Options for Engagement in Online Courses
Instructor-Student or Student-Student Interactions in Fully-Online Courses
The following are suggested by the University Curriculum Committee and Distance Learning Committee for ways regular and substantive opportunities for students to engage with the instructor and other students enrolled in a course utilizing a non-traditional delivery mode (e.g., face-to-face) could be managed. Examples of these opportunities could include (but are not limited to):
- Synchronous class session held at a scheduled time
- Instructor prepared online lectures presented in an appropriate format (e.g., written documents, audio and/or video files, and/or introductions and explanations for any publisher created materials)
- Instructor’s commentary on the readings, with links to illustrative images, media, or text
- Participation in discussion boards (e.g., post, read and respond to peers)
- Participation in a video discussion forum (e.g., post, listen and respond to peers using video tool, such as Flipgrid.)
- Weekly asynchronous forum where the instructor expands upon the lecture, answers questions, and/or facilitates post-lecture
- Q&A and general student interaction
- Online discussion of course materials (e.g., recorded lectures/videos or reading material) moderated by an instructor
- Detailed, personalized responses to tests/quizzes
- Weekly announcements
- Peer grading/feedback (feature available in Canvas) on work products
- Virtual office hours-in real time during announced periods of time or asynchronously during announced days and hours, in which the consultation is with regard to the course content (clarifying theories or references, explaining solutions to problems, etc.) rather than administrative matters such as grading policies or assignment descriptions.”
- Test review (e.g., discussion board Q&A, study group)
- Assignments or projects that promote collaboration among students
- Introductory biography activity
For more information, see Online Course Design and Time on Task.
