TEC-VARIETY by Curtis J. Bonk and Elaine Khoo. How to Motivate Students in the Online Learning Environment. “Correction does much, but encouragement does more“ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe How can course instructors encourage their online students to learn?
In this post I’ll describe how course instructors can foster learning in their online classes. I’ll also examine how the needs of online learners differ from students of traditional learning and how instructors and institutions can support non-traditional students. This is the third post in a four-part series on strategies for online instruction. In post one and two I introduced the Online Learning Support Framework that divides an online course by weeks into three distinct learning phases. Using Self-Determination Theory to Improve Online Learner Motivation. According to self-determination theory, a theory developed by Deci and Ryan, three basic psychological needs affect motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Susan Epps, associate professor of Allied Health Sciences, and Alison Barton, associate professor of Teaching and Learning, both at East Tennessee State University, have used this theory to develop ways to improve online learner motivation. Autonomy In this context, autonomy does not refer to independence but to the desire to have control over one’s own life and to make choices based on personal preferences. Getting the Mix Right Again: An Updated and Theoretical Rationale for Interaction. Student Motivation and Engagement. By Selby Cull, Washington University in St.
Louis Don Reed, Dept. of Geology, San Jose State UniversityKarin Kirk, Science Education Resource Center authored as part of the 2010 workshop, Teaching Geoscience Online - A Workshop for Digital Faculty Jump down to: The Nature of Online Learners | Pedagogic Design | Instructor Behavior | References and Resources The challenge of keeping our students engaged and motivated is common across grade levels, subject matter, and all types of institutions and courses.
Online courses, however, present a special concern. With students and faculty in contact only via the internet several new challenges arise. Instructor Presence in the Online Classroom. Teacher Presence: A given in the face-to-face classroom (flickr - CC) Establishing instructor presence in the online classroom is one of the many challenges for the teacher in the online environment.
Is it possible to establish a sense of ‘being there’, a climate for learning and student engagement while not being physically ‘there’? 5 Proven Ways to Engage Students In Class. The eyes roll back, the mouth scowls, the fingers grip the not-so-secretly hidden cellphone, and the brain checks out.
These are, as teachers everywhere can attest, the surefire signs of a disengaged student. And these symptoms are ravaging the educational system. Teachers know that student engagement is the key to learning retention and having a great overall classroom experience, but they often don’t have the time or energy to come up with some of the outrageous things that they see other teachers doing online to keep kids’ interest.