Engagement may be a precursor to meaningful interaction among classmates, and between instructors and students. Disengaged students often have limited interaction with course materials. Online educators may need to deliberately incorporate learning activities aimed at increasing student engagement. Arts-based learning activities can foster student social and academic engagement as they assist students and instructors in becoming more “real” to one another in the online learning milieu. Examples of arts-based learning activities that may facilitate student engagement include Photo Cascades, “My” Music Moments, and Word Sculptures.

1. From the field
Enhancing Online Student Engagement
Authors Engagement may be a precursor to meaningful interaction among classmates, and be-
tween instructors and students. Disengaged students often have limited interaction
Beth Perry, Athabasca
University, Professor with course materials. Online educators may need to deliberately incorporate learning
bethp@athabascau.ca activities aimed at increasing student engagement. Arts-based learning activities can
Katherine J. Janzen, Mount foster student social and academic engagement as they assist students and instruc-
Royal University, Assistant tors in becoming more “real” to one another in the online learning milieu. Examples
Professor of arts-based learning activities that may facilitate student engagement include Photo
kjjanzen@mtroyal.ca Cascades, “My” Music Moments, and Word Sculptures.
Margaret Edwards,
Athabasca University, Acting
Dean and Professor
marge@athabascau.ca 1. Introduction
Student engagement potentially influences student success in online education. Engagement
comes in at least two forms – academic engagement and social engagement (Hu & Kuh,
Tags 2002). Learners who are engaged academically are motivated to participate unreservedly
Distance Education, Student in educationally-meaningful learning activities and see them through to completion (Brew-
engagement, Arts-based ster & Fager, 2000). Socially engaged learners interact with peers and instructors in socially-
learning activities, Higher meaningful ways (Hu & Kuh, 2002). Both social and academic engagement are important to
Education, Learning student success (2002).
Technologies
In online education facilitating student engagement may require purposeful teacher-assisted
strategies. In face-to-face learning environments students are situated in the same physical
space and social engagement may occur naturally. However when classmates and instructors
are separated by distance, interaction and resulting social engagement may require deliber-
ate interventions by teachers. Likewise, academic engagement in online learning environ-
ments may be stimulated by providing learners with selected learning activities they find
motivating.
One limitation of online learning is the lack of a sense of the “real” (Janzen, Perry, & Ed-
wards, 2011). In other words, due to geographic separation that is part of online learning
students and instructors may experience a sense of isolation (lack of social engagement).
Course participants may not sense they know one another in meaningful ways. For some,
the experience of online learning may be distilled into sitting in front of a computer screen in
solitude. In this classroom of one, course participants may never feel they belong to a larger
educational community (Janzen, et al., 2011).
Student engagement, both social and academic, can be influenced by multiple factors in-
cluding course design, teaching methods, and nature of learning activities (Pike, Kuh, & Mc-
Cormick, 2011). The focus of this paper is on the use art-based learning activities to facilitate
engagement in online learning environments. Art-based learning activities are a category
of online teaching strategies founded in the arts (Perry & Edwards, 2010). These learning
activities may include elements of drama, music, visual art, or the literary (2010). In this pa-
per Photo Cascades, “My” Music Moments, and Word Sculptures learning activities are dis-
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2. From the field
cussed and their influence on social and academic engagement to the cascade learning activity and students add questions to
described. The discussion section expands of why arts-based further the discussion. The result of this learning activity is a
learning activities may enhance student engagement by explor- collection of evocative images and reflective questions related
ing how these activities help learners meet their basic psycho- to a course theme. The cascade is representative of the various
logical and intellectual needs. class member perspectives on a theme, including the instructor
and students. The questions and images are discussed by the
2. Learning Activities to Facilitate Student students in an online discussion forum. An example of a starter
Photo Cascade is provided in Figure 1. The activity relates to the
Engagement
course theme of ethics.
2.1 Photo Cascade
2.2 “My” Music Moments
The Photo Cascade learning activity is derived from photovoice.
Photovoice was first introduced by Wang and Burris (1997) as Music is a powerful arts-based teaching tool that can be in-
a modality for participatory action research. Perry (2005) con- cluded in online course learning activities in many ways. In the
ceptualized and developed photovoice as an online teaching “My” Music Moments learning activity students are invited to
strategy to promote social engagement between students, and choose a selection of music that appeals to them and that helps
between students and teachers (Perry & Edwards, 2006). Pho- them in some way to further their thinking related to a course
tovoice uses purposefully selected visual images and affiliated theme. For example, the lyrics of a particular song may focus on
reflective questions as an online teaching strategy and is based course topics such as death, bereavement, birth, transitions, or
in the art of photography (2006). dementia to name a few. Students are asked to choose a song
related to a course theme that they find personally meaningful
Photo Cascade is a collection of photographic images focused and to share that song and a written explanation regarding what
on a course theme. The first images in the cascade are provided the song taught them in a course discussion forum. Websites
by the course instructor and students are invited to contribute such as http://www.jamendo.com provide free legally down-
additional related images resulting in a cascade of images. Addi- loadable music. Students can search the database on this and
tionally, the instructor contributes an initial reflective question similar sites using keywords to find their “My” Music Moments
selection.
Select the image that helps you define ethics and explain your choice.
2.3 Word Sculptures
Sculpture as an art-form may seem challeng-
ing to incorporate into online teaching and
learning. As technology becomes more so-
phisticated it may be possible for students to
produce virtual sculptures depicting course
topics. As not all students may have access to
3-D animation software used to create such
sculptured artifacts, a way to incorporable
sculpture in online learning activities using
tools accessible to all gave rise to the idea
of Word Sculptures. Sometimes these Word
Sculptures are called “wordles” or “word
clouds.” Students use free online software
located at http://www.wordle.net/ to sculpt
their chosen words related to a course topic
in to a word picture that they can share with
Figure 1: Example of Beginning Photo Cascade on the Theme of Ethics the class. For example, Figure 2 is a Word
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3. From the field
the topic under study. Students are most likely to succeed with
learning activities that build on their existing knowledge and
that provide them opportunities to apply what they are learn-
ing to real-life situations.
In several ways art-based learning activities challenge learners
academically. For example, the Photo Cascade activity requires
students to have (or acquire) knowledge related to the course
theme to which the Photo Cascade is aligned. In order to make,
and justify, their image choices and questions related to the
Photo Cascade learners need to know key terms and theories
related to the course theme. Learners use existing and newly
acquired knowledge to participate in the Photo Cascade activity
and in doing so their sense of competency grows. Because there
are no “right” answers to the Photo Cascade activity, learners
who participate will succeed. Again this contributes to their
underlying self-confidence regarding the course topic and their
sense of competency.
3.2 Connection with Others
Arts-based learning interventions enhance human connec-
tions in online classrooms and help participants form a sense
of community in their online courses (Perry, Edwards, Menzies,
Figure 2: Word Sculpture on the Course Topic of Healthy Living & Janzen, 2011). Establishing trust and respect among class
participants is an important precursor to connections (Purkey,
2007). Further, class members need to become acquainted with
Sculpture on the course topic of healthy living. Word Sculptures
one another so that connections can be established. Sharing
shared in a course discussion forum generate considerable dis-
self-created Word Sculptures, personally meaningful music se-
cussion among class members.
lections, and images that represent their perspectives, reveals
to their classmates their personal qualities, values, biases, and
3. Discussion priorities. These art-based teaching strategies provide an ac-
These arts-based learning activities may enhance student en- ceptable avenue for self-disclosure that allows familiarity to be
gagement because they help online learners meet their basic enhanced. Class members (including the instructor) get to know
psychological and intellectual needs. Hu and Kuh concluded one another. As students take risks, participate in challenging
that students need a sense of competency, connection with activities, expose vulnerabilities and emotions, and find sharing
others, autonomy, and the opportunity for originality and self- received non-judgementally by class colleagues, the sense of
expression (2007). Learners who achieve these needs are more trust and respect is heightened and connections may be made.
likely to become socially and academically engaged in the online Further, students reveal their own “stories” though their con-
learning experience. tributions to these learning activities allowing fellow learners
to discover shared hobbies, interests, and other commonalities
that may help connections to form and strengthen.
3.1 Sense of Competency
Students feel competent when they are presented with aca-
3.3 Autonomy
demic challenges that are demanding but attainable. Learners
who participate in, and succeed, at learning activities gradu- Skinner and Chi (2012) concluded that learners with a sense of
ally achieve a sense they are capable and competent regarding autonomy are more academically engaged. Self-determination
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4. From the field
theory purports that autonomy enhances intrinsic motivation Word Sculptures are likely to be exactly the same. Additionally,
with autonomy defined as the “universal urge to be causal students justify their choices to others in the course furthering
agents of one’s own life” (Deci & Ryan, 2002). A sense of au- the originality of their contributions. The opportunity to share
tonomy can be facilitated in students by providing them choice. one’s unique story enhances learner engagement in the online
In the learning activities discussed in this paper students can learning environment (Xu, Park, & Baek, 2011).
choose to participate or not. Further learners who do partici-
pate choose images, music selections, and the words used in 4. Conclusion
their individualized Word Sculptures. These opportunities for
choice facilitate a sense of autonomy leading to the potential Learning environments affect student learning (Haigh, 2008).
for academic and social engagement. A positive cycle may be Effective online learning environments include learning activi-
established. (see Figure 3) ties designed to engage learners. There seems to be positive
relationships between learner engagement (so-
cial and academic engagement) and meaningful
interaction with others within the course and
with course materials and resources. As students
become more engaged they also interact more
often and in more meaningful ways.
Online educators are challenged to include
learning activities that help course participants
to become “real” to one another in the virtual
milieu. Becoming “real” further facilitates en-
gagement and interaction. Art-based learning
activities described in this paper may contribute
to this desired outcome.
Art-based learning activities of Photo Cascade,
“My” Music Moments, and Word Sculptures
may be effective in enhancing online learner
engagement in part because they help students
meet their basic psychological and intellectual
needs including a sense of competency, connec-
tion with others, autonomy, and the opportunity
for originality and self-expression (Kuh, 2007).
Figure 3: Choice-Autonomy-Motivation-Engagement Cycle
Further research related to possible associations
between online learner engagement (social and
3.4 Opportunity for Originality and Self- academic) and art-based learning activities is required. Social
Expression determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002) may provide a useful
conceptual framework for these studies.
The arts provide an avenue for self-understanding and self-
expression (Ware, 2011). In some ways though participating in
Photo Cascade, “My” Music Moments, and Word Sculptures
learners are creating and sharing in the public forum of the
class community an autobiographical glimpse into their lives
and ways of thinking about the course topics. Students who par-
ticipate in these learning activities are sharing part of their per-
sonal life story. Each student makes an original contribution to
these learning activities as no two images, music selections or
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5. From the field
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