UMass Boston

Learning Activities

learning activities icon

In addition to providing learning content in an online course, instructors must also create spaces and opportunities for learners to provide their input and collaborate with each other. This helps the learner become more involved with the lesson content instead of being a passive observer. Instructors should also be actively present in the course to foster a lively learning environment. By deliberately cultivating more interaction—between you and your students and among the students themselves—you will build a sense of community and foster social learning in your online course.

 

Class Discussions

  • Weekly discussion forums in Canvas can be used to informally gauge whether students are grasping key concepts and allowing them to make connections that lead to learning. The discussion boards can also encourage and foster a sense of community among students in the course and as a place for students to ask questions, get clarification on assignments, and share resources.
  • Students can express their thoughts, questions, and concerns with the class or privately. They can post their opinions, ideas, and concerns about the course or discuss and analyze course-related materials.
  • The UMass Boston Blog Network, powered by WordPress, can supplement course interaction and student portfolios.

Presentations

  • Web Conferencing is a good way to meet live online with your learners and for learners in an online course to connect and collaborate with each other and practice their presentation skills. Review the Web Conferencing resources for more in-depth information on its benefits and ideas for using it.
  • Use VoiceThread for interactive conversations and student presentations.
  • Use Canvas Studio to record presentations and upload video content.

Written Assignments

  • Students can submit written work (such as essays, research papers, literature reviews, and reflection papers) using the Canvas Assignments tool. 
  • Collaborative Writing/Editing: Students can contribute, create, and modify one or more pages of course materials and track changes, which allows for effective collaboration between multiple writers. This can be done using the Google Docs Collaborations integration in Canvas.

Working in Groups

Group work can provide another way for students to interact online. Breaking students into smaller groups for projects can benefit both the students and instructors. Students can connect and work with one another and have their voices heard without feeling overwhelmed in a larger class setting; instructors may find it easier to facilitate the smaller groups. The Groups tool in Canvas provides spaces and tools for students to collaborate with each other. 

Active Learning Ideas

Tips & Tricks

Glossary

Social Learning
Social learning involves learning by interacting with other people. Those people may be classmates, peers, or others in the same profession, or they may be experts, such as a teacher or outside authority. An expert is anybody who can answer a difficult question or offer assistance. With social learning, teachers can manage larger classes, especially ones containing headstrong learners. The group counterbalances strong personalities and can deliver strong feedback and have it accepted. (Horton, W., 2012)