it's imperative to the survival and relevance of higher education institutions. Our global survey says embracing educational technology is critical for maintaining student engagement.

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How can faculty and instructional designers address misconceptions about online learning as they transition from reactivity to proactivity following t

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I may be an anomaly in academia but I enjoy office hours. Many college faculty loathe setting aside time to help students with assignments and addressing their concerns. But students get to know faculty and vice versa in these moments.

During this ongoing pandemic era, I was initially concerned about having online or virtual office hours. Yet, some students preferred meeting virtually. It was a learning curve for me and I discovered online office hours can be helpful, although don't replace the directness of meeting in-person.

My office hours tend to bring in students of various majors and we end up discussing future projects, internships, and additional opportunities. Certainly, there's campus gossip too but I have been proud of having engaging office hours at Southern Connecticut State University and my prior college, Stevens Institute of Technology. Sometimes office hours were also held outdoors as I would bring camping chairs or use campus picnic tables.

When the pandemic closed SCSU's campus, I was stumped how to hold class (opens in new tab) as well as office hours. I suggested outdoor class spaces (opens in new tab) to university officials and I was asked by CNN's Erin Burnett to discuss outdoor teaching (opens in new tab)for her OutFront show. I even purchased two dozen camping chairs so students could feel comfortable with having in-person class again.

Virtual Office Hours: Initial Hiccups

Over recent semesters, I experimented with several approaches to holding virtual office hours. My university also went through multiple online platforms including Blackboard, WebEx, and Teams. Programs such as Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, and Zoom (opens in new tab) are also available. Most faculty found Teams helpful because you can arrange your Outlook schedule to accommodate online office hours with specific students and classes.

Unfortunately, the majority of my students did not want to participate in online office hours and there were some initial glitches. For example, students often logged on and interrupted an ongoing discussion and I would ask if they could meet afterward. A virtual waiting room or breakout rooms (opens in new tab) can be ideal for situations like this.

With virtual office hours, there really isn't an organic way to share ideas in the same way during in-person office hours. It's also difficult to measure nonverbal communication online because recognizing students' reactions or concerns can be more telling in person.

But I found that if you plan with specific students or if students inform you when they would attend virtual office hours, an online meeting can be efficient. The more organized you are with students in knowing their concerns before the virtual office hours, the more likely they are to attend.

Holding virtual advising sessions with my major advisees has also been helpful. This includes course registration and general advisement concerns. Many of my advisees prefer these virtual meetings because they can plan their schedules around it, particularly if they are working while attending classes, as so many of our students are at SCSU. Virtual advisement allows them to still engage and inquire away from campus especially if there are barriers (opens in new tab) to meeting in-person.

Virtual Office Hours: Tips

Consider having virtual sessions by appointment or virtual group sessions

Virtual waiting rooms or breakout rooms can be helpful for organizing students

Ask students about their preferences and offer both in-person and virtual hours

Back to Being In-Person - and Virtual

Of course, I missed in-person office hours. When we returned to campus, however, even partially or through hybrid approaches, I held both in-person and virtual office hours. Sadly, fewer students visited my office and I didn't have the usual 3 to 12 students during a two-hour period. It was crushing since I couldn't tell if students grasped class concepts or they didn't share their college experience during the semester.

But I've discovered that virtual office hours are most impactful for students who want to plan and discuss exactly what they have in mind for my class and their academic pursuits. It is a reminder that there are so many students who prefer, or need, to have a set appointment. After all, flexibility and access (opens in new tab) between students and instructor are key factors to having successful online hours. Virtual office hours should be an option in addition to in-person office hours.

Similar to last semester, I plan to hold in-person office hours this coming fall semester and will offer students the opportunity to schedule a virtual appointment. As an educator, I want to learn how to make virtual meetings work, and through experience, have discovered these can be helpful.

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I may be an anomaly in academia but I enjoy office hours. Many college faculty loathe setting aside time to help students with assignments and addressing their concerns. But students get to know faculty and vice versa in these moments. During this ongoing pandemic era, I was initially concerned about having online or virtual office hours.

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5 Practical Strategies for Using Digital Tools to Increase Online Student Engagement - Every Learner Everywhere

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Increasing online student engagement is key to ensuring equity for minoritized & poverty-affected students in digital learning environments.

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I would really like to find a way to embed low-stakes quiz questions directly into my video lectures. I am having a hard time getting online students to watch video lectures, even though I try to keep them relatively short and focused on one topic. I think that quiz questions directly in the videos, similar to what we have in our HR annual training, might encourage students to watch all the way through.

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Summary, 6 Strategies for Tech-Enhanced Learning

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Summary, 6 Strategies for Tech-Enhanced Learning

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The article recommends providing as many digital methods of participation as possible. For example, content should be available by LMS, and we should assume that most students will be accessing by their mobile device. Of course, the challenge is convincing students to take advantage of many of these resources.

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I use discussion boards in my course; however, I'm concerned that traditional discussion boards are not engaging or effective in enhancing students learning experience. Therefore, Padlet seems to be an easy-to-use and effective software that may be more beneficial - an effective way for students to gather and share ideas.

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In the spring, I am designing my course assignments to allow for more smart phone use. For example, in my Western Civilization I course, I discuss Roman inventions and then ask students to go out and take pictures of things in their daily lives that existed because of a Roman invention. They will then upload their pictures to Canvas and discuss them. 

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In the spring, I am designing my course assignments to allow for more smart phone use. For example, in my Western Civilization I course, I discuss Roman inventions and then ask students to go out and take pictures of things in their daily lives that existed because of a Roman invention. They will then upload their pictures to Canvas and discuss them. 

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The article discusses using games as an interactive study tool and provides three of the best sites for game creation:
1. Flippity-the instructor creates a Google Drive spreadsheet and then the website publishes it in a game form including Flashcards, Quiz Show and Manipulatives.
2. ClassTools-offers games like Connect Fours and Fling the Teacher for studying.
3. Educandy-offers an app version so that students can use their cell phones or tablets to study.
The concept that stood out to me particularly was assigning game creation to the students as an assessment. That way an instructor doesn't have to create each game themselves; it's created by the students and then the instructor can use it for future classes.
-This is Alex Ekstrom's comment

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I would like to more ways to engage face to face online with the students for discussion boards. I had students post videos for their introductory post this last semester, but would definitely love to see more interactive back and forth with my students.