As a student who has completed and excelled in an online undergraduate degree program I believe I have unique perspective on what constitutes successful transference of knowledge and what hinders the distance learner in their ability to succeed. Over the summer I had the opportunity to participate in a wonderful distance education class that incorporated many innovate uses of digital classroom technology.
A couple examples that might be easy to incorporate in any course syllabus. The instructor took the opportunity to have a little fun and challenge the students to break away from the traditional usage of discussion boards for socialization. This instructor required students to post short (1 and 3 min) videos to YouTube and share the link inside the course website. This forced students to master some basic technology literacy and required the learner to build their communication skills. The learner had to record themselves making an argument, backing their thesis with supporting details. The student’s had to push themselves to deliver the information clearly and effectively.
Another assignment that mixed things up a bit was having the students research a specific topic and instead of writing a short paper, the instructor had the students create a PowerPoint presentation. Again compelling the student to communicate ideas, data and evidence in a concise and attention-grabbing delivery. My virtual class experience suggests that having the students share presentations helps reinforce learning objectives and increases the learner’s ability to retain vital information for longer periods of time.
For more information or if you would like to explore alternative ideas for assignments, please contact us at csresponse@anderson.ucla.edu