Presentation at VSS 2009 by Dr. Kristin Bird and Dr. Jackie Mangieri

1. Using the LMS to increase student engagement in self-directed learningKristin Bird, PrincipalSevenstar AcademyJackie Mangieri, Teacher/Peer CoachUniversity of Phoenix/MVPS

3. Increases retention

4. Increases depth of understanding

5. Increases achievement level

6. Technology increases potential for learning

7. Learning communities:

8. Increase learning

9. Increase achievement

10. Create active learners http://www.njc.edu/titleiii/faculty.html

11. What is Student Engagement? An engaged student is one who is intrinsicallymotivated to learn—that is, motivated from a desire for competence and understanding, or simply from a love of learning, rather than a desire for a good grade, a teacher's approval, or acceptance into a good college. http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/feb02/num28/Motivating_Students_to_Learn.aspx

12. What Increases Student Engagement? According to education researchers, children have certain basic needs and are most likely to become engaged in the learning process when the learning environment is compatible with those needs. Can online learning do that? If so, how? (Newmann, Wehlage, & Lamborn, 1992; McCombs, n.d.)

13. Student Engagement “I felt most engaged when I was doing a experiment. The activity was making Rain in the kitchen with steam and a mirror in my science class. I think this activity really helped my understanding of the rain cycle. It also was putting fun into the subject. It brought out the detail in the way rain works and helped me learn it better.” 7th grader

14. Student Engagement “I think I learned better as a result of being engaged in the active learning, opposed to lecture. Being in a lecture, you only get what the teacher gives you. In online classes, you can go explore outside of the course, and learn more than you ever would if you were sitting through a lecture.” 10th grader

15. Student Engagement “When I'm engaged in active learning I learn the material better because I am more challenged to apply them. This encourages me to learn the concepts more in depth. I feel I am taking more ownership over my education. When I listen to a lecture I may forget some of what the teacher says. I remember the concepts better by reading the content.” 12th grader

16. Active Learning

17. Active learning increases effectiveness of teaching/learning INPUT- from multiple sources through multiple senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.) PROCESS- interacting with other people and materials, accessing related schemata in the brain, stimulating multiple areas of the brain to act. OUTPUT- requiring students to produce a response or a solution or some evidence of the interactive Learning that is taking place.

18. The type of “active learning” we hope our students are not involved in… http://technologyactivelearning.pbworks.com/

19. The role of the Instructor To create a dynamic and academically effective learning environment Palloff and Pratt (2001) state “the key to success in our online classes rests not with the content that is being presented but with the method by which the course is being delivered” (p. 152).

21. How can we do this?

23. Types of Interactions Other students material teacher Student technology community

24. Steps to Adding Interaction Decide on goal/purpose Decide how you will meet that goal What methods will you use? What tools will be required? Add the interaction into the courses only if it is more benefit than “harm”

26. Where do we start? Start in your learning environment Think: What tools do I have in the LMS that will help me increase interaction with my students and create a better learning experience for them?

27. Interaction Tools in the LMS Question: What is the #1 tool in every LMS that is used for interaction? Answer: Discussion Forums

28. Discussions You must decide: Why you want them to use online discussions (explore new ideas, review concepts, compare experiences …) What you want them to base their discussion on (readings, in-class discussion, personal opinion …) How you expect them to use it (when, how often, types of postings: original vs. response …)

29. Tips for Discussions Require students to participate Grade their effort Involve learning teams Build a structure into the discussions Pose questions/scenarios that require students to use their own experience Make questions relate to research they have done ahead of time Relate the discussion to course objectives

30. Discussion Questions that involve Interaction Ones that avoid asking yes/no questions DB’s that aren’t based on purely factual answers DB’s that ask for reflection, interpretation, problem-solving, analysis Questions that solicit personal experience and/or opinion Ones that require engagement with other class members (require students to “talk” to each other and respond to each other) Questions that require connections to be made between previous and present course material

31. Take discussions to the next level… Insert audio, video, and collaboration tools in the LMS to increase student engagement

32. Gcast – www.gcast.com

33. Voki - http://www.voki.com/

34. Jing – www.jingproject.com

35. Animoto - http://education.animoto.com/

36. Utterli – www.utterli.com

37. VoiceThread – www.voicethread.com

38. Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

39. What other LMS tools can be used to increase Motivation? Live Chats Live Office Hours Whiteboard Sessions Polls and icebreakers Specific feedback from instructor Class Lounge where they can interact with each other socially OTHERS?